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Temporary suspension of certain transactions starts May 16 until the first week
of June.
Check full calendar and plan ahead


Menu
 * Manage your plan
   * TSP basics
   * Making contributions
   * Access your account
   * Online learning
   * Forms and resources
   * Frequently asked questions
 * Learn about fund options
   * How to invest
   * Lifecycle funds
   * Individual funds
 * Fund performance
   * Rates of return
   * Share price history
   * Share price calculation
 * Use your savings
   * Loan basics
   * In-service withdrawal basics
   * Living in retirement
   * Annuity basics
 * Manage life changes
   * Planning for life events
   * Changes in your career
   * For beneficiary participants

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Plan for a lifetime with the TSP


NEW TO THE TSP? LET’S START WITH THE BASICS

You can setup your account, rollover a 401(k), and so much more.

Get started


EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OUR FUNDS

We’ll help you understand each fund—their risks, rewards, and performance.

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WE’LL BE WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

Whether you’re new to the federal government or preparing to retire, we’re here
to help guide you.

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Fund performance

Forms and publications

Contribution limits

Calculators


OUR FUNDS AT A GLANCE

   
 * Lifecycle funds
   
   The Lifecycle (L) Funds are made of each of the individual funds below. If
   you’re an experienced investor, you can customize your asset allocation with
   our 5 individual funds and invest in everything from short-term government
   securities to domestic and international stocks.
   
    * L 2065 Lifecycle Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      Consider if you plan to begin withdrawing from your TSP account after 2062
      or you were born after 1999.
      
      Learn more
   
    * L 2060 Lifecycle Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      Consider if you plan to begin withdrawing from your TSP account between
      2058 and 2062 or you were born between 1995 and 1999.
      
      Learn more
   
    * L 2055 Lifecycle Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      Consider if you plan to begin withdrawing from your TSP account between
      2053 and 2057 or you were born between 1990 and 1994.
      
      Learn more
   
    * L 2050 Lifecycle Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      Consider if you plan to begin withdrawing from your TSP account between
      2048 and 2052 or you were born between 1985 and 1989.
      
      Learn more
   
    * L 2045 Lifecycle Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      Consider if you plan to begin withdrawing from your TSP account between
      2043 and 2047 or you were born between 1980 and 1984.
      
      Learn more
   
    * L 2040 Lifecycle Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      Consider if you plan to begin withdrawing from your TSP account between
      2038 and 2042 or you were born between 1975 and 1979.
      
      Learn more
   
    * L 2035 Lifecycle Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      Consider if you plan to begin withdrawing from your TSP account between
      2033 and 2037 or you were born between 1970 and 1974.
      
      Learn more
   
    * L 2030 Lifecycle Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      Consider if you plan to begin withdrawing from your TSP account between
      2028 and 2032 or you were born between 1965 and 1969.
      
      Learn more
   
    * L 2025 Lifecycle Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      Consider if you plan to begin withdrawing from your TSP account between
      2021 and 2027 or you were born between 1958 and 1964.
      
      Learn more
   
    * Income Lifecycle Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      Consider if you are already withdrawing money from your account or you
      were born before 1958.
      
      Learn more

   
 * Individual funds
   
   We have a selection of individual funds that offer broad market
   diversification. You can choose to have your retirement dollars invested in
   everything from a short-term U.S. Treasury security to index funds made of
   domestic and international stocks.
   
    * G Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      A fund containing government securities that are specially issued to the
      TSP.
      
      Learn more
   
    * F Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      A fund containing government, corporate, and asset-backed bonds.
      
      Learn more
   
    * C Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      A fund containing stocks of large and medium-sized U.S. companies.
      
      Learn more
   
    * S Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      A fund containing stocks of small to medium-sized U.S. companies.
      
      Learn more
   
    * I Fund Is this fund for me?
      
      A fund containing international stocks from more than 20 developed
      countries.
      
      Learn more


KNOW YOURSELF AS AN INVESTOR

Being confident about your retirement plans makes it easier to deal with
uncertain times in the market.

