The Thrift Savings Plan, decoded.
The latest additions.
Why Maxing the TSP First Can Be a Mistake
Match first, then a Roth IRA, then max the TSP — the right order to fund a federal retirement in 2026, plus the front-loading trap that costs you free match money.
Roth TSP vs. Roth IRA: Which to Fund First (or Both)
Same tax deal, different rules — limits, income caps, investment choice, and access. Which a federal saver should fund first in 2026, and when to use both.
New to the TSP? Read these first.
TSP Funds Explained: A 2026 Complete Guide to G, F, C, S, and I
What each fund holds, current returns and 10-year history, expense ratios, and the career-stage allocation framework. The best place to begin.
Roth vs Traditional TSP in 2026: The Decision After Two Changes
The mandatory Roth catch-up for high earners, in-plan conversions, and the bracket math that should actually drive the decision.
TSP Withdrawal Options in 2026: Lump Sum, Installments, Annuity
The three withdrawal building blocks, the combination strategy most retirees use, the Rule of 55 that beats every IRA, and the spousal-rights traps that derail withdrawals.
TSP basics
TSP Funds Explained: A 2026 Complete Guide to G, F, C, S, and I
What each fund holds, current returns and 10-year history, expense ratios, and the career-stage allocation framework. The best place to begin.
2026 TSP Contribution Limits: The Per-Pay-Period Math
$24,500 regular, $35,750 for ages 60–63, and the per-pay-period math that protects your full agency match. Plus the front-load trap that costs high earners thousands.
The TSP Balance You Should Have at Every Age
Age-based balance targets at 30, 40, 50, 60, 62, and 67 — adjusted downward because federal employees have a pension the generic calculators ignore.
Half of Americans Have No Retirement Account. Feds With TSP Are Already Ahead.
Context for federal employees who don’t realize how unusual their position is. The TSP plus a FERS pension is one of the strongest retirement structures available to any U.S. worker.
The TSP Millionaire Club Just Lost 10,000 Members
Millionaires peaked near 195,000 at year-end, then fell to ~185,000 when stocks dipped. How the average one did it in 27.87 years, the three levers, and a "how long to your million" calculator.
Roth & catch-up
TSP Roth In-Plan Conversions: The New 2026 Feature, Explained
Since January 28, 2026, you can convert traditional TSP balances to Roth without leaving the plan. Here are the rules that actually matter — 26 conversions a year, a $500 minimum, the tax bill it triggers, and who should use one.
Roth vs Traditional TSP in 2026: The Decision After Two Changes
The mandatory Roth catch-up for high earners, in-plan conversions, and the bracket math that should actually drive the decision.
TSP Catch-Up Contributions: The 60-63 Window Most Feds Miss
When catch-ups make sense, the payoff math, the age 64 cliff, the Roth-only rule for high earners, and combat-zone interactions for uniformed services.
SECURE 2.0 TSP Catch-Ups in 2026: Super Catch-Up & Mandatory Roth
The $24,500 limit, the $8,000 catch-up, the $11,250 super catch-up at 60-63, and the new mandatory Roth rule for high earners — with a limit calculator.
Withdrawals & income
TSP Withdrawal Options in 2026: Lump Sum, Installments, Annuity
The three withdrawal building blocks, the combination strategy most retirees use, the Rule of 55 that beats every IRA, and the spousal-rights traps that derail withdrawals.
TSP Installments vs. the Life Annuity: Income for Life (2026)
TSP installments keep your money flexible and inheritable; the MetLife annuity guarantees income for life but is irrevocable. The tradeoffs and a calculator.
The TSP Rule of 55: Penalty-Free Withdrawals at 55
How separating in the year you turn 55 unlocks penalty-free TSP access, the special-category age-50 version, and the rollover trap that voids it — with an eligibility checker.
TSP In-Service Withdrawals at 59½
Tap your TSP while still working — the four-per-year limit, Roth vs traditional ordering, and how it differs from a hardship withdrawal — with a withdrawal planner.
TSP RMDs and the Roth-TSP Exemption: 2026 Rules
TSP RMDs start at 73, and since 2024 Roth TSP is exempt for life. How RMDs work, the two-in-one-year trap, the still-working exception, and an RMD calculator.
Rollovers & keep-vs-roll
Should You Roll Your TSP to an IRA? The Keep-vs-Roll Decision (2026)
Rolling your TSP to an IRA buys flexibility and QCDs but costs the G Fund and rock-bottom fees. The real case each way, the fee math, and a cost calculator.
TSP Rollovers in 2026: Moving Money In, Out, and the IRA Decision
How to move an old 401(k) into the low-cost TSP, how to roll out at separation without triggering tax, and the honest version of the stay-or-move-to-an-IRA decision.
The TSP Rollover Pitch
Why leaving the TSP for an IRA often means higher fees and losing the G Fund. The fee-drag math, the legit reasons, and the red flags — with a fee calculator.
Loans, hardship & death benefits
TSP Loans in 2026: The Real Cost Behind the Decision
The double-taxation myth, the real opportunity cost, the separation trap that turns routine loans into five-figure tax bills, and the QPLO rule that saves you.
TSP Hardship Withdrawals in 2026: Rules, Cost, and the Myth
The five qualifying conditions, the real cost of a permanent withdrawal, and the contribution-suspension myth that ended in 2019 but still circulates everywhere.
What Happens to Your TSP When You Die: Beneficiaries & BPAs (2026)
Form TSP-3 overrides your will, the spousal BPA and its hidden trap, the non-spouse 90-day clock and 10-year rule — with a beneficiary-outcome tool.
G Fund vs C Fund: When Each One Actually Wins in Retirement
Why the G Fund’s apparent safety becomes a long-term liability, the sequence-of-returns research behind it, and the cash-bucket approach that protects against early-retirement drawdowns.
Dividing Your TSP in Divorce: The RBCO and the Traps
It’s an RBCO, not a QDRO. How the marital-share (coverture) fraction works, why the exact date matters, the $600 fee, the temporary-account tax trap, and the beneficiary-form trap. With a calculator.
The numbers that matter in 2026
A few figures anchor almost every TSP decision this year:
- $24,500 — the 2026 elective deferral limit for all ages
- $32,500 — the maximum with the age 50–59 catch-up
- $35,750 — the maximum for ages 60–63, using the SECURE 2.0 super catch-up
- 5% — the contribution that captures the full agency match every pay period
- 59½ — the universal penalty-free withdrawal age, or 55 under the Rule of 55
Continue across the federal retirement picture
The TSP is one leg of three. The FERS & CSRS pillar covers pension calculation and retirement eligibility, the Social Security pillar covers claiming strategy for federal employees, and the Tax Strategy pillar covers how retirement income is actually taxed.
Explore FERS & CSRS →