TSP
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If you are a Thrift Savings Plan investor in any of the stock funds, give yourself a pat on the back ... and purse or wallet, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. Because everything is gold, except gold itself....
January 08, 2014 -
Nearly all the funds in the Thrift Savings Plan finished December in positive territory, helping fuel largely across-the-board gains for the year, according to new data from the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board. The C and S Funds posted the largest gains of 2013. The F Fund, tracked to the performance of the U.S. bond market, including government, corporate and mortgage-backed bonds, is the only fund to end the year in the red.
January 03, 2014 -
In the fifth guest column in a series of five, a long-time Federal Report reader shares his take on why it's important for young feds to start long-term planning early in their careers.
January 03, 2014 -
Federal employees could soon be seeing a lot less of the G Fund in their Thrift Savings plan accounts. Instead of being automatically enrolled solely in government securities, new plan participants would be shifted to an age-appropriate Lifecycle, or L, Fund as their default investing option under a proposal approved by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board Monday. The proposal ultimately requires action by Congress.
December 16, 2013 -
If the proposed budget deal becomes law, new federal workers will see a total of 10.6 percent of their salaries automatically withheld from their paychecks to cover their retirement benefits. That could lead to them contributing less or not at all to their voluntary Thrift Savings Plan accounts, experts said.
December 11, 2013 -
Nearly all the funds in the Thrift Savings Plan ended last month in positive territory, although with smaller gains than in the past few months. The C Fund, which is tracked to the performance of the Standard and Poor's 500, posted the largest gains — 3.05 percent, according to new data from the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, which oversees the TSP. Of the five regular funds, only the F Fund posted in the red for November
December 02, 2013 -
During the 16-day government shutdown last month, more than 14,000 Thrift Savings Plan participants withdrew money from their accounts, the highest number of hardship withdrawals in a single month ever. This may have helped participants weather the financial uncertainty of the shutdown. But, under TSP rules, it also means they'll be unable to contribute to their 401(k)-style retirement accounts for the next six months. Now, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, which oversees the TSP, is concerned that not all those participants will take the initiative to restart their contributions when the penalty period expires next spring.
November 25, 2013 -
A new bill would allow federal employees to contribute toward their retirement by investing only in companies deemed socially responsible. The "Federal Employees Responsible Investment Act," introduced this week by Rep. Jim Langevin (D-R.I.) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), would require the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board to add a "Corporate Responsibility Index" to the existing five investment options available to federal employees.
November 22, 2013 -
Did you bail out of the stock market prior to or during the shutdown? If so, have you looked at the TSP numbers lately? If not, maybe you should, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says.
November 06, 2013 -
Fears that the two-week government shutdown and the threat of a catastrophic default on the national debt would roil the stock market and shrink federal employees' retirement accounts turned out to be unfounded. For the second month in a row, all the funds in the TSP posted in positive territory, according to data released Friday by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.
November 01, 2013 -
If it feels good, it must be bad. However if you ignore it, you may be on the right track, Senior Correspondent Mike Causey says. So are we talking about your TSP account or your love life?
October 31, 2013 -
CBS MoneyWatch columnist Allan Roth will share investment strategies for the TSP, and Federal Times senior writer Sean Reilly will discuss what's ahead for federal workers and retirees. October 30, 2013
October 30, 2013 -
If you are a federal worker, did you raid your retirement fund, or sell low and buy high during the government shutdown? Senior Correspondent Mike Causey wants to know: Was it prudent or panic behavior to flee the stock market before and during the shutdown?
October 30, 2013 -
Hardship withdrawals shot up in the first few weeks of October and thousands more employees opted to shift their investments out of higher-risk areas and into the G Fund, TSP officials said at at the board's monthly meeting Monday. During the shutdown, some 8,200 participants requested hardship withdrawals, compared to 5,500 during the same period of time last year.
October 28, 2013 -
When it comes to investing and saving for retirement, federal workers are at the head of the class. TSP average balances are fast-approaching the 6-figure mark.
October 28, 2013