THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN OPEN SEASON REMINDER From: "C. Judy Huffman Reston, VA" Message-Id: <961231134550.ZM4238@chuffman> Date: Tue, 31 Dec 1996 13:45:44 -0400 X-Mailer: Z-Mail 4.0.1 (4.0.1 Apr 9 1996) To: "USGS Employees" Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN OPEN SEASON REMINDER This is a reminder that the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Open Season currently in progress ends January 31, 1997. During the open season, you may change the amount of your biweekly payroll contributions to the Thrift Savings Plan, and you may adjust the way that your payroll deductions are distributed among the three investment funds. Open season is the only time you may re-enroll if you have previously canceled your enrollment. FERS employees who are eligible to enroll for the first time may enroll during the open season, and employees who are receiving only the one percent agency contribution may begin adding their own contributions during the open season. This year for the first time, you may be able to use Employee Express to make your open season changes. If you are a current participant, a FERS employee receiving only the automatic one percent agency contribution, or a former participant (within the Department of the Interior) who canceled contributions during a prior open season, you may use a touch tone phone (or TDD) and your Employee Express Personal Identification Number (PIN) to begin contributions or make an adjustment to your contributions. Call one of the following numbers and follow the prompts: (912) 757-3080 or 1-800-827-6254. The TDD number is (912) 757-3117. If you cannot locate your Employee Express PIN, call the Employee Express Help Desk at (912) 757-3030. You should listen for the effective date of your transaction at the end of your call and be sure to check your Employee Earnings Statement for that pay period to ensure that the change was made. It is your responsibility to confirm that your TSP withholdings and distributions are correct. Under some circumstances, you cannot use Employee Express, and you will have to fill out a TSP Election Form (TSP-1). If you are eligible to participate for the first time during this open season, or if you have canceled your participation at a time other than open season, you need to complete a form so that we can verify your eligibility. The TSP-1 is available through your servicing personnel office. All enrollment changes that are received before January 5, 1997, will be effective on that date and will appear on the employee earnings statement received on January 30. Any changes received on or after January 5 through the end of the open season on January 31 will be effective the pay period after they are received and processed by the servicing personnel office. If you want to make changes to the way the money currently in your account is distributed among the three investment funds, you may do this at any time. These changes, called Interfund Transfers, are processed by the Thrift Savings Plan Service Center and not the Department of the Interior. To make an Interfund Transfer, you should complete the Interfund Transfer Request Form (TSP-30, available from your servicing personnel office) and send it to the Thrift Savings Plan Service Center. You may make an electronic transfer by calling the Thrift Line at (504) 255-8777; you will need your TSP PIN (which is not the same as your Employee Express PIN). If you cannot locate your TSP PIN, the Thrift Line can help you. Interfund Transfer Requests must be received by the Thrift Savings Plan Service Center by midnight of the fifteenth day of the month to be effective at the end of that month. Interfund Transfer Requests received after the fifteenth will be effective at the end of the next month. If you have questions regarding the Thrift Savings Plan, please call your servicing personnel office for guidance. Personnel offices have several brochures, pamphlets, etc. which you may find helpful. Remember that the TSP offers an excellent opportunity to save for the future; in addition, the TSP offers significant tax advantages, since contributions are treated as pre-tax dollars and taxes on earnings are deferred. -- Judy Huffman, MS 601, National Center