Are you a TSP user? Here is everything you need to know
The Thrift Savings Plan, more commonly known as TSP is one of the most used and probably the greatest investment programs available to the federal employees and retirees. In this article, we intend to cover all the details regarding it that employees should ideally be aware of.
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TSP:
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is available to all of the FERS members along with the members of the Military Retirement system (MRS) and CSRS or the Civil Service Retirement system.
Just like any other private sector 401(k) or an IRA, you can make the choice between a Roth or a traditional tax treatment regarding your TSP account. If you choose the traditional option you will have to pay your taxes on the contributions and earnings only when you withdraw at retirement.
Most of the federal officers can become recipients of automatic contributions of around 1 percent and 5 percent of base pay of agency-matching contributions. Once we reach 2018, military personnel will also have this luxury.
If you are a member of the FERS, then after three years you will be able to vest in automatic contributions.
The cost of doing TSP business is really low. During 2015, per every grand invested, the cost would come out to be a meager .029 percent. Yes, a mere 29 cents. It’s safe to say that there isn’t a cheaper investment program out there.
The Thrift Savings Plan has enticed many federal officers to start investing over the years and it’s expected to constantly draw attention from employees who intend to make their retirement lives a lot easier and financially securer. We tried really hard to find any substantial downsides but failed. If you can think of any, let’s know in the comments!
