TSP Calculator: Estimate Thrift Savings Plan Withdrawals In Retirement (2024)

FAQs

How much TSP will I get when I retire? ›

What the 4% rule actually says is that you take 4% of your TSP balance at the beginning of retirement and then increase that original withdrawal every year based on inflation. Here's an example: Let's say you retire with $500,000. 4% of that is $20,000 so in year 1 of retirement you can withdrawal $20,000.

The way RMDs are calculated, they are more often than not smaller than the amount that is withdrawn annually by someone taking installment payments. RMDs are calculated by dividing the TSP balance on December 31 of the preceding year by a factor derived from the age the participant turns in the year of the RMD.

Consider leaving your funds in the TSP unless you don't want to deal with extra paper work or you want more investment options. Otherwise, consider rolling your TSP account assets into your new 401(k) plan if you have one, or one of the other following options.

To explore annuity estimates based on a different type of annuity purchase—or an annuity purchase combined with other withdrawal options—you can use the TSP payment and annuity calculator.

Experts say to have at least seven times your salary saved at age 55. That means if you make $55,000 a year, you should have at least $385,000 saved for retirement.

Will withdrawals from my individual retirement account affect my Social Security benefits? Social Security does not count pension payments, annuities, or the interest or dividends from your savings and investments as earnings. They do not lower your Social Security retirement benefits.

The RMD calculator makes it easy to determine your required minimum distribution from a Traditional IRA to avoid penalties and costly mistakes. A required minimum distribution (RMD) is the minimum amount of money that a Traditional IRA holder is required to withdraw annually once they reach the RMD age threshold.

Eligible rollover distributions of your traditional balance may be rolled over to a traditional IRA, an eligible employer plan, or a Roth IRA. taxed in the current year, and no income tax will be withheld. You won't be taxed on this money until you withdraw it from the traditional IRA or the eligible employer plan.

Will TSP automatically send RMD? ›

The TSP will automatically withdraw your RMD for you at the end of the year if you don't do it yourself. This means that TSP has your back if you forget in a given year but I would certainly still keep an eye on it if I were you.

What is the safest TSP fund? The G fund is generally the safest option as it invests in government securities. Although you won't lose money investing in this fund, your rate of return will be low. This may be a good option if you are close to retirement.

According to our data, if you purchase a $50,000 annuity with a lifetime income rider, you can expect to receive monthly payments for life between $284 and $646. Your age determines the payment amount when purchasing the annuity contract and how long you wait to receive the money.

You can request to receive a total distribution of your entire TSP account balance if you want to take all of your money out of the TSP. Once processed, your TSP account balance will be $0, and you'll no longer be able to move money into the TSP from eligible plans.

4.2% While annuity rates had begun to improve since reaching an early nadir of 1.375% in September 2016, they began to drop again in early 2019. Following the COVID shutdowns starting in early 2020, they bottomed in July 2020 to a new low of 1.209%, and only slowly began to recover again in 2021.

If you manage to stay healthy and never need long-term care then $600,000 could be enough to sustain you in retirement. On the other hand, if you need long-term care in a nursing facility that could take a large bite out of your savings.

The rule essentially states that you can withdraw 4% annually from a well-diversified retirement portfolio, adjust your 4% every year for inflation, and expect your money to last for at least 30 years.

According to the Schroders 2023 U.S. Retirement Survey, working Americans age 45 and older expect they will need about $1.1 million in savings in order to retire, but only 21% of people in that age group expect to have even $1 million. That's down slightly from the 24% in 2022 who said they expected to save that much.

To acquire the full amount, you need to maximize your working life and begin collecting your check until age 70. Another way to maximize your check is by asking for a raise every two or three years. Moving companies throughout your career is another way to prove your worth, and generate more money.

Withholding taxes

We don't withhold for state or local income tax. This doesn't mean that you don't have to pay state and local taxes on your withdrawals and distributions. We report all TSP payments to your state of residence at the time of the payment (if that state has an income tax).

What is the Social Security 5 year rule? ›

The Social Security disability five-year rule allows people to skip a required waiting period for receiving disability benefits if they had previously received disability benefits, stopped collecting those benefits and then became unable to work again within five years.

Say your IRA was worth $500,000 at the end of 2022, and you were taking your first RMD at age 73 this year. Your distribution amount would be $18,868 ($500,000 divided by 26.5). Likewise, if you were turning 85 in 2023, your RMD would be $31,250 ($500,000 divided by 16).

Here's an example of how the life expectancy factor works:

If your IRA balance at year-end is $1 million and you're 73 years old, your life expectancy factor is 26.5 according to the IRS. Divide your balance by 26.5 ($1,000,000/26.5), and that equals $37,735.85, which is your RMD amount.

Required minimum distributions (RMDs) are the minimum amount that you must withdraw from certain tax-advantaged retirement accounts. They begin at age 72 or 73, depending on your circ*mstances and continue indefinitely. There is, unfortunately, no age when RMDs stop.

The RMD is taxed as ordinary income, with a top tax rate of 37% for 2021 and 2022. An account owner who delays the first RMD will have to take two distributions in one year. For instance, a taxpayer who turns 72 in March 2021 has until April 1, 2022, to take his first RMD.

Once you withdraw your annual RMD, the money is taxed at your current income rate. The federal income tax impact is similar to the income you earn from working at a job—the higher your income for the year, the higher your tax rate. However, you might have some control over the timing and amount of your withdrawals.

You'll pay a 50% tax rate on required money that was not withdrawn. So if you are age 78 and you have an IRA balance of $100,000, your RMD for the year would be $4,545.45 (which is calculated by dividing your balance by distribution period years in the table above).

