The Thrift Savings Plan, decoded.
Three legs hold up a federal retirement: the FERS pension, the TSP, and Social Security. This pillar covers the second leg — the funds, the limits, the agency match, and every decision from your first contribution to your last withdrawal. Current to May 2026.
The latest additions.
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.
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.
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.
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
TSP foundations.
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.
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 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.
Getting money in.
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.
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.
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.
Making it grow.
Getting money out.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 →The TSP pillar is complete — 11 articles
Coverage runs from your first contribution through every withdrawal option. Deeper pieces on required minimum distributions and lifecycle-fund strategy will be added as the site grows.