Learn more


STAY CONNECTED WITH US


TRANSFER MONEY TO TSP




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UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION




FIND THE ANSWERS
AT YOUR FINGERTIPS

To save you time and give you the best experience, we’ve prepared answers to the
questions our participants and beneficiaries ask most often.

Read our frequently
asked questions

CHANGING YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS? SAVE AT LEAST 5% TO GET YOUR FULL MATCH.

×

Don’t walk away from free money! If you are a FERS participant, your agency
matches your contributions — up to 4% if you contribute 5% each pay period.
Furthermore, when you add the Agency/Service Automatic (1%) Contributions to
your matching contributions, you’ll double your 5% investment instantly.

 * Continue to Form TSP-1

Close

CHANGING YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS? SAVE AT LEAST 5% TO GET YOUR FULL MATCH.

×

Don’t walk away from free money! If you are a BRS participant, your service
matches your contributions — up to 4% if you contribute 5% each pay period.
Furthermore, when you add the Agency/Service Automatic (1%) Contributions to
your matching contributions, you’ll double your 5% investment instantly.

 * Continue to Form TSP-U-1

Close

SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO COMPLETE THIS FORM.

×

Let our online wizard help you with your beneficiary designation. Based on your
answers to a series of questions, it will prefill the appropriate sections of
your form and help you avoid mistakes that could cause your form to be delayed
or rejected.

 * YES,
   take me to the TSP-3 Wizard.
 * No thanks, just download Form TSP-3.

Close

ARE YOU SEPARATED FROM FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT?

×
 * Yes
 * No

If you are separated from federal employment, you may change your address online
at My Account: Profile Settings. You will need to enter your TSP account number
and your web password to make this change. You may also call the ThriftLine to
change your address. Active participants must notify your agency or service when
you have an address change.

 * YES,
   take me to My Account.

You cannot use this form to change your address. As a current federal employee
or service member, you must change your address through your agency or service.

Close

ARE YOU SEPARATED FROM FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT?

×
 * Yes
 * No

To change your name, you will need to provide documentation to the TSP. See the
instructions on the form for documentation requirements.

 * Download Form TSP-15.

You cannot use this form to change your name. As a current federal employee or
service member, you must change your name through your agency or service.

Close

THINKING OF TAKING A LOAN? WATCH THIS FIRST.

×

Log in to My Account and access the online wizard under “TSP Loans” to help you
with your loan request.

Close

AUTOMATIC ENROLLMENT REFUND REQUEST

×

You must submit this form within 90 days of the date of the first contribution
of your automatic enrollment. Has it been less than 90 days since your first
contribution?

 * Yes
 * No

Download Form TSP-25

You are ineligible to receive an automatic enrollment refund. Please call the
ThriftLine if you have any questions.

Close

SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO COMPLETE THIS FORM.

×

Let our online wizard help you complete your court order. Based on your answers
to a series of questions, it will prefill the appropriate sections of your form
and help you avoid mistakes that could cause your form to be delayed or
rejected.

 * YES,
   take me to the Retirement Benefits Court Order Wizard.
 * No thanks, just download Form TSP-92.

