How Spouses’ Rights Apply to TSP Withdrawals
By law, a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) participant’s spouse has certain rights to the participant’s TSP account. These rules apply to withdrawals even if the TSP participant is separated from…
Options for Withdrawing Funds from the Thrift Savings Plan: Option 3 – Rollovers
This is the third of four FEDZONE columns discussing the withdrawal options that are available to separated Thrift Savings Plan TSP) participants. In these columns, a “separated” participant means a…
Options for Withdrawing Funds from the Thrift Savings Plan: Option 2 – TSP Annuity
This is the second of four FEDZONE columns discussing TSP withdrawal options that are available to all separated Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) participants. In these columns, a separated TSP participant…
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) Continue to Be Popular Among IRA Owners
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) first became available in 2006 to individuals aged 70.5 and older. QCDs were initially available only through the 2007 tax year. But Congress extended the December…
Options for Withdrawing Funds from the Thrift Savings Plan: Option 1 – Installment Payments
This is the first of four FEDZONE columns discussing the withdrawal options that are available to separated Thrift Saving Plan (TSP) participants. In these columns, a “separated” TSP participant means…
FERS Retirees Receiving the Special Retirement Supplement Annuity Must Report 2024 Earnings
Social Security is one of the three components of the FERS retirement. When a FERS employee retires before age 62 under the immediate retirement rules, the FERS employee will receive…
Some Alternatives to “529” Education Savings Plans
Many financial advisors recommend “529” education savings plans to their clients in order to help for the future cost of higher education. Among the advantages of “529” education savings plans…
Mandatory Roth TSP “Catch-Up” Contributions Take Effect January 1, 2026
On January 10, 2025, the IRS issued proposed regulations that facilitate the implementation and operations of one of the provisions passed as part of SECURE 2.0. This provision is that…
Federal Employees and Retirees May Have Forgotten About Retirement Accounts from Previous Employers
The way the average American is employed has changed through the years. Parents of the “baby-boomer” generation typically worked for the same employer when they started working in their 20’s…
With the Challenges and Problems Facing the LTC Insurance Industry, Is “Self-Insuring” a Better Option?
Long-term care (LTC) insurance started in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s in response to the growing recognition of the need for financial protection against the prohibitive costs of LTC…