Q. My husband is putting in papers to retire after 40 years in civil service. He wants me to sign a paper saying that I agree not to accept his retirement if he dies before me. He said it would be less costly to get a good life insurance policy. We are both 61 years old and in good health. I have asthma and take medication for cholesterol. I have 21 years with the public school system. I hope to retire in the next year or two. Is it a good idea for me to sign this paper? He doesn’t…
Browsing: retirement
Q. I am retiring from active duty in about six months. Almost one-third of my Thrift Savings Plan balance is from combat-zone tax-exempt contributions. I am looking to possibly roll my TSP into my next employer’s 401(k). What happens to the CZTE amount? How do I keep this amount tax exempt, and what are my options for this amount at retirement? A. Given that the TSP is the best retirement investment environment you will find, I urge you to consider maintaining your TSP account and maximizing its use for as long as possible. Unless there are some extraordinary circumstances, you…
Q. I am 70½ years old and about to retire under CSRS. If I use my Thrift Savings Plan account to purchase a MetLife annuity, how are the required minimum distributions handled? A. Life annuity payments satisfy the RMD for the amount of money used to buy the annuity.
Q. Does section 902 in HR 8 (American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012), which states that “Amounts in applicable retirement plans may be transferred to designated Roth accounts without distribution,” apply to the Thrift Savings Plan? A. You may transfer amounts from other employer-sponsored Roth retirement plans into the TSP. This does not apply to Roth IRAs, however.
Q. I am a federal law enforcement officer covered by FERS and, by Sept. 30, I will have more than 29 years of service plus more than a year of sick leave. To obtain my annuity beginning Oct. 1, I would like to retire on Sept. 30, but it is in the middle of a pay period. I plan on front-loading my Thrift Savings Plan and TSP catch-up contributions starting in April for the rest of this year to reach the maximum for both. Would there be any TSP match in my last, partial pay period, or should I just…
Q. Can traditional Thrift Savings Plan funds be transferred/rolled to Roth TSP funds after retirement, while paying taxes on the amount transferred? I’m trying to at least save the taxes on the five-year growth. A. You may not convert your traditional TSP funds to Roth TSP funds. I’d like to see the math that convinces you that this is a good idea in the first place.
Q. I am 64 years old and will be retiring in a year. I have 15 years with the federal government. Do all of my Thrift Savings Plan contributions have to be withdrawn prior to a specific age? I also understand that my total TSP account will be charged 20 percent. Am I to understand that after the 20 percent is subtracted from my TSP account, I have to pay income taxes per year for withdrawals I make from my TSP account that will be added to my total gross income? A. You will be required to begin taking minimum annual distributions…
Q. I am 66 years old and plan to retire in 2014, at which time I would transfer (convert) my Voluntary Contributions Program monies directly into a newly created Roth IRA. However, I have an existing (non-TSP) Traditional (substantial) IRA (never taxed), and know the Internal Revenue Service will aggregate my Traditional IRA balance for purposes of determining the taxability of this VCP-to-Roth conversion. If, prior to retirement, I (in 2013) transfer (direct rollover) my Traditional IRA into my existing Thrift Savings Plan account, will those monies now be considered 401(a), and therefore, making my subsequent VCP-to-Roth conversion occur with…
Q. When retiring, can I take a large sum of my Thrift Savings Plan out before starting my monthly allotment with the remaining amount? A. Yes, as long as you haven’t taken an age-based, in-service withdrawal before you retire.
Q. How often am I able to change my allotment amount being drawn from my Thrift Savings Plan account yearly monthly, etc., while retired? Can I still move my money between funds after I start receiving the allotment? A. If you’re referring to automatic monthly distributions, the amount can be changed once each year, effective in January. You may, and are responsible to, continue to manage your account for as long as it continues.