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…
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Q. I am 57 years old, currently working at DHS/CBP and have 12 years and 5 months of service. I have degenerative disc disease, which in turn limits my abilities to do my daily activates at work as well as at home. I have had several treatments over the past 15 years and there is not much that can be done to relieve my pain without taking anti-inflammatory medication along with narcotics for pain relief. The pain meds limit my thinking abilities and make me drowsy and I can’t drive my one-hour commute to work every day. I can’t sit or…
Q. Concerning the “First Year Rule,” I will reach full retirement age (66) in October 2020. Suppose I earned $10,000 a month, so by Oct. 1, I would have earned $90,000 for the year, which means I would have paid the 7.2 percent tax into my Social Security Insurance account during that time. Since I would have surpassed the $47,000 number, do I owe $1 for every $3 for the $43,000? Also assume, once I retire, I would receive $3,000 per month in SSI retirement benefits. If I worked after retiring during October thru December and made $3,000 per month,…
Q. I am retiring in April after 30 years and 9 months of federal service with the Department of State. I intend to do Separate Equal Periodic Payments of $2,500 a month. Do I request the full year’s amount for this year ($30,000) or is it just the 8 months that I am retired ($20,000)? A. The rules governing 72(t) withdrawals are complex and, in some instances, unclear. You should seek the guidance of a CPA before initiating these withdrawals.
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. Does it make since to invest in more than one TSP L Fund? I will be retiring within the next 5 to 10 years. I have a portfolio value of $420,000. I moved all of my money from 75 percent C stock fund and 25 percent F bond fund to 100 percent G fund trying to protect my assets during the first week of January to plan for a market correction. The market is still doing well and I regret that I moved all money to the G fund. I am going to move all money to the L2030 fund,…
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 am currently working, have both a Traditional and Roth TSP but will be subject to required minimum distribution upon retirement. The five-year Roth requirement will not be satisfied by the time I retire. I would like to transfer the entire Roth account, both qualified and nonqualified, to an outside Roth IRA before I retire to avoid paying RMD on the Roth portion. Can I do this without penalty, or am I limited to transferring the qualified portion only? A. Rolling money over from the TSP to an IRA should be free from any penalty, if you do it…
Q. I am 58 years old and seeking retirement soon after my 62nd birthday. I would like to withdraw my Thrift Savings Plan when I am 59 1/2, in a lump sum. How much will I have to pay in penalties and taxes? A. It sounds like you will be taking an age-based, in-service withdrawal. The amount withdrawn from your Traditional account will be taxed as Ordinary Income. There will be no penalty for early withdrawal.