Q. I have a Thrift Savings Plan account, and I have a retirement annuity with a company other than MetLife from previous employment. Can the two be merged into the MetLife program, or do I have to take my TSP account to the other annuity when I retire?
Am I correct in assuming that if I place my TSP either way, there will not be a tax penalty, since it will be put directly into an annuity?
A. Merging the two is probably not possible. You can either continue your TSP account, use the money to buy a TSP annuity from MetLife, or roll the money out and use it to buy an annuity from an outside insurance company. If you do it right, there should be no tax consequence from the rollover to an annuity purchase.