Thrift Savings Plan for Coast Guard/NOAA Military Personnel
The implementation of the Roth-TSP and Roth-TSP Catch-up programs originally scheduled to begin on May 6, 2012 has been moved to May 14, 2012. In accordance with this change, the new Roth-TSP plans election participation may begin no earlier than May 14, 2012.
If you want to enroll in the TSP or change all or part of your TSP contributions from the Traditional (Pre-Tax) to the new Roth (After-Tax) program, please complete the new version of the TSP-U-1 Election Form (Rev. 05/2012).
Fax the completed form to PPC (MAS-TSP) at (785) 339-3760 or mail it to:
Commanding Officer (MAS-TSP)
Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center
444 SE Quincy Street
Topeka, KS 66683-3591
If you want to start or change your "Catch-Up" contributions, please complete the new version of Form TSP-U-1-C (Rev. 05/2012). Please note, when completing Section II, Line 7 of the form that "Pay Period" is the amount to be deducted per month, not per payday. Fax or mail the completed TSP-U-1-C to PPC (MAS-TSP) at the fax number/address listed above.
PPC (MAS-TSP) will process TSP enrollments and contribution changes in accordance with the monthly payroll processing schedule.
Note: See E-Mail ALSPO H/11; 2012 Pay Transaction Cutoff Dates 
for the complete payroll processing schedule.
Topics on this page:
- TSP Procedures
- TSP Address Changes
- TSP Questions
- TSP Roth 401(k) Feature
- TSP Catch-Up Contribution Program
- Quarterly Participant Statements
- TSP Service Office Notification Upon Separation
- How Does Filing Bankruptcy Affect TSP
- TSP Releated Links
TSP Procedures
Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a voluntary retirement savings and investment plan. Contributions are deducted from a member's pay before taxes are computed. In addition, TSP earnings are tax-deferred.
Once enrolled there are only two options to withdraw money while in the service: Financial hardship and reaching age 59 ½ or older.
At enrollment (or reenrollment), a TSP-U-1 Election Form must be filled out. This form may be obtained through https://www.tsp.gov under Forms and Publications from the Uniformed Services section.
Fax the completed form to PPC (MAS-TSP) at (785) 339-3760 or mail it to:
Commanding Officer (MAS-TSP)
Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center
444 SE Quincy Street
Topeka, KS 66683-3591
TSP-U-3 Designation of Beneficiary Form must be mailed to the TSP Service office:
Thrift Savings Plan Service Office
P.O. Box 385021
Birmingham, AL 35238
TSP Address Changes:
For Active Duty and Reserve members: TSP will automatically receive new address information from the U. S. Coast Guard on the first of the month following the month in which you update your address in Direct Access Self-Service.
Separated and former members: Please follow the procedures on form TSP-9, Change in Address for Separated Participant to update your address.
TSP Questions:
Questions on enrollment, reenrollment, disenrollment, deductions or form completion, contact PPC Customer Service via phone (785-339-2200) or email (Customer Care). Be sure to include your Employee ID Number.
Question on TSP investments, loans, and PINS, contact TSP Thrift Line via phone (1-877-968-3778).
Roth 401(k) Feature Implemented 14 May 2012
The Thrift Savings Plan Enhancement Act of 2009, Public Law 111-31, authorized the TSP to add a Roth feature to the plan. This benefit allows participants to contribute on an after tax basis to their TSP accounts and receive tax free earnings when the funds are withdrawn, as long as they are at least age 59 and a half and the withdrawal is made at least five years after the beginning of the year in which their first Roth contribution was made. Traditional TSP contributions are made on a pretax basis and are taxed when withdrawn. The Roth TSP option is similar to private sector Roth 401 (K) plans. This new feature will be available to employees on 14 May 2012.
Roth contributions may be made in addition to or in lieu of traditional contributions. They are subject to the same IRS elective deferral limit of $17,000 in 2012 and must be combined with any traditional TSP contributions to determine if the limit has been met.
Participants who will turn 50 or older in 2012 may elect to make Roth catch up contributions in addition to or in lieu of traditional catch up contributions. All traditional catch up contributions and Roth catch up contributions are contributed from Basic pay, Bonus Pay, Special Pay and Incentive Pay. The total must not exceed the catch up contribution limit of 5,500 dollars in 2012. Participants will continue to be required to certify that they expect to reach the elective deferral limit for the year.
Participants may designate any whole percentage of Basic pay, Bonus Pay, Special Pay and Incentive Pay as Roth contributions. This election may be in addition to, or in lieu of, an election to make traditional contributions. For example, a participant could elect to contribute 5 percent of basic pay as a Roth contribution and 10 % basic pay as a traditional contribution (or vice versa).
Participants will be able to take loans, in service withdrawals and partial withdrawals from their accounts as before. Money will be disbursed on a pro rata basis with a proportional amount from the participants traditional and Roth balances.
Money already in employees TSP accounts when they begin making Roth contributions will remain part of the traditional balance. Participants will not be able to convert it to Roth.
