Q. The Air Force is going through a drawdown because of sequestration. If a person has a current Thrift Savings Plan loan and is involuntary retired earlier than the minimum 20 years for military service, what are their TSP loan options? Are they required to immediately pay this back, or will they still have the option to pay the loan back over time? Also, how does joining the civil service affect the TSP account? A. You will be required to repay any outstanding loan balance within 90 days of separation, or the unpaid balance will be declared a taxable distribution.
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Q. I retired early from the post office last year. At the time, I had a two loans out on my Thrift Savings Plan account. Now the time has come to pay the piper and the tax bill is enormous. I just turned 56 in January. Is there any way to lessen the blow or offset any of the taxes and penalties from the unpaid loans I took out before retirement? Or at least something I can do, other than pay the full amount of early withdrawal and regular taxes? A. Assuming that it’s been more than 60 days since…
Q. I am an FERS employee and, for various reasons, have selected Nov. 28, 2015, as my retirement date, age 60+ with 21 years civil service and four years military, for which a deposit has been made. One of the many reasons that I selected this date was so that I could have a Thrift Savings Plan residential loan balance declared as a taxable distribution during the 2015 tax year, because I will have substantial withholdings by that time, and given my tax return history, would have a significant tax overpayment that would be useful in paying a portion of…
Q. I’m planning on retiring this year at age 62 under FERS. I will have an outstanding Thrift Savings Plan loan balance of $16,000 and was not planning on repaying the rest of the balance and was needing to find out if the outstanding balance will be considered income and taxed with my other income for the year at the end of the year, since it will be tagged as taxable distribution? A. Yes, any loan balance outstanding 90 days after separation will be declared a taxable distribution at that time and reported as ordinary income for that year.
Q. I have separated from federal service with an existing Thrift Savings Plan loan. My intent is to take a lump-sum withdrawal and take a taxable distribution versus paying off the loan. In the end, will I end up paying more or less tax if I were to pay off the loan versus taxable distribution? A. It’s impossible to say what you’ll pay “in the end,” but if you repay the loan on time, your tax on the money owed will be zero until it is ultimately withdrawn.
Q. I’m a 32-year FERS employee, 60 years old and about to retire in February 2014. I would like to take out some funds from my Thrift Savings Plan. Should I request an age-based, in-service withdrawal or take a partial withdrawal after I retire? A. Either will count as your single lifetime partial withdrawal. Will the tax cost for the withdrawal be significantly lower if the money is withdrawn in 2013? If so, you should consider taking the withdrawal now. If not, it will not really matter when you take it in 2014. If you need the money now but…
Q. I am 61 years old and have a Thrift Savings Plan loan of $24,000 and over $60,000 remaining in my TSP account. I applied for a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority/Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay at my human resources office awaiting approval. What happens to my TSP loan and to my remaining balance in my account if I request a full withdrawal when my retirement is approved? Does the remaining balance of my TSP loan gets paid up from my remaining balance and incur penalty for the full withdrawal? A. If you don’t repay your loan within 90 days of the…
Q. I have a variable annuity (mutual fund) with Western Reserve Life Assurance and it has been doing terribly for many years. I put $10,000 in it in 2001, and it’s only valued at $14, 500 now, 12 years later! My Thrift Savings Plan account is doing much better, and I would love to transfer or roll over this money into my TSP account. Can it be done, should I, and, if so, how? A. It may only be done if: 1. The annuity is an IRA or other Qualified Retirement Account; and 2. All of the money it contains…
Q. I have seen quite a few questions (and answers) about how to request that Thrift Savings Plan loan payments be suspended during the government shutdown, but no detailed information about exactly how to continue to make payments should one want to do that. When during the regular pay cycle should one send in a payment check with the appropriate form? When we go back to work, and if back pay is given, will the loan payments for the entire period of furlough, or perhaps the last pay period only, be taken out? How long of a period of nonpayment may…
Q. I’m eligible to retire CSRS Offset in a few months. I was considering a Thrift Savings Plan loan prior to retiring to pay off other bills. I understand that upon retirement/separation, I would receive a Form 1099 for taxable income. Is this something I should consider? A. If you don’t repay your outstanding loan balance within 90 days of separation from service, the amount due will be declared a taxable distribution and will be treated as though you took the money from your account on the date of the declaration. I believe that you should always consider all reasonable options when it…