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  • Starting in January 2021, we’re making the process easier for participants. If you’re turning 50 or older and are eligible for catch-up, you’ll no longer need to make separate catch-up elections to your TSP account. To learn how to make these contributions next year, visit Catch-up contributions.

How much should I save?
(Federal Ballpark E$timate®)

To find out how much you need to save for retirement, follow the link to the Federal Ballpark E$timate® calculator below. The calculator was developed by the American Savings Education Council to calculate how much you need to save each year from now until retirement based on your estimates of retirement income and existing savings.

About retirement planning

The Federal Ballpark E$timate® calculator is just the first step in retirement planning. For more in-depth planning, you may want to consult a financial advisor or your agency’s or service’s retirement or benefits counselor, visit the Office of Personnel Management website, read books and articles on retirement planning, or use more detailed software to test a variety of assumptions for estimated benefits, expenses, and rates of return.

Information you need for the Federal Ballpark E$timate® calculator Where to find information
1

Estimate of annual income from FERS Basic Annuity or CSRS annuity.

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Contact your agency or service personnel office to find out how to estimate your annual income from your FERS or CSRS annuity.
2

Social Security benefit estimate, if applicable

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Get your personalized benefit estimate online by requesting your Social Security Statement.
3

Current savings balances

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Access your most recent account balance in My Account, or you can call the ThriftLine. Include savings from other retirement investment accounts, as well.