Close
Hide glossary


GLOSSARY

Search terms Examples: enroll; contribution
 * 3-Month T-Bill
   The 3-Month T-Bill is a short-term U.S. Government security with a maturity
   period of 3 months. The 3-Month T-Bill rate is not the benchmark for the G
   Fund; it is presented only as a reference point for yields on short-term
   securities.
 * Account Access
   See My Account.
 * Account Balance
   The sum of the dollar amounts in each TSP investment fund for an individual
   account. The dollar amount in each investment fund on a given day is the
   product of the total number of shares in that fund multiplied by the share
   price for that fund on that day.
 * Account Number
   The 13-digit number that the TSP assigns to a participant to identify his or
   her TSP account.
 * Active Investing
   A strategy of buying and selling securities based on an evaluation of the
   factors that affect the price of the security, such as the economy, political
   environment, industry trends, currency movements, etc. The objective of an
   active investment strategy is to outperform the market as measured by a
   benchmark index such as the S&P 500.
 * After-Tax Contributions
   Contributions that are made after taxes have been taken from pay. Roth
   contributions are made after-tax.
 * Agency/Service Automatic (1%) Contributions
   Contributions equal to 1% of basic pay each pay period, contributed to a FERS
   or BRS participant’s TSP account by his or her agency or service. (CSRS
   employees and non-BRS uniformed services members do not receive these
   contributions.)
 * Agency/Service Matching Contributions
   Contributions made by agencies to TSP accounts of FERS and BRS participants
   who contribute their own money to the TSP. (CSRS employees and non-BRS
   uniformed services members do not receive matching contributions.)
 * Annual Additions (Section 415(c)) Limit
   An annual dollar limit, established under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section
   415(c), that limits the amount of money that can be contributed to
   employer-sponsored plans like the TSP. (This limit includes all employee and
   agency contributions.)
 * Annuity
   Guaranteed monthly income for the life of the TSP participant (or survivor,
   if a joint life annuity) after separating from Federal service. These
   payments are issued directly by the TSP annuity provider.
 * Asset Allocation
   The process of choosing among different kinds of assets such as stocks and
   bonds that will be included in an investment portfolio and the amount of each
   type of asset relative to the total portfolio value.
 * Automatic Enrollment
   Applies to FERS and CSRS employees hired or rehired after July 31, 2010. As a
   result of the Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act of 2009, Public Law 111-31,
   signed into law on June 22, 2009, agencies must enroll their newly hired or
   rehired FERS and CSRS employees in the TSP. Automatic enrollment
   contributions are deducted from an employee’s pay at a rate of 3% of basic
   pay per pay period and deposited into their TSP accounts. Automatically
   enrolled participants may make a contribution election at any time to change
   or stop their TSP contributions.
 * Basic Pay (Civilian)
   This pay is defined in 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) 8331(3).
 * Basic Pay (Uniformed Services)
   This refers to compensation payable under sections 204 and 206 of U.S.C.
   title 37. Section 204 pay is pay for active duty; section 206 pay (e.g.,
   inactive duty for training (IDT) pay) is pay earned by members of the Ready
   Reserve (including the National Guard).
 * Before-Tax Contributions
   See “Pre-Tax Contributions.”
 * Beneficiary
   The individual or entity that receives your TSP account balance (or a portion
   of it) at your death. You may designate your TSP beneficiaries by completing
   Form TSP-3, Designation of Beneficiary and submitting it directly to the TSP.
   In the absence of a valid Form TSP-3, the TSP will distribute your account
   balance according to the statutory order of precedence. The TSP will not
   honor a will or any other document with regard to the disposition of your
   account. Also see “Statutory Order of Precedence.”
 * Beneficiary Participant
   A spouse beneficiary of a deceased civilian or uniformed services TSP
   participant who has an account established in his or her name.
 * Blended Retirement System (BRS)
   The retirement system for members of the uniformed services who began service
   on or after January 1, 2018, and other uniformed services members who opted
   into the system. BRS members receive Service Automatic (1%) Contributions and
   are eligible for Service Matching Contributions.
 * Bond
   A debt security issued by a Government entity or a corporation to an investor
   from whom it borrows money. The bond obligates the issuer to repay the amount
