Q. I have 26 years of Defense Department service with a target of six years to go before retiring. The Federal Employees Retirement System isn’t doing very well with the Thrift Savings Plan Offset. Because of a failing market, I have missed my TSP target by a large sum. Does the government have any plans to assist the FERS employees looking to retire with a failed TSP? Most FERS employees are having to work past their target because they can’t afford to retire. The Civil Service Retirement System is much better. Combining FERS, TSP and Social Security, we still fall short compared…
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Q. I retired in 2007 and am in the Civil Service Retirement System. Am I permitted to continue to contribute monthly to my Thrift Savings Program? May I roll over the entire contents of my Individual Retirement Account into TSP? Can I then make monthly contributions into TSP from my checking account? A. You may not contribute to the TSP after you retire, but you may transfer eligible IRA balances into the TSP at any time. To be eligible, the IRA must contain only pretax money.
Q. I am a Federal Employees Retirement System employee and a reservist. I have a uniformed service Thrift Savings Plan account and would like to use some of the money to buy in to my FERS annuity. Does the FERS annuity qualify as a tax-deferred retirement plan, or will I have to pay taxes on the money? A. You’ll have to pay taxes on the money.
Q. I am an FAA air traffic controller with 27 years of service. I was wondering about the age 55 rule for a one-time withdrawal of TSP funds without penalty. If I retire at age 53, can I take out a lump sum when I turn 55, or do I have to work and retire the year I turn 55 to do this? If so, how much money can be taken out without penalty. I also was wondering if I worked till mandatory retirement age, and get forced out, can I still get the one time lump-sum withdrawal without penalty…
Q. I am planning on retiring from the Federal Employees Retirement System in five years at my minimum retirement age. I consider myself a long-term buy-and-hold investor and have accumulated the following assets from regular investing at opportunistic times over 25 years: TSP ($250K) + max annual contributions in C fund, USAA Strategic Advisor Fund ($100K) and International Fund ($150K), First Command Roth IRA Destiny Fund ($150K), CDs and Money Market ($250K), Gold Fund ($50K). Is there any advice you could give me to shift my assets to best protect my investments for that five-year mark? I feel I am pretty…
Q: I retire on Dec. 31. How soon after I retire do I have to wait to take a partial withdrawal from my TSP account? A: There is no waiting period.
Q: I retire Dec. 31. How soon do I have to wait to take a partial withdrawal from my TSP account? A: If you’re age 59 1/2 or older and haven’t done so in the past, you may request an age-based, in-service withdrawal immediately. You may also request a load immediately. Otherwise, you’ll have to wait until you are separated from federal service to take a withdrawal.
Q: I retired on April 30 and rolled my 401(k) into a traditional IRA. I also turned 74 on April 30. When must I begin withdrawing from my IRA? A: You must begin taking withdrawals this year.
Q. My activity is offering voluntary separation incentive payments/voluntary early retirement. I am 56 years old, have 22 years in service under FERS. Do I get the 5 percent penalty if I accept the offer? Am I allowed to withdraw monthly on my TSP? A. Since you will retire during or after the calendar year in which you reached age 55, you will have access to your TSP account without the early withdrawal penalty.
Q. In running various scenarios using the TSP website calculators for TSP payout options (life expectancy and/or specific dollar amount) I notice that all the monthly amounts paid will drop off sharply sometime soon after a person reaches 100-plus years of age. What if a centenarian is still in relatively good health by that time and still needs the income from the TSP? Also what about the effects of inflation after so many years? Does a person need to plan to reinvest some TSP payout into another type of investment in order to provide for very late old age? A. …