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Interfund Transfers



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What is an interfund transfer?

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What information should I consider before I make an interfund transfer?

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How often may I make an interfund transfer?

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How do I make an interfund transfer?

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When will my interfund transfer be effective?

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How will I know the result of an interfund transfer request?

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Can I cancel or change an interfund transfer request?

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What if I have questions about an interfund transfer?

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FAQs
   

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What is an interfund transfer? Return to Top of this Page

An interfund transfer allows you to redistribute all or part of your existing account balance among the TSP funds.  You may move part or all of the money in your account from one fund to any other fund or funds.  (See the Question "How often may I make an interfund transfer?") If you are a FERS employee, this includes not only your employee contribution, but also your agency contributions and their earnings, even if you have never contributed your own money to your account.

The TSP record keeper executes an interfund transfer in response to your request.  You can make changes only in terms of the percentage of your total account balance that you want invested in each of the TSP funds after the transfer is completed.  You cannot request to have a specific dollar amount of money moved.

An interfund transfer is different from a contribution allocation because the interfund transfer involves only money that is already in your account.  It does not change the way new contributions are allocated to the TSP funds.

What information should I consider before I make an interfund transfer? Return to Top of this Page

Before making an interfund transfer, you should carefully consider the advantages and risks involved in investing in each of the TSP funds.  For information about the funds, read "Your Investment Options."

The TSP is not responsible for investment results.  The law requires that you sign a statement acknowledging that you understand and accept the risks of investing in the F, C, S, I, or L Funds before you can invest in any of these funds.

How often may I make an interfund transfer? Return to Top of this Page

For each calendar month, your first two IFTs can redistribute money in your account among any or all of the TSP funds.  After that, for the remainder of the month, your IFTs can only move money into the Government Securities Investment (G) Fund (in which case, you will increase the percentage of your account held in the G Fund by reducing the percentage held in one or more of the other TSP funds).

For example, if on May 10 you made a transfer which increased the percentage of your account invested in the F Fund and on May 17 you made an IFT which increased the percentage of your account in the G Fund, you have reached your unrestricted IFT limit for May.  For the rest of May, you may transfer amounts in your TSP account to the G Fund only (i.e., you may only increase the percentage of your investment in the G Fund by decreasing the percentage of your investment in one or more of the other TSP funds).

The transfer counts in the calendar month we process it, not in the month you submit it.  For example, if you were to submit your transfer request at 12:15 p.m. on July 31, that would be after our noon cut-off for same-day processing.  Therefore, we would not process your request until August 1 (the next business day), and it would count against your IFT limit for August.

How do I make an interfund transfer? Return to Top of this Page

To request an interfund transfer, use this Web site or the ThriftLine, ask a participant service representative to help you, or submit Form TSP-50, Investment Allocation, (Form TSP-50 is not available on this Web site) to the TSPDo not submit an Investment Allocation form to your agency.   If you have not previously invested in the F, C, S, I, or L Funds, you must acknowledge the risk of investing in these funds before you are allowed to proceed with your interfund transfer.  To request a transfer, follow the instructions and enter the percent of your total account balance that you want to have invested in each fund after the transfer is completed.  Percentages can be stated in increments as small as 1 percent and must add up to 100 percent.  Whether you are using this Web site or the ThriftLine, be sure to follow the instructions to confirm the percentages or your transfer will not be effective. 

When will my interfund transfer be effective? Return to Top of this Page

If you request an interfund transfer on this Web site or the ThriftLine before 12 noon eastern time, your request will ordinarily be processed and posted to your account at the close of business on that day.  Requests made after 12 noon eastern time will ordinarily be processed and posted to your account at the close of business on the following business day.  If you use Form TSP-50, your request will generally be processed and posted to your account within 5 business days of the day it is received by the TSP.

How will I know the result of an interfund transfer request? Return to Top of this Page

After your transfer has been made, the TSP record keeper will send you a confirmation of the interfund transfer.  This confirmation will show you the percentage and dollar distribution of your account balance in each of the TSP funds — both before and after the transfer.  The after-transfer percentages on your confirmation notice should be the same as those you requested on this Web site, the ThriftLine, or Form TSP-50.  Once you receive confirmation of your interfund transfer, you must report any errors to the TSP within 30 days of receipt of the written notice.

Note: If you make an interfund transfer on this Web site, you will see a confirmation page after your request. We recommend that you print that page for your records.

Can I cancel or change an interfund transfer request? Return to Top of this Page

Yes.  You can use this Web site or the ThriftLine, or call the TSP, to change a pending interfund transfer request, but only up to the 12 noon (eastern time) cutoff on the date the request is being processed.  After 12 noon eastern time, you can submit a new request that will generally be made effective within 5 business days.

What if I have questions about an interfund transfer? Return to Top of this Page

If you have questions about the interfund transfer process, contact the TSP.  Your agency is not involved in processing interfund transfers and cannot answer questions about your interfund transfer.

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