   borrowed (and, traditionally, interest) on a stated maturity date.
 * Bonus Pay (Uniformed Services)
   Generally, a type of special pay, with its own rules for TSP contribution
   election purposes.
 * Catch-Up Contribution Limit
   An annual dollar limit, established under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section
   414(v), that limits the amount of catch-up contributions that a participant
   age 50 or older can make to employer-sponsored plans like the TSP. It is
   separate from the elective deferral limit imposed on regular employee
   contributions.
 * Catch-Up Contributions
   Contributions that are made via payroll deductions by a participant age 50 or
   older and are permitted to exceed the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) elective
   deferral limit.
 * Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS)
   The term “CSRS” refers to the retirement system for Federal civilian
   employees who were hired before January 1, 1984. CSRS refers to the Civil
   Service Retirement System, including CSRS Offset, the Foreign Service
   Retirement and Disability System, and other equivalent Government retirement
   plans.
 * Contribution
   A deposit made to the TSP by a participant through payroll deduction or on
   behalf of the participant by his or her agency or service.
 * Contribution Allocation
   A participant’s choice that tells the TSP how contributions, rollovers, and
   loan payments that are going into his or her account should be invested among
   the TSP funds.
 * Contribution Election
   A request by a participant to start contributing to the TSP, to change the
   amount of his or her contribution to the TSP each pay period, or to terminate
   contributions to the TSP.
 * Credit Risk
   The risk that a borrower will not make a scheduled payment of principal
   and/or interest. Also referred to as Default Risk.
 * CSV
   A file format that is used to exchange numerical data between different
   applications. TSP participants can download select fund performance and My
   Account data in this format and then import the information into the personal
   finance application of their choice (e.g., Excel).
 * Currency Risk
   The risk that the value of a currency will rise or fall relative to the value
   of other currencies. Currency risk could affect investments in the I Fund
   because of fluctuations in the value of the U.S. dollar in relation to the
   currencies of the 22 countries in the EAFE index.
 * Customized User ID
   A combination of letters, numbers, and/or symbols that you can create to use
   instead of your TSP account number to log into the My Account section of the
   TSP website. The user ID cannot be used on the ThriftLine as a substitute for
   the account number.
 * Default Risk
   See “Credit Risk”
 * Designation of Beneficiary
   The participant’s formal indication of who should receive the money in his or
   her account in the event of his or her death. Participants must use the TSP
   Designation of Beneficiary form (TSP-3). (A will is not valid for the
   disposition of a participant’s TSP account.)
 * Disburse
   To pay out money, as from the TSP.
 * Dow Jones
   The Dow Jones U.S. Completion Total Stock Market Index is an index of all
   actively traded U.S. common stocks that are not included in the S&P 500. The
   index is designed to be the broadest measure of the non-S&P 500 domestic
   stock markets.
 * EAFE
   The EAFE Index, published by MSCI, is an index of the equity markets of the
   developed world outside of the United States and Canada. It is the most
   widely used international stock index.
 * Elective Deferral Limit
   An annual dollar limit, established under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC),
   that limits the tax-deferred contributions and Roth TSP contributions a
   participant can elect to make to employer-sponsored plans like the TSP. The
   limit can change each year.
 * Eligible Employer Plan
   A plan qualified under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) § 401(a), including a §
   401(k) plan, profit-sharing plan, defined benefit plan, stock bonus plan, and
   money purchase plan; an IRC § 403(a) annuity plan; an IRC § 403(b)
   tax-sheltered annuity; and an eligible IRC § 457(b) plan maintained by a
   government employer.
 * Eligible Rollover Distribution
   A distribution from the TSP that is eligible to be transferred or rolled over
   to an IRA or eligible employer plan.
 * Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS)
   The term “FERS” refers to the retirement system for Federal civilian
   employees who were hired on or after January 1, 1984. FERS refers to the
   Federal Employees’ Retirement System, the Foreign Service Pension System, and
   other equivalent Government retirement plans.
 * Fixed Income Investments
   Generally refers to bonds and similar investments (considered debt
   instruments) that pay a fixed amount of interest.
 * Forfeitures
