Q. I have been assisting a federal employee (FERS) who is looking to retire in the very near future. She is married and her husband has dementia. He is currently in hospice. She does not want to leave a survivor benefit to him and she knows she needs to get him to sign the form giving spousal consent and have it notarized. He is unable to sign due to his condition. The same would be true for a TSP withdrawal application. What are her options? How is she able to complete her retirement application and make the necessary choices regarding her TSP without her husband…
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Q. I am currently employed with Bureau of Prisons with the law enforcement offer FERS retirement potential. I am 40 years old, with nearly 4 years in with the Bureau. I am in the process of buying back 3.4 years military service. I also have a 100 percent permanent VA disability rating. Being that I began federal service late, I am not sure how my body will hold up to being a corrections officer for 20 years. But looking ahead, if I cannot continue my job due to aggravated or increased disabilities and I end up medically retiring early, meaning before…
Q. I retired after 43 years under CSRS last year. Because of my sick leave balance (3,800), my CSRS annuity is 83 percent of my working salary. My wife will be retiring at the end of this year with 20 years under FERS. Her net pay will drop from just under $2,600 a month to under $900 with her basic FERS annuity. Besides our TSP (Traditional & Roth), we also have two small traditional IRAs and two good size Roth IRA accounts. I have reached the minimum 40 credits for Social Security; however, because of the WEP, it would be under…
Q. I am 68 years old retired and a FERS retiree. Currently, my wife and I do not need my TSP retirement to withdrawal. We know we need to start withdrawing at age 71½ and we will probably set up a monthly payments from my TSP account (not annuity). However, if I die before 71½, can my wife still receive the monthly payments? A. Your TSP required minimum distribution will begin when you reach age 72. As long as your wife is the beneficiary of your account, she will be able to take money from it after your death.
Q. What agency would I need to seek remedy on requesting a TSP withdrawal with paying no federal tax and the IRS withdrawal penalty? I am a 58-year-old FERS employee with four years to go before I can retire. I can get a TSP withdrawal at age 59½ years old without paying the IRS penalty, but I need the money now due to immediate financial needs, including not paying the federal/state taxes and penalty. A. Since you are currently eligible to contribute to the TSP and are under age 59½, there are only two ways to remove money from your…
Q. I’m a non-career SES (presidential appointee). How many years must I work in the federal government to be eligible for a FERS-FRAE pension and for the entire 5 percent federal contribution to my TSP if I am involuntarily separated? A. Most FERS participants are vested in Agency Automatic (1 percent) Contributions after completing 3 years of service. FERS employees in congressional and certain noncareer positions become vested in Agency Automatic (1 percent) Contributions after 2 years of service. BRS members become vested in Service Automatic (1 percent) Contributions after 2 years of service. If you leave government service before…
Q. I am 63 years old and a FERS retiree. I recently opened an HSA. Can my FEHB premiums be paid with my HSA instead of being taken out of my annuity? A. You may only use HSA money to pay for health insurance premiums while you are unemployed or receiving coverage under COBRA.
Q. My late husband was a FERS retiree when he passed in 2017. I am also a federal employee, but am under CSRS. I’m planning to retire soon, and am wondering if I have our TSP funds in the correct L Funds. I was told it should correspond to your retirement year, but just read that it should be based on my life expectancy. Which is accurate? Also, is it correct that if I withdraw from my husband’s TSP it would not be subject to the 10 percent penalty? A. There is no “accurate” or correct way to choose an…
Q. I am 54 and a retired federal employee that currently receives the supplement. Will money taken out of my IRA count against the supplement? A. No. The FERS Special Retirement Supplement is offset only by earned income.
Q. I recently retired from the federal government law enforcement and I am receiving a FERS Supplement until I turn 62 years of age. Does my military pension count against my supplement as it pertains to the earnings test? A. Your military pension does not count as earned income for earned income offset calculation.