What Happens if You Leave Money in the TSP After Separation
At some point in the future, you will separate from federal service. After you separate you will be able to …More
TSP
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Factor in Pension When Comparing Retirement Savings Suggestions
How much money do you need to save for retirement? If you follow financial websites, blogs, and publications, I bet …More
CSRS vs. FERS: Spousal Rights and the TSP
Like all 401(k) type plans, the TSP provides spousal rights for spouses of employees and retirees. Interestingly, the rights granted …More
TSP Considerations for Picking a Retirement Date
Many articles have been written about choosing the “best” day to retire when it comes to your FERS or CSRS …More
On Withdrawals and Penalties: IRS rule 72(t) and why is it important.
As one would expect, 72(t) is named after a section of the Internal Revenue Code. It deals with substantially equal …More
Do you know who is your beneficiary for your TSP account? Are you sure?
You may know who is on the latest form TSP-3 that you filed, but the TSP might not. My instructors …More
TSP Contribution Election: What’s in a Name?
Juliet Capulet, in Act 2, Scene 2 of William Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet, asks: “What’s in a name? That …More
With FERS Annuity Indexed for Inflation, Fed Retirees Faring Better
A recent survey conducted by Schwab Workplace Financial Services® indicated that the biggest fear for workers who are approaching retirement …More
Feds Lead Private Sector in Saving for Retirement
Federal employees are more serious about saving for retirement than are employees in general – or so it seems looking …More
Exceptions to the 10 Percent Early Withdrawal Penalty
In a recent article we looked at the origin of the 10% early withdrawal penalty and how it applied to …More
The TSP’s Strategic Plan
I bet your agency has what they call a “strategic plan” which outlines goals for a specified future period of …More
Your FERS Annuity is Worth More Than You Think
How much is your FERS annuity worth? More than you think it is! FERS is a defined benefit plan that …More
Beware Recency Bias When Thinking About Your Retirement
You’ve seen the investment disclaimer before – past performance does not guarantee future results. The reasons for stating this are …More
TSP Investment: Neglect Retirement Savings at Your Own Peril
“I can’t contribute more to the TSP because I have kids in college.” Those of us who urge federal employees …More
Opinion | Commentary
Why So Few are Taking Advantage of TSP Mutual Fund Window
The Thrift Board has said it expects only about 2% to 3% of participants to take advantage of the recently …More
TSP: Congress Eyeing Yet More Changes for Retirement Savings
Dating back to its introduction on March 29, 2019, we have been talking about the SECURE Act; an act that, …More
Installments vs. Annuity: Using Your TSP for Regular Income
The main reason we contribute to our Thrift Savings Plan account is so that we can, at some future date, …More
TSP Life Expectancy Payments Drop for Some
Why did the amount of my TSP installment payments go down? If you are receiving installment payments based on the …More
Opinion | Commentary
Frustrating Debut for New TSP Account Setup, Features
The Thrift Savings Plan has been quickly and seamlessly making changes over the last several years – up until now! …More
Working Longer Not the Only Way to Boost Retirement Funds
A couple of issues ago, we wrote about working longer as a way for those who have fallen short of …More
Your Choices for Distributions from the TSP
Have you given any thought to how you are going to take distributions from your Thrift Savings Plan account when …More
SECURE Act Brings Yet Another Difference Between Roth and Traditional IRAs
Thanks to the IRS’ interpretation of the SECURE Act, there’s now one more difference between traditional and Roth IRAs. In …More
What if You Come Up Short in Retirement?
What if, at retirement, you find out that your retirement income will not be enough to let you continue to …More
Retirement Implications of Reaching Age 59 1/2
We have already passed many age-related milestones thus far in life. Remember when you turned the age of 18 and …More
Understanding Designations and Credentials are Critical for Your Financial Welfare
If credentials are important for lifeguards, arborists, and airline pilots, shouldn’t it be the same for those offering financial advice? …More
Thanks to a Pension, Feds Are Doing Better than Most in Retirement Preparedness
How are you doing when it comes to retirement savings? There are many ways to measure success in preparing for …More
Percentage Based Contributions to the TSP Vs. Fixed Amounts
After reading recently that the most popular TSP withdrawal choice was installment payments of a fixed dollar amount, I wondered …More
TSP Early Withdrawal Penalty: Roth and Traditional
The Internal Revenue Code provides for penalties under certain circumstances and one of those circumstances is a 10% penalty that …More
Military Personnel Participation in TSP Varies by Retirement System
US military personnel are eligible to participate in the Thrift Savings Plan under the same rules as those who work …More
TSP Changes Coming in 2022
The Thrift Savings Plan has been changing for the better ever since its inception back in 1987; and lately, the …More