   Forfeitures—FERS and BRS employees who leave federal service before they are
   vested in the TSP forfeit the Agency/Service Automatic (1%) Contributions and
   earnings on those contributions.
 * Full Withdrawal
   A post-separation withdrawal of a participant's entire TSP account through an
   annuity, a single payment, or monthly payments (or a combination of these
   three options).
 * In-Service Withdrawal
   A disbursement made from a participant’s account which is available only to a
   participant who is still employed by the Federal Government, including the
   uniformed services.
 * Incentive Pay (Uniformed Services)
   Pay set forth in Chapter 5 of U.S.C. title 37 (e.g., flight pay, hazardous
   duty pay).
 * Index
   A broad collection of stocks or bonds which is designed to match the
   performance of a particular market. For example, the Standard & Poor's 500
   (S&P 500) is an index of large and medium-sized U.S. companies.
 * Index Fund
   An investment fund that attempts to track the investment performance of an
   index.
 * Inflation Risk
   The risk that investments will not grow enough to offset the effects of
   inflation.
 * Inherited IRA
   An individual retirement account described in §§ 402(c)(11), 408(d)(C) of the
   Internal Revenue Code (IRC). The inherited IRA was established specifically
   for the purpose of transferring money inherited by someone other than a
   spouse from a plan such as the TSP. Inherited IRAs may provide significant
   tax benefits since the required distribution for the IRA can generally be
   spread across the lifetime of the beneficiary.
 * Insurable Interest
   An insurance term that refers to the relationship between an insured person
   (or property) and a potential beneficiary. In the case of a Life Annuity,
   insurable interest exists when a person is financially dependent on you and
   could reasonably expect a financial benefit from your continued life. Blood
   relatives or adopted relatives (but not relatives by marriage) who are closer
   than first cousins are presumed to have an insurable interest in you.
 * Interfund Transfer (IFT)
   An IFT allows the participant to redistribute all or part of his or her TSP
   account among the different TSP funds. For each calendar month, the
   participant's first two IFTs can redistribute money in his or her account
   among any or all of the TSP funds. After that, for the remainder of the
   month, the participant's IFTs can only move money into the Government
   Securities Investment (G) Fund (in which case, the participant will increase
   the percentage of his or her account held in the G Fund by reducing the
   percentage held in one or more of the other TSP funds). This transaction does
   not change the way new contributions, transfers or rollovers into the TSP, or
   loan payments are invested.
 * Investment Allocation
   A participant's choice that tells the TSP (1) how money going into his or her
   account should be invested in the TSP funds (contribution allocation), and/or
   (2) how money already in the TSP account should be invested in the TSP funds
   (interfund transfer). An investment allocation can be made on the TSP website
   in My Account, or by calling the ThriftLine toll-free at 1-TSP-YOU-FRST
   (1-877-968-3778). (See “Contribution Allocation'>” and “Interfund Transfer.”)
 * IRS Life Expectancy Tables
   When you withdraw your account, if you choose to have the TSP calculate
   monthly payments based on life expectancy, the TSP will use these tables. IRS
   Single Life Table, Treas. Reg. § 1.401(a)(9)-9, Q&A 1, is used for
   participants who are under age 70 after June 30 of the calendar year in which
   the calculation is made. For participants who turn age 70 before July 1 of
   that year, the Uniform Lifetime Table, Treas. Reg. § 1.401(a)(9)-9, Q&A 2, is
   used.
 * Market Risk
   The risk of a decline in the market value of stocks or bonds.
 * Matching Contributions
   See “Agency Matching Contributions.”
 * Mixed Withdrawal
   A post-employment withdrawal of a participant's entire account through any
   combination of the following: an annuity, a single payment, or monthly
   payments.
 * Monthly Payments
   See “TSP Monthly Payments.”
 * My Account
   The secure section of the TSP website, where you can log in to your account
   to find out your account balance or perform certain transactions. The secure
   section of the TSP website, where you can log in to your account to find out
   your account balance or perform certain transactions.
 * Non-BRS Uniformed Services
   Includes any member of the uniformed services not covered by the Blended
   Retirement System. Non-BRS members are encouraged to enroll in the TSP as an
   important supplement to their defined benefit plan, but they are not eligible
   for Service Automatic (1%) Contributions or Service Matching Contributions.
 * Nonpay Status
   Actively employed by the Federal government or uniformed services but not
