TSP Talk -
Thrift Savings Plan

Frequently Asked Questions Frequently Asked Questions Facebook Twitter

Table of Contents

1. Can you send me form...?
2. How do I make an interfund transfer?
3. Tell me about the Interfund Transfer (IFT) limits
4. How do I get on the TSP Talk email alert list?
5. Who runs TSP Talk.com?
6. When you make an interfund transfer, do you also change your contributions?
7. When is the deadline for making a transfer?
8. Thrift Savings Plan...How Do I...?
9. Why doesn't the change in the I Fund share price always correspond to the EAFE Index which it tracks?

Back to Top

Click here --> How to Make an Interfund Transfer.
You can also make a transfer using the Thrift Line.  The number is (504)255-8777.  You will need a PIN to access your account.

Back to Top

There is a monthly limit of 2 interfund transfers (IFTs), but after IFT #2 you can still move money into the G-fund, as long as only the G-fund allocation is the only one increasing.

It doesn't matter which funds you transfer in your first 2 IFTs - G, C, S, I, F, or L-fund.  They all count toward your 2 monthly transfers.  However, once you have completed 2 transfers, you can still move some or all of your assets that are in the stock or bond funds (C, S, I, F, L-fund) into the G-fund at any time.  All at once, or just a little at a time.  As long as the G-fund is the only fund whose allocation is increasing from your prior IFT.

Back to Top

The sign up form is in the top right corner of the home page, or go to www.tsptalk.com/email_alerts.html.

More FAQ's on email alerts:  http://www.tsptalk.com/faq_email_alerts.html

Back to Top

TSP Talk.com is run by me, Tom Crowley.  I am a former government employee of 24+ years and have my own TSP account.  My background is in computer programming.  I created this site and I am in no way affiliated with the Thrift Saving Plan itself.  

At one time I had my series 6 and series 63 securities licenses as well as a life insurance license. These licenses entitled me to to sell mutual funds, life insurance and variable annuities.  While I like the idea of helping people with their personal finances, I did not like the idea of making big commissions luring investors into a  mutual fund or expensive annuity when I knew they could get the same type of products on their own without a commission.  So, I decided to discontinue my pursuit of a career in the financial world but I still enjoyed managing my own finances.  Creating this site allows me to help others again without draining their pockets.  For more information, go to the About Us page. 

Back to Top

Interfund transfer requests are applied to the entire balance that is already in your account. It will not affect your future contributions. To change the funds in which your future contributions are invested, you must make a new "contribution allocation."

I usually only do an interfund transfer.  As it says above, when you do an interfund transfer, your total balance gets moved at that point.  If you haven't made a transfer in a month or more and your contribution allocation is different than your current allocation, you might go in and do another transfer to get those new contributions into your desired allocation.  If you were to do just one, I would do the interfund transfer.  But you could just as easily do both. 
 
Back to Top

If you want to make a fund transfer, the deadline each day is 12 noon EST.  If you complete the transaction before noon EST your new allocation will begin the next morning.  If you miss the 12 noon EST deadline your money will be moved the following day.  To have a transaction effective on a Monday, you must meet the deadline on Friday at noon. 

Per TSP.gov website...

When will you see the effect of an interfund transfer on your account? It depends.

Requests made before 12:00 noon eastern time on a
business day will generally be processed that night using
the share prices for that day. The result can be viewed
online the next day.

Requests made at 12:00 noon or later eastern time will
ordinarily be processed the next business day using that
day’s share prices. The transfer will be reflected in your
account the day after it is processed. For example, requests made late Friday will be processed Monday night using Monday’s share prices, and will be reflected in your account online on Tuesday.
 

Back to Top

If you have specific questions regarding the Thrift Savings Plan or your TSP account, you can find all your answers on the TSP.gov home page.  Their number is (504)255-8777.

Back to Top

Participants have asked why, on some days, the change in the I Fund share price reported by the TSP does not match the change reported for the Morgan Stanley EAFE (Europe, Australasia, Far East) index, which the I Fund tracks. This happens when the Board's investment manager, Barclays Global Investors (BGI) reprices its EAFE Equity Index Fund, in which the TSP invests, after the close of the foreign markets. This process, known as "fair valuation," occurs when there are large U.S. market or currency movements between the time the foreign markets close and 4:00 p.m., eastern time, when BGI's share prices are determined. Fair valuation ensures that traders cannot "market time" the I Fund by making investment decisions based on the "stale" prices, thus diluting the returns of other participants who invest in the I Fund. Because the EAFE uses the foreign market closing prices to calculate its values, its price change will differ from the TSP's on those days.