In most cases we can recommend framing the issue this way: Your money has the most potential for growth if you take your entire minimum distribution at the end of each calendar year. However, personal budgeting may be easiest if you take your minimum distribution in 12 monthly portions.

Tip: Many people choose to have taxes withheld from their RMDs, as it is counted as ordinary income. If you choose not to do this, make sure you set aside money to pay the taxes. And be careful—sometimes underwithholding can result in a tax penalty.

You pay taxes on IRA withdrawals when you make a taxable distribution from the account. For example, traditional IRA withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income, while Roth IRA withdrawals are tax-free if the account has been open for at least five years and you are over 59.5 years old.

Are TSP withdrawals taxed twice? ›

Unlike investment accounts, TSP withdrawals don't get the advantage of being taxed at the lower long-term capital gains rates. TSP withdrawals are always taxed at your ordinary income tax rate. However, whenever you take money out of the Roth TSP then that money comes out completely tax free.

No, these types of income are not considered earned income on the Disability Earnings Survey Form RI 30-2.

If you are 591/2 or older, you can make withdrawals from your TSP account while you are still employed . You must pay income tax on the taxable portion of your withdrawal unless you roll it over to an IRA or other eligible employer plan .

More In Retirement Plans

You cannot keep retirement funds in your account indefinitely. You generally have to start taking withdrawals from your IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP IRA, or retirement plan account when you reach age 72 (73 if you reach age 72 after Dec. 31, 2022).

SECURE 2.0 increases the start age for required minimum distributions from 72 to 73 in 2023 and then further increases the start age to 75 in 2033. We're continuing to assess how SECURE 2.0 will affect the TSP and will provide updates as more details are finalized.

Your best bet is to stick with the C, S and I Funds. Here's the ratio we recommend for your portfolio: 80% in the C Fund, which is tied to the performance of the S&P 500. 10% in the S Fund, which includes stocks from small- to mid-sized companies that offer high risk and high return.

Average TSP balances

The average TSP balance has grown steadily in the last decade, reaching the six-figure mark in 2013. As of 2021, the average TSP balance for FERS participants was $181,279, while the average TSP balance for CSRS participants was $194,424.

Taking a loan from your TSP is a bad idea. The money you're putting into your TSP is for retirement, not for buying a new car. If you leave federal employment with an outstanding TSP loan you have to pay back the full loan balance within 90 days.

The C, S, and I funds are the more aggressive of the funds in the TSP. The reason they are called “aggressive” is because they have a much higher chance of sustaining major growth over time. But because of this, they can also be much more volatile than the G and F funds.

How Much Does A $300,000 Annuity Pay Per Month? A $300,000 annuity would pay you approximately $1,314 each month for the rest of your life if you purchased the annuity at age 60 and began taking payments immediately.

How much does a $250000 annuity pay per month? ›

How Much Does An $250,000 Annuity Pay? The guaranteed monthly payments you will receive for the rest of your life are roughly $1,094 if you purchase a $250,000 annuity at age 60. You will receive approximately $1,198 monthly at age 65 and approximately $1,302 at age 70 for the rest of your life.

If you buy that annuity at age 65 and begin collecting payments immediately, you might expect to receive around $4,700 per month for the rest of your life ($56,400 per year), which comes to a repayment rate of around 5% annually.

Consider leaving your funds in the TSP unless you don't want to deal with extra paper work or you want more investment options. Otherwise, consider rolling your TSP account assets into your new 401(k) plan if you have one, or one of the other following options.

Leave it in the TSP and let it grow

Depending on when you begin retirement, you can simply leave the money in the TSP let it continue to grow. If you do not need to access it yet, it might be wise to let it be. Similar to other retirement accounts, you will need to begin minimum withdrawals at age 72.

January 2023 news and announcements

SECURE 2.0 increases the start age for required minimum distributions from 72 to 73 in 2023 and then further increases the start age to 75 in 2033.

Pros – You get a predictable monthly income as long as your money lasts. Cons – There is no guarantee how long you will continue to receive monthly withdrawals. If your investments drop in value, you may have to make lifestyle changes.

The largest account balance has gone from $9.3 million in March of this year, to $10 million at the end of June. When the TSP started, there were only a handful of millionaires who brought their...

Maximizing Agency or Service Contributions

To receive the maximum Agency or Service Matching Contributions, you must contribute 5% of your basic pay each pay period.

TSP Withdrawal Penalties are based on your age and separation from service. If you transfer the money from your Thrift Savings Plan to your Individual Retirement Account and go to make a distribution, you may incur the 10% penalty for having done so before reaching age 59 1/2.

These rules of thumb say you should have saved ... 2 to 3 times your income by age 40. 3 to 4 times your income by age 45.

How much does the average federal employee have in TSP? ›

There are 3.6 million Federal Employees Retirement System participants, with an average account balance at the end of 2020 of $164,000.

Average TSP account balances for Uniformed Service Members reached $35,680.00 and Roth balances were $18,285.00, while average balances for BRS participants reached $9,969.00 and Roth balances were $8,773.00 as of October 2022. Just remember: We all start at $0 in the TSP, even TSP millionaires!

It depends, but most people should contribute to their TSP at least up to the matching funds limit (3% of your salary). Beyond this, the TSP is better if your taxes are high today and you expect them to be much lower in retirement. It is better to use your deduction against the higher tax rate.

It generally takes between 7 to 10 business days to process your request once you've properly completed and submitted it. We disburse withdrawals each business day. You can check My Account at tsp.gov or call the ThriftLine to find out the status of your withdrawal request, including whether the payment has been made.

Average TSP account balances for Uniformed Service Members crested over $40,000 by the end of 2021, while balances for new 'Blended Retirement System' (BRS) participants reached close to $10,000 in just four years since the BRS became operational.