   receiving regular pay because of furlough, suspension, leave without pay
   (including leave without pay to perform military service), or pending
   resolution of a grievance or appeal. (See also “Pay Status”.)
 * One-time Code
   Six-digit code you receive to verify your identity or validate your contact
   information. See Verification Code and Validation Code.
 * Partial Withdrawal
   A one-time post-employment distribution of part of a participant’s account
   balance which can be taken if the participant did not make an age-based
   in-service withdrawal while employed by the Federal Government or the
   uniformed services. A partial withdrawal is participant-elected and is made
   in a single payment.
 * Participant
   The Federal civilian employee, uniformed services member, or beneficiary
   participant who owns the TSP account that is subject to division.
 * Participant Statements
   Statements that are furnished to each TSP participant after the end of each
   calendar quarter and after the end of each calendar year. Quarterly
   statements show the participant’s account balance (in both dollars and
   shares) and the transactions in his or her account during the quarter
   covered. Annual statements summarize the financial activity in the
   participant’s account during the year covered and provide other important
   account data such as the participant’s personal investment performance,
   primary beneficiary information, and an account profile.
 * Passive Investing
   Generally, buying and holding a portfolio of securities designed to replicate
   a broad market index. Passive strategies are often based on the assumption
   that it is impossible to accurately forecast future trends in securities
   prices over long periods of time. Management fees and trading costs are
   generally lower in passively managed funds than in actively managed funds.
   The F, C, S, and I Funds are invested in passively managed index funds.
 * Password
   A combination of letters, numbers, and special characters that you create to
   log in to My Account.
 * Pay Entry Basic Date
   See “PEDB.”
 * Pay Status
   Actively employed by the Federal government or uniformed services and
   receiving regular pay. (See also “Nonpay Status”.)
 * Payee
   The individual or organization who is the intended recipient of the
   court-ordered disbursement.
 * PEBD
   Pay Entry Basic Date. The date the TSP uses to mark the beginning of a
   member’s service, for the purpose of determining vesting period and
   eligibility to receive service automatic and matching contributions. The Navy
   and Marine Corps refer to this as the pay entry base date, while the Air
   Force calls it simply the pay date. The Department of Defense refers to it as
   the basic pay date.
 * Permanent Disability
   For the purposes of determining whether Roth earnings are qualified, the TSP
   cannot certify to the IRS that you meet the IRC's definition of a disability.
   You must provide this justification to the IRAs when you file your taxes.
 * Personal Identification Number (PIN)
   A four-digit number that the participant can use (in conjunction with his or
   her TSP account number) to access his or her own account on the ThriftLine.
   The initial PIN is computer-generated and is sent to the participant shortly
   after the participant’s first contribution is received by the TSP.
 * Personal Investment Performance (PIP)
   The rate of return earned by your entire account during the 12-month period
   ending on the date indicated on your annual statement or on your Account
   Balance page of the TSP website. The PIP is a time-weighted return that has
   been calculated using the Modified Dietz method (a method used by many
   financial institutions and an industry standard). The PIP adjusts for the
   distorting effects of cash flows into or out of your account. It is an
   estimate; therefore, your PIP may not be the same as the 12-month performance
   of the TSP funds, which are time-weighted returns.
 * Post-Separation Withdrawal
   A distribution from a participant's account which is available only to
   participants who have left Federal service or the uniformed services.
   Sometimes referred to as a “post-employment” withdrawal. (See also
   “Withdrawal.”)
 * Pre-Tax Contribution
   Contributions of pay that have not yet been taxed. All employee contributions
   to a TSP traditional balance are made pre-tax.
 * Prepayment Risk
   The probability that if interest rates fall, bonds that are represented in
   the index will be paid back early, thus forcing lenders to reinvest at lower
   rates.
 * Qualified Earnings
   Roth earnings are qualified (i.e., paid tax-free) when two conditions have
   been met:
    1. 5 years have passed since January 1 of the calendar year in which you
       made your first Roth contribution, and
    2. You have reached age 59½, become permanently disabled, or have died.

