Happy to be here

**ETFnerd** · 03-17-2009, 03:42 PM

Hi Everyone,

I'm a new member. I have a background in investment management and hope to engage in some discussion on TSP issues. I once ran a small index mutual fund. I post my unconventional views sometimes on the bogleheads forum under this username, and I also frequent the financial independence forums from time to time. Let me know if I can be of any assistance. Look fwd to some lively discussion.

I stumbled onto this forum because I am now employed at the federal gov't and ran into a problem recently. I asked Tom and he asked me to post it here in new member introductions for added exposure. I have copied it below:

In the beginning of the year, I made a plan to contribute $2,750 for the first four pay periods and $250 for the subsequent 22 pay periods bringing my total contributions to $16,500. The goal was to frontload the contributions while at the same time maximizing my matching contributions.

On Feb 19, I changed my contribution from $2,750/pp to $250/pp on employee express. I thought this would take effect in pp5. When I received my pp5 check, $2,750 had been contributed again to my TSP account.

Now I don't have enough room to contribute 5% on my salary for the rest of the year. It looks like I will not be able to contribute for the last 10 pay periods or so if I contribute 5% of my salary. This will cause me to leave ~$2,000 in matching contributions on the table.

I contacted my payroll administrator, who told me that they would contact the TSP administrator to either reverse or adjust my pp5 contribution to $250. I was told shortly thereafter that they could not reverse contributions for prior pay periods.

I was wondering if there was any way that my prior period contribution could be reversed or adjusted down to $250.

Many thanks in advance.

In gratitude and agony,
ETFnerd

**wv-girl** · 03-17-2009, 04:01 PM

Unfortuntely, I don't think so. I recently changed my contributions also and it take a full payperiod after the request to take effect. I, like you did not realize that the process was so slow in honoring the requests. It seems to be their standard operating procedure. Hard lesson learned. sorry

**nnuut** · 03-17-2009, 04:20 PM

Welcome to the Message Board ETFnerd. We surely can use someone with your experience on the board. I am looking forward to reading your posts.
Best of luck

Norman

**dannyboy** · 03-17-2009, 06:38 PM

Hello and Welcome,

I kind of understand your drive to maximize your TSP as much as you can. However with the markets behaving as badly as they are maybe this is GOD keeping you from losing more green. Maybe, if you wait until later to execute " I made a plan to contribute $2,750" and you make the "I made a plan to contribute $250 for the next 22 pay periods" to the front end while the markets are not too good, and the $2,750 for the LAST four pay periods. I know there's a lot of DCA stuff involved and you'll miss the boat on some of the cash, but "Oh Well". Today, 3/16/09, this is St. Patricks Day and this could give you a chance to have more fun with the green (cash) that you have today by going out and getting a few pints.