To make a Roth TSP contribution election or Roth Catch-up contribution election, members must submit a TSP-U-1 Election form (5/2012) or TSP-U-1C Catch-up Contribution form (5/2012) to PPC for processing. The forms can be found at the TSP website:
https://www.tsp.gov/forms/uniformedServicesForms.shtml
Fax the completed forms to PPC (MAS-TSP) at (785) 339-3760 or mail it to:
Commanding Officer (MAS-TSP)
Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center
444 SE Quincy Street
Topeka, KS 66683-3591
The TSP has a Fact Sheet available with more information on the TSP-Roth option 
.
More information on the Roth option from the TSP (Added 24 Feb 2012):
TSP Catch-Up Contribution Program:
- Members age 50 or older are allowed to contribute an additional $5,500 to TSP (beyond the IRS Elective Deferral Limit). Note: Catch-Up contributions are dollar amounts. All other contributions are a percentage of the gross pay or bonus amount.
- Catch-up program applies to members turning age 50 prior to the end of the calendar year.
- Catch-up contributions are on a pre-tax basis like other TSP contributions.
- Elections, election changes, and stops are allowed at any time beginning in the year the member turns age 50.
- Catch-up elections are made on Form TSP-U-1-C. Please note, when completing Section II, Line 7 of the form that "Pay Period" is the amount to be deducted per month, not per payday.
- Catch-up contributions are separate from regular contributions, but are combined with regular contributions on the W-2.
- Catch-up contributions are in whole dollar amounts (versus a percentage) and are a deduction from basic pay.
- Elections for catch-up contributions expire on 31 December of each year.
- If a member stops regular contributions, catch-up contributions are also stopped.
Members who desire to initially enroll in TSP, disenroll from TSP, or elect the TSP Catch-Up program must complete the applicable Tsp-U-1 (to enroll) / Tsp-U-1-C form (form for catchup contributions) and mail to PPC (MAS). Mail completed forms to PPC (MAS-TSP):
Commanding Officer (MAS-TSP)
Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center
444 SE Quincy Street
Topeka, KS 66683-3591
TSP Contribution Limits
The TSP Web Site provides the limits for contributions: https://www.tsp.gov/whatsnew/rates/currentLimitsAndRates.shtml.
Members currently enrolled in TSP who desire to change their contribution percentage can do so through the Direct Access Self-Service application (click for procedures).
Members who desire to initially enroll in TSP, disenroll from TSP, elect the TSP Catch-Up program, or reenroll in TSP must complete the applicable Tsp-U-1 / Tsp-U-1-C form and mail to PPC (MAS). Mail completed forms to PPC (MAS-TSP):
Commanding Officer (MAS-TSP)
Coast Guard Pay & Personnel Center
444 SE Quincy Street
Topeka, KS 66683-3591
Enrollments, reenrollments and disenrollments cannot be entered in DA using self-service. Members will receive confirmation that their request has been processed via entries in the deductions and comments sections of their Leave and Earning Statements.
Coast Guard Academy cadets and non-prior service CG Naval Academy Preparatory School (NAPS) cadets are not eligible to participate in TSP until they are commissioned or reverted to enlisted status.
Quarterly Participant Statements
The Account Access section of the TSP Web site is your only source for quarterly participant statements, unless you elected to receive your statements in the mail (you can make this election using the Account Access web page). New statements are posted on the Web site after the end of each calendar quarter (i.e., March 31, June 30, September 30, and December 31). The statement shows your account balance and a detailed summary of the activity in your account during the previous reporting period. If you have a loan, your quarterly loan information will also be included on your participant statement.
The best source of information about your TSP account is the Account Access section of the TSP Web site. You will need your SSN and your PIN to access your account. Once you access your account, you can find out your daily account balance, check on your loan, see the status of a loan or withdrawal request, see what your current contribution allocation is, etc. You can also use this Web site to perform a number of transactions, such as making interfund transfers or contribution allocations, requesting a new computer-generated or custom PIN, requesting that quarterly participant statements be mailed to you, or initiating a loan or withdrawal.
TSP Service Office Notification Upon Separation
If you were participating in the TSP and are separating from the Coast Guard (Discharge, RELAD or Retirement), the Pay & Personnel Center (PPC) will notify the TSP Service Office. You will not be able to withdraw funds from your account until the TSP Service Office has been notified, by the Coast Guard, of your separation. This will usually occur the month following your month of separation. If you separate late in the month (after the end-month payroll processing cutoff) or if your separation transactions are input late or incorrectly by the Servicing Personnel Office, the notification will occur the month following the month the transactions are processed through JUMPS.
If you need to access you funds before the normal separtion notification process timeline, please complete a TSP Separation Notification form, and forward it to PPC (MAS-TSP), so that we may notify the TSP Service Office of your separation from active duty.
How Does Filing Bankruptcy Affect TSP?
These fact sheets explain how a bankruptcy petition affects a Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) account, loan, or in-service withdrawal.
- Fact Sheet for Bankruptcy Petitions Filed on or after 17 October 2005
- Fact Sheet for Bankruptcy Petitions Filed before 17 October 2005
Related links:
Procedure governing TSP:
Policy governing TSP
Detailed information on TSP: https://www.tsp.gov
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