 * Reamortize
   Adjust the terms of a loan to change the loan payment amount or to shorten or
   lengthen the repayment term.
 * Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)
   The amount of money, based on a participant’s age and previous year’s TSP
   account balance, that the IRS requires be distributed to a participant each
   year after the participant has reached age 72 and is separated from service.
   Participants who turned 70 ½ on or before December 31, 2019, were required to
   begin receiving RMDs in the year they turned 70 ½.
 * Risk (Volatility)
   The amount of change (both up and down) in an investment’s value over time.
 * Roth Balance
   The portion of your TSP account made up of Roth (after-tax) contributions and
   accrued earnings. Portions of this balance may have originated from
   tax-exempt pay.
 * Roth Contribution
   Contributions from pay that has already been taxed (or from tax-exempt pay)
   and that has been deposited into a Roth balance.
 * Roth IRA
   An individual retirement account that is described in § 408A of the Internal
   Revenue Code. A Roth IRA provides tax-free earnings. You must pay taxes on
   the funds you transfer from your traditional balance to a Roth IRA; the tax
   liability is incurred for the year of the transfer. You cannot transfer money
   from a Roth IRA into a TSP account.
 * Roth Qualified Earnings
   See “Qualified Earnings.”
 * S&P 500
   The S&P 500 is an index of 500 large to medium-sized U.S. companies that are
   traded in the U.S. stock market. The index was designed by Standard & Poor’s
   Corporation (S&P) to provide a representative measure of the U.S. stock
   market’s performance. The S&P 500 is considered a “big company” index.
 * Section 415(c) Limit
   An annual dollar limit, established under Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section
   415(c), that limits the amount of money that can be contributed by a
   participant or on behalf of a participant to employer-sponsored plans like
   the TSP (includes all employee and agency contributions).
 * Securities
   A general term describing a variety of financial instruments, including
   stocks and bonds.
 * Separate Account
   A segregated account for the purpose of holding the invested assets of the
   Trust.
 * Service Automatic (1%) Contributions
   See “Agency/Service Automatic (1%) Contributions.”
 * Service Matching Contributions
   See “Agency/Service Matching Contributions.”
 * SIMPLE IRA
   Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employers, an employer-sponsored retirement
   plan available to small businesses. A TSP participant can transfer an amount
   from a SIMPLE IRA to the TSP, as long as he or she participated in the SIMPLE
   IRA for at least two years. However, a participant cannot transfer an amount
   from a TSP account into a SIMPLE IRA.
 * Single Payment
   A payment made at one time. Sometimes referred to as a "lump sum."
 * Special Pay (Uniformed Services)
   Pay set forth in chapter 5 of U.S.C. title 37 (e.g., medical and dental
   officer pay, hardship duty pay, career sea pay).
 * Statutory Order of Precedence
   The order in which your TSP account balance will be paid after your death if
   you did not have a valid Form TSP-3, Designation of Beneficiary on file with
   the TSP. The disposition of your account will be made as follows:
    1. To your spouse.
    2. If none, to your child or children equally, and descendants of deceased
       children by representation.
    3. If none, to your parents equally or to the surviving parent.
    4. If none, to the appointed executor or administrator of your estate.
    5. If none, to your next of kin who would be entitled to your estate under
       the laws of the state in which you resided at the time of your death.

