Q. Last fall, when we were approaching the fiscal cliff, I made the mistake of transferring my L2030 fund into the G Fund because I believed the market was going to have a significant drop due to the instability of the federal budget. At the time, the Dow Jones was around 14,000. Long story short, my funds are still in the G Fund and the Dow Jones has now exceeded 15,000. I don’t know when to transfer them back to the L2030 fund because I feel like I’m buying high right now. What are your thoughts? A. You’re not qualified to manage an investment…
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Q. My understanding is that a spouse’s traditional IRA (not a Roth IRA) cannot be transferred into a government employee’s Thrift Savings Plan 401(k) account? Can you tell me if that is correct? A. That is correct.
Q. I retired in 2011 because of a base closing. Before leaving, I put everything in the G Fund. Can I take money out of the G Fund and put it into another fund now that I’ve retired? A. Yes.
Q. I have $300,000 in my Thrift Savings Plan and am retiring soon. I plan on taking $40,000 out to put into my checking and then roll the remaining $260,000 into an account that I can make monthly withdrawals for the rest of my life. I am 60 years old. What percentage of this should I take out monthly (I’ve heard anywhere between 4 percent and 6 percent) … to make it last? What is your recommendation? A. First, you should take out enough to create a spending fund and then take the monthly withdrawals from your TSP account. No…
Q. I have all of my money in the L Fund 2030. All of the money experts are predicting that the stock market will fall. Should I transfer all of my money to the G Fund, then transfer back when to the L Fund when it nears the bottom? Are there any fees if you transfer? Or should I just ride out the storm and stay where I am? A. Are those “money experts” going to take responsibility for the outcomes you experience if you follow their “advice.” Of course not. So why would you listen to them? Aren’t these…
Q. I am retired FERS and just turned 70 and need to begin taking TSP withdrawals. I am looking to roll the entire amount into Fidelity and was wondering if anyone has done so and how their experiences have been. They do seem to have more options and perhaps can help earn more than TSP, but I’d appreciate any comments. A. Fidelity’s expenses will be higher than the TSP, so the expected rate of return on your assets will be lower. Leaving the TSP for higher returns is a sucker’s bet, plain and simple.
Q. Is it possible to do partial transfer of Thrift Savings Plan funds once you leave the government? Could I transfer 50 percent of my TSP funds into an IRA and retain the other 50 percent in my TSP account? A. Yes, as long as you haven’t already exhausted your single TSP partial withdrawal allowance.
Q. My wife works for a dental office which has a profit-sharing plan. Only her employer makes contributions to this pretax plan. She will retire in one more year. We would like to do a direct rollover of her funds into my Thrift Savings Plan, so that all holdings can be distributed from this one account. However, I have been told by TSP personnel that the ownership of any plans to be transferred must be in my name, not my spouse’s name. Is there any legal way for getting her profit-sharing plan funds to transfer into my TSP account? For example, since I am 2½ years…
Q. Upon retirement, I’m considering transferring a portion of my Thrift Savings Plan balance in monthly payments directly into a Roth IRA. Since my TSP is pretax, I understand that taxes will need to be paid on these funds upon conversion to a Roth. I am in a state with no income tax on federal pensions and distributions from the TSP (North Carolina) and want to be sure that this transfer from my TSP to the Roth will be considered a TSP distribution for tax purposes, and therefore, subject to federal and not North Carolina taxes. Does the Office of Personnel…
Q. Your April 1 Money Matters article identifies the exception to the 10 percent penalty for early distributions for separation from federal service during or after the calendar year one reaches age 55. My question relates to funds transferred to my Thrift Savings Plan account from a former employer’s 401(k) plan. Does the exception apply to all funds contained in my TSP account, or just those funds contributed to the TSP in the normal course of my federal service employment — i.e., not counting funds transferred from a prior 401(k) account? A. It applies to the contents of your TSP account,…