Retiring from federal service? Let's talk before you file the paperwork.
The gap nobody fills
HR can tell you the rules. They can't tell you what to do.
Your agency's benefits office is not permitted to give you advice. They'll hand you the regulation and wish you luck. Meanwhile the decisions in front of you are irreversible, interlocking, and worth six figures.
1The TSP allocation you set years ago
Many federal employees pick a fund on day one and never touch it again. Whether that allocation still matches your timeline, your annuity, and your tolerance for risk is a question worth asking out loud — especially inside five years of separation.
2The withdrawal decision you can't undo
Leave it in the TSP? Roll it to an IRA? Take installments? Each path carries different costs, different flexibility, and different tax consequences. Some doors close permanently the moment you choose. We walk through the trade-offs before you sign anything.
3The tax bill you haven't modeled
FERS annuity + TSP withdrawals + Social Security + the FERS Supplement can push you into a bracket you didn't plan for. Sequencing those income sources — and deciding what belongs in Roth — is where the real money is.
2026 Federal Retirement Numbers
The figures that changed this year
Current as of the 2026 plan year. These are the inputs — the strategy is what you do with them.
$24,500
2026 TSP elective deferral limit (traditional + Roth combined)
$8,000
Catch-up limit at age 50+ — $11,250 if you're age 60–63 in 2026
5%
Contribute 5% and you receive the full agency match: 1% automatic plus up to 4% matched
1.1%
FERS multiplier if you retire at 62+ with 20+ years — applied to every year of service
New in 2026: The TSP now permits Roth in-plan conversions — you can move traditional TSP dollars into your Roth balance without leaving the plan. Conversions are taxable in the year you make them and are not subject to withholding, so the size and timing of a conversion matter a great deal. It is one of the most common things we are asked to model right now.
Also new in 2026: Under SECURE 2.0, if your prior-year wages exceeded $150,000, your catch-up contributions must be made as Roth.
TSP Withdrawal & Rollover Options
"Should I roll my TSP into an IRA?"
It's the single most common question we get — and the honest answer is sometimes yes, sometimes absolutely not. Anyone who answers that question before knowing your age at separation, your other assets, and your income needs is selling, not advising. Here's the actual trade-off:
| Consideration | Reasons to keep it in the TSP | Reasons people move it |
|---|
| Early access | If you separate in or after the year you turn 55 (age 50 for law enforcement, firefighters, and air traffic controllers), TSP withdrawals are generally not subject to the 10% early-withdrawal penalty. | Rolling to an IRA before 59½ generally forfeits that exception — and you cannot put it back. This alone disqualifies a rollover for many early separators. |
| Cost | TSP expense ratios are among the lowest available anywhere. That is a real, permanent advantage. | Some investors want holdings or strategies the TSP's core funds don't offer. |
| Investment choice | Five core funds plus the Lifecycle funds — simple, low-cost, and adequate for many people. | An IRA opens a wider universe, including approaches to income, tax management, or concentration risk. |
| Withdrawal flexibility | Installments, partial withdrawals, and annuity options are all available after separation. | IRAs generally allow more granular control over timing, amounts, and per-account tax treatment. |
| Roth handling | Roth TSP balances are no longer subject to required minimum distributions during your lifetime. | Rolling Roth TSP to a Roth IRA starts a new five-year clock — a detail that surprises people badly. |
| Taxes on the move | Nothing is taxed if you leave it alone. | A direct trustee-to-trustee transfer avoids the 20% mandatory withholding that applies to indirect (60-day) rollovers. |
This table is general education, not a recommendation. Which column applies to you depends on facts we would need to discuss.
What we actually talk about
Four conversations, one plan
Your FERS annuity — the real number
High-3 average salary × years of creditable service × your multiplier (1.0%, or 1.1% if you separate at 62 or later with at least 20 years). We help you understand what your annuity is likely to be, what it isn't going to cover, and how the FERS Special Retirement Supplement bridges the gap to 62 — including the earnings limit that can reduce it if you keep working.
Your TSP — before and after separation
Allocation across the G, F, C, S, and I funds and the Lifecycle funds. Contribution and catch-up strategy. Traditional vs. Roth, including whether an in-plan Roth conversion makes sense for you and how much to convert in a given tax year. Then withdrawal sequencing once you separate.
