Do you know exactly what the Thrift Savings Plan actually is? Also known as the TSP, the Thrift Savings Plan is the retirement savings plan provided by the U.S. government for federal employees and federal retirees as well as current and former members of the U.S. Uniformed Services.

The Thrift Savings Plan is a tax-deferred defined plan of contribution. It is administered and controlled by the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, an independent government agency established in 1986 for this purpose.

The Thrift Savings Plan is very similar to a private sector 401k plan, in that it serves as an investment vehicle for an individual’s retirement funds. These retirement funds are accumulated through participant contributions, agency contributions (if applicable), and earnings through the investment of contributed funds

If you are wondering which civilian employees would be eligible for Thrift Savings Plan participation, they would be those employees that are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement Systems (FERS) or Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). If you are one of these employees, this would mean that you are eligible, too.

Every participant is eligible to benefit from tax deferred contributions; in-service financial hardship withdrawals from the age 59 and onwards; five available funds to invest in; the opportunity to transfer in monies from other eligible retirement savings account plans; favorable loan programs; and an option of choices in post-separation withdrawal.

Civilian employees under the FERS have the additional benefit of agency matching contributions. The FERS employee is guaranteed a 1% agency contribution even if they don’t contribute themselves. If they do contribute, the agency contribution formula is as follows: 1% for each 1% contributed by the employee (for a maximum of 3%), then 0.5% for each 1% contributed by the employee (for a maximum of an additional 1%). The maximum agency contribution therefore is 5% (1%+3%+1%). CSRS and Uniformed Service members are not eligible for matching contributions. However, Uniformed Service members (includes Military members) can contribute from additional sources of pay such as special, incentive, and bonus pays.

Prior to 2006, the amount that could be contributed was limited to a certain percentage of basic pay. In 2006, this percentage limit was removed; the only remaining restriction on contributions is that imposed by the Internal Revenue Service. However, matching contributions, as outlined above, are limited to 4% on the first 5% of pay contributed each pay date.

The Thrift Savings Plan is an excellent retirement savings benefit that federal employees and the military would be wise to take advantage of.