The TSP says you should allow up to 10 days from the time you submit your withdrawal request until payment is sent. You will be notified when your payment has been disbursed.

Unless you're subject to required minimum distributions1 or you have a balance of less than $200,2 there's no requirement for you to make withdrawals from your account. So you can leave your entire account balance in the TSP and continue to enjoy tax-deferred earnings and our low administrative expenses.

If you want to avoid paying taxes on the money in your TSP account for as long as possible, do not to take any withdrawals until the IRS requires you to do so. By law, you are required to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) beginning the year you turn 72.

In-service withdrawals are withdrawals you make from your TSP account while you're still working for the federal government or a member of the uniformed services. An in-service withdrawal can have a serious impact on your TSP account.

If you decide to roll over your TSP assets to an IRA, you can choose either a traditional IRA or Roth IRA. No taxes are due if you roll over assets from a traditional TSP account to a traditional IRA, or if you roll over your contributions and earnings from a Roth TSP account to a Roth IRA.

With the TSP, you are exempt from the early withdrawal penalty if you separate from federal service in the year in which you reach age 55 or later. ... If you follow a life-expectancy based withdrawal methodology for whichever is longer, 5 years or until you reach age 59 ½, you will be exempt from the penalty.

There is no limit of the number of withdrawals you can take after you retire, though processing times limit you to no more than one every 30 calendar days.

In-service withdrawals are withdrawals you make from your TSP account while you're still working for the federal government or a member of the uniformed services. An in-service withdrawal can have a serious impact on your TSP account.