Starting October 15 and running through the end of the calendar year the Thrift Savings Plan will conduct an open season during which employees not participating in the program may join it and current participants may raise the level of their biweekly investments. The open season provides an opportunity for investors to increase their contributions to a maximum of 14 percent of salary for those in FERS and 9 percent for those in CSRS, subject to a dollar cap in 2004 of $13,000. Changes in contributions can be effective as early as the first pay period of December.