Q: I am a federal firefighter under CSRS Special Retirement due to retire in November of 2011 at age 50. At what age will I be able to collect on my TSP retirement? A: While you can access your TSP account any time after you retire, you’ll be subject to the early withdrawal penalty rules until you reach age 59 1/2, unless you qualify for one of the exceptions. See page 4 of the tax notice at https://www.tsp.gov/PDF/formspubs/octax92-32.pdf for details.