Q. I retired in 2010 and, at that time, I was informed that I was in the wrong retirement system (FERS). I chose to be put in the proper program (CSRS Offset). I was also told by my human resources manager that, since I was in retirement, I would be able to keep all of my Thrift Savings Plan contributions, including the agency’s matching contributions. On Dec. 3, the agency forfeited about a fourth of the value of my TSP account, without any notification that this was going to happen. Is this a legal action? Why was I not informed…
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Q. My wife and I are getting a divorce. We are both federal employees with Thrift Savings Plans. My plan greatly outvalues hers. In my state, she is entitled to half of the value of my retirement account, and vice versa. Since we are both on the TSP, can I just transfer her entitlement from my account to her TSP account without a tax penalty, as this would be of greater benefit to her? A. She may request that her share be transferred to her TSP account using the appropriate TSP form.
Q. After I retire, I am planning to withdraw $4,000 per month from the Thrift Savings Plan and I am not claiming Social Security. How will Social Security taxes be paid for the TSP I withdraw? A. Social Security taxes can’t be paid from your TSP withdrawals since they are not considered earned income.
Q. I am in FERS (age 57 with 30 years). I have been offered the buyout and will have to be off the roll Jan. 31. How should I go about having a portion of my lump-sum annual leave payment go directly into my Thrift Savings Plan account? A. This is not allowed.
Are you planning to retire soon? If so, you’ll need to figure out whether you’re financially able to make it work in the near and the distant future. Because there are few, if any, truly reliable financial guarantees, this can be a difficult thing to determine. The essential question is this: “Will I have the resources — usually cash — available when I need it to support my desired standard of living for the rest of my life?” If someone else is depending upon you for all or part of their financial support, your retirement decision will affect them, as…
It’s easy to make mistakes when you are planning to retire. Some of the biggest mistakes apply to all employees; a few apply only to CSRS or FERS retirees. All can be costly. Here they are and what you can do to avoid them: Retiring on the spur of the moment. It can be disastrous, for two reasons. First, if you hand in your retirement application at the last minute, it may contain errors that delay processing or even cause it to be rejected. Second, decisions made in haste often come back to bite you. Once committed to a course…
Q. I am a longtime CSRS employee with a pretty good Thrift Savings Plan balance. I plan to retire in two years and move to another city when I retire. My spouse is planning to retire in eight months, and we are planning to buy a house in the new city. We would like to buy the new house and begin the transition to the new city without selling our existing home until I retire. We are looking at a number of ways to finance the purchase of the new home and afford a mortgage payment on that house, a…
Q. I am a federal employee considering retiring at age 64. I want to withdraw my Thrift Savings Plan funds in one lump sum, which by then will be approximately $400,000. At what tax rate can I expect to be hit upon withdrawal? A. Your withdrawal will be subject to 20 percent federal tax withholding. Read the document at https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/tsp-536.pdf for more information.
Q. I am 63 years old and will be retiring under CSRS in January. I have about $150,000 in my Thrift Savings Plan account. I have talked with a financial adviser who told me it would be better to buy from outside and cheaper than MetLife annuity. The annuity is from Prudential and has a living benefit rider. They claim it is the cheapest one out there. Can you give me any advice as to which annuity would be best? A. Your “financial adviser” is not an adviser but a salesperson. Don’t be foolish. Now is not the time to buy a fixed annuity…
Q. I am 63 years old with 37 years in the Postal Service and still working. I plan to retire in two years. I have $250,000 in my Thrift Savings Plan. I have read about contributing 10 percent of my career earnings to the Voluntary Contribution Program, and then moving the VCP money back to Roth IRA to save the taxes. For example, if my 10 percent is $150,000, can I withdraw it from TSP and move it to VCP and not pay any taxes on my TSP withdrawal? A. No.