 * Stocks
   Equity securities issued as ownership in a publicly held corporation.
 * system of records
   A system of records contains information that is retrieved by an individual’s
   name or other unique identifier. The Privacy Act requires federal agencies to
   publish a notice in the Federal Register for each system of records that an
   agency maintains.
 * Tax Withholding
   The requirement that we withhold a portion of payments from your TSP account
   for federal taxes. The default amount to be withheld depends on the type of
   payment. Increasing, decreasing, and/or waiving tax withholding are options
   for some payment types.
 * Tax-Exempt Contributions
   Contributions of money that will never be taxed. Such contributions can be
   made to the TSP by members of the uniformed services from pay that is covered
   by the combat zone tax exclusion.
 * Taxable Amount
   As used when referring to payments from a TSP account, includes any
   traditional (non-Roth) contributions that you made (other than those made
   from tax-exempt pay), any Agency Automatic or Matching contributions (if you
   are FERS), earnings on your traditional contribtuions and agency
   contribtuions, and any Roth earnings that are not qualified earnings. Also
   referred to as the “taxable portion” of a payment.
 * ThriftLine
   The TSP’s automated voice response system. It provides general news about the
   TSP and allows participants to access certain information and perform some
   transactions over the telephone. You can also use the ThriftLine to contact
   participant service representatives at the TSP. To access your account
   through the ThriftLine, you will need your TSP account number and ThriftLine
   PIN.
 * Time Horizon
   The term or duration of an investment — the future point when withdrawals
   from an account are expected to begin.
 * Traditional Balance
   The portion of your TSP account made up of your pre-tax (and any tax-exempt)
   TSP contributions, plus agency contributions, and accrued earnings.
 * Traditional Contribution
   Contributions from pay that has not yet been taxed.  Also referred to as
   “tax-deferred,” “pre-tax,” or “non-Roth” contributions. Traditional
   contributions also include contributions to a traditional balance from
   tax-exempt pay earned in a combat zone.
 * Traditional IRA
   A traditional individual retirement account described in § 408(a) of the
   Internal Revenue Code (IRC), or an individual retirement annuity described in
   IRC § 408(b). It does not include an inherited IRA, a Roth IRA, a SIMPLE IRA,
   or a Coverdell Education Savings Account (formerly known as an education
   IRA.)
 * Transfer Eligibility
   Your ability under the law to transfer a payment from your TSP account
   directly to an IRA or eligible employer plan. Not all payments are eligible
   for transfer (e.g., installment payments expected to last 10 years or more).
 * TSP Course
   These instructor led courses, created for in-person training events, are
   currently being offered virtually.
 * TSP Monthly Payments
   Payments that the participant elects to receive each month from his or her
   TSP account after separating from service. Note: In this case, money remains
   in the TSP account and is paid out directly from the account.
 * Two-step authentication
   Security process in which you provide two different authentication factors to
   verify your identity, such as a password and verification code to log in to
   My Account.
 * U.S. Aggregate Index
   The U.S. Aggregate Index consists of high-quality fixed-income securities
   with maturities of more than one year. The index is comprised of Treasury and
   Agency bonds, asset-backed securities, and corporate and non-corporate bonds.
 * Uniformed Services
   Uniformed members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard,
   Public Health Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
   Administration serving on active duty, and members of the Ready Reserve or
   National Guard of those services in any pay status.
 * User ID
   A combination of letters, numbers, and symbols that you create to log in to
   My Account
 * Validation Code
   Six-digit code you receive to validate an email address or phone number. You
   may validate your phone number by text message or by automated phone call.
   This code expires after one hour.
 * Verification Code
   Six-digit code you receive by phone to verify your identity as part of
   two-step authentication for logging in to My Account and completing certain
   account transactions. You may receive this code by text message or by
   automated phone call. This code expires after 10 minutes.
 * Vested Account Balance
   The part of your Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account balance that you are
   entitled to keep. It consists of all of your employee contributions and
   earnings, all of your Agency/Service Matching Contributions and earnings (if
   you are a FERS or BRS participant and receive matching contributions from
   your agency/service), and, if you are a FERS or BRS participant, your
   Agency/Service Automatic (1%) Contributions and earnings - provided you have
   met your time-in-service requirement as determined by your TSP Service
   Computation Date or PEBD. Your vested account balance also includes any money
   transferred into the TSP from IRAs or eligible employer plans - and the
   earnings on that money.
 * Vesting
   Achieving ownership of all money in an account. Vesting only applies to the
   Agency/Service Automatic (1%) Contributions (and their earnings) and occurs
   after a participant works in the federal or uniformed services for a certain
   number of years. All years of service in a position eligible for the TSP
   count toward vesting, even if the participant doesn’t contribute to the TSP
   during that time. Most FERS employees are vested in (entitled to keep) these
   automatic contributions after three years of federal civilian service. BRS
   members and FERS employees in congressional and noncareer positions become
   vested after two years of service. Important: Civilian service does not count
   toward vesting in a uniformed services (BRS) account, and uniformed service
   does not count toward vesting in a civilian account.
 * Volatility
   See “Risk”
 * Webinar
   Instructor led training which can be requested individually or as a part of a
   series.
 * Withdrawal
   A general term for a distribution that a participant requests from his or her
   account. (Includes in-service withdrawal, partial withdrawal, full
   withdrawal, etc.)


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