April 1, Required Beginning Date for RMDs
When one thinks of finances and the month of April, the first date that pops into mind is April 15th, …More
TSP
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Contributing to an IRA in Addition to Your TSP
Some of us might be able to deduct contributions to traditional Individual Retirement Arrangements (IRAs) from our federal income tax. …More
Free Money… and Time: Why Your Employer Match is Worth More Than You Think
There’s no way around it – if you’re amongst the roughly 13% of federal employees not contributing at least 5% …More
Don’t Write Off the Little Used TSP Mutual Fund Window
The TSP’s mutual fund window is similar to a self-directed brokerage account (SDBA) in many private sector 401(k) plans. And …More
TSP Mutual Fund Window Expenses: Fair or Foul?
With all of the discussion about the fees associated with the Thrift Savings Plan’s (TSP) mutual fund window, let’s take …More
To Equal CSRS Savings, FERS Employees Have to Fund Their TSPs
This April will mark the 37th birthday of the Thrift Savings Plan. It was on April 1, 1987, that the …More
Uptick in Number of TSP Loans
There was a 25% increase in the number of Thrift Savings Plan Loans over the one-year period from September 2022 …More
The One Word Answer for How Much You Should Have in Your TSP
I’ve heard lots of questions over the many years I’ve worked in the area of retirement and financial education and …More
Happy Croissant Day, Now Save Up
Today, January 30, is National Croissant Day. And while it’s hard not to celebrate delicious flakey buttery pastries, it’s laughable …More
TSP By the Numbers
The TSP is the largest defined contribution plan in the United States. There are 7 million participants with over $845 …More
TSP and IRAs: Similarities and Key Differences
Workers have had access to Individual Retirement Arrangements since 1974, and federal employees have been able to contribute to the …More
Feds Are Better Off Than Many Americans, But Still Should Have Emergency Fund
In early December I read an article in the Hilton Head Sun (one of those free monthly papers) with the …More
Minimize These Social Security and Medicare “Taxes”
What are “stealth taxes”? When should I worry about them? How can I avoid them? Stealth taxes are additional costs …More
Contributing to IRAs in Two Different Years at the Same Time
Did you know that from January 1st through April 18th you can contribute to both 2023 and 2024 Individual Retirement …More
5 Things the TSP Doesn’t Let You Do
The TSP (Thrift Savings Plan) is really good at a lot of things, but not everything. While you’re working the …More
TSP: Budgeting Starting Point in Longterm Financial Planning
You can join AARP as young as the age of 50, and many readers are likely already members of AARP …More
Are Things “OK” for Boomers Nearing Retirement?
OK Boomer! That phrase is viewed as a dismissal of the concerns of the “Baby Boom” generation by younger generations …More
If You Want to Become A TSP Millionaire, Just Ask
There are over 100,000 Thrift Savings Plan (“TSP”) millionaires at this point in 2023. These are the employees who contributed …More
Half of Retirees Plan on Maintaining Retirement Assets, not Spending. Really?
The Employee Benefits Research Institute (ebri.org), conducts an annual ‘Retirement Confidence Survey” and some of the 2023 results are not …More
New Retirees More Likely to Face Nasty Surprise at Tax Time
Imagine – it’s April 18, 2024, and you’ve finally completed your 2023 federal income tax return. Once you see the …More
Financial Resolutions: Help Yourself Not Fall Off the Wagon
It may be a little early to start thinking about what New Year’s resolutions we will make for 2024, but …More
TSP and IRAs: Time to Maximize Your Retirement Contributions for the Year
We’ve entered the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, though we are still in calendar year 2023. In fact, we …More
Is a TSP Annuity Right for You?
The Thrift Savings Plan is planning on re-competing the life annuity contract. The current contract is with MetLife and has …More
Start Early and ‘Strive for 5’ Percent in TSP Contributions
Wouldn’t it be nice to get money just for the act of showing up? Well, all FERS employees get just …More
Save Early, Save Often to Set Yourself Up for Retirement
“You gets no bread with one meat ball.” So go the final words in the song One Meat Ball, a …More
Saving for Retirement: Rules and Wildcards
There are many “rules” for saving for retirement, some of which are very general and involve discipline and frugality. Rules …More
Thrift Board Wants to Make TSP Annuities More Attractive
The minutes of the July 26, 2023, meeting of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board mentioned that James Courtney, the …More
Lessons in Hamlet on Saving and Investing
Hamlet is perhaps the most quoted of Shakespeare’s plays and, when recently watching the Kenneth Branagh movie of Hamlet, I …More
SECURE 2.0 Implementation: Roth Catch-up Rule Pushed Back
Here’s more news about the implementation of SECURE 2.0. In a recent article, we discussed a provision of the Act …More
SECURE Act? How about FIRE and the Retire Early Movement
As government workers or members of the uniformed services, we’ve gotten used to acronyms. In fact, you will sometimes run …More