Social Security timing
Claiming at 62, at full retirement age, or at 70 can swing your lifetime benefit substantially — and for married couples, the survivor decision often matters more than the individual one. We model it against your annuity and your TSP so the three work together instead of against each other.
Survivor benefits, deferred comp & the rest
Survivor annuity elections — irreversible at retirement, and frequently misunderstood. FEHB and FEGLI carryover. Long-term care exposure. Deferred compensation and outside 457/403(b) balances from prior employment. The pieces that don't fit neatly in a benefits binder.
Who you'll be talking to
Two partners, one ensemble
Vintage operates as a team, not a roster of solo producers. On a federal retirement question, you'll work with Jason and Jordan — and you get the rest of the bench behind them.
Jason Cohen, CFP®, CIMA®
Equity Partner | Financial Advisor
Jason is Vintage's lead architect for financial plans, building them in WealthVision, the firm's interactive planning platform powered by eMoney. He specializes in cash flow analysis, budgeting, and long-term retirement modeling — exactly the machinery a federal retirement question requires. "Can I afford to retire?" and "will my plan still work if the rules change?" are the questions he spends his days on.
He earned his finance degree from James Madison University, his CFP® from UMBC, and his CIMA® from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
"Returns matter, but results matter more."
- CFP®
- CIMA®
- Retirement & cash flow modeling
Jordan Kraus, CFP®, CEPA®
Equity Partner | Financial Advisor
With more than 25 years in financial services, Jordan leads Vintage's risk management strategy. For federal employees that's the half of the decision most people skip: the survivor annuity election you can't reverse, FEGLI and FEHB carryover into retirement, and long-term care exposure that can undo an otherwise sound plan. That same lens applies inside the TSP itself: the C, S, and I funds carry real market risk and can lose value, while the G Fund trades growth for stability and can fall behind inflation over time. Choosing the right mix as retirement nears is its own form of risk management.
He holds the CFP® and CEPA® designations and is a member of the Estate Planning Council of Montgomery County.
"Good planning doesn't just look forward — it looks around corners."
- CFP®
- CEPA®
- 25+ years in financial services
Before you book
Straight answers to the obvious questions
Is this actually free, or is there a catch?
The introductory call is free and carries no obligation. Vintage Financial Partners is a financial services firm — if we're a good fit and you choose to work with us on an ongoing basis, we are compensated for that work, and we will explain exactly how before you agree to anything.
Are you affiliated with the government, OPM, or the TSP?
No. Vintage Financial Partners is a private, independent firm. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, authorized by, or acting on behalf of the U.S. Government, the Office of Personnel Management, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, or the Thrift Savings Plan. Nobody from your agency sent us. If a firm implies otherwise, treat it as a serious red flag — both the TSP and federal agencies have warned employees about exactly that.
Do I have to move my TSP to work with you?
No. Plenty of the people we talk to should leave their money exactly where it is, and we'll tell you so. The TSP is a genuinely low-cost plan, and for anyone who separated at or after 55 who may need funds before 59½, moving it can be an expensive mistake. Our job on the first call is to help you understand the trade-off — not to relocate your assets.
I'm five to ten years out. Is it too early to talk?
It's the best time. Nearly every meaningful lever — Roth conversion strategy, catch-up contributions, buying back military service time, the 62-with-20-years multiplier, survivor elections, the timing of your separation date — has to be pulled before you retire. People who call the month they file are usually asking us to optimize decisions they've already locked in.
What should I bring to the call?
Nothing is required. If you have them handy, a recent TSP statement, your most recent SF-50, and your Social Security statement from ssa.gov make the conversation far more concrete. If you don't, we'll still have a useful call.
I've been offered VERA/VSIP, or I'm facing a RIF. Can you help?
Yes, and time matters. Early-out and separation-incentive decisions interact with your annuity computation, the FERS Supplement, health-benefit carryover, and the penalty rules on your TSP all at once. That's a call worth having quickly.
Where are you located?
Our office is at 5870 Hubbard Drive, Rockville, MD 20852 — in the middle of the DC-area federal workforce. We serve clients throughout Maryland, DC, and Virginia, and we meet by phone or video when that's easier.
Ready to get started?
Pick a time that works for you
A conversation about your FERS annuity, your TSP, and what happens on separation day — by Zoom or phone, whichever you prefer. Plan on up to an hour; we'll spend as much time with you as you need. No cost, and no obligation to do anything afterward.
Schedule an Introductory CallPrefer to talk now? Call (240) 283-7879.
