Inputs you will enter
- TSP balance when withdrawals startYour traditional and Roth balance together on the day the first payment goes out.
- Monthly withdrawalThe gross amount you plan to take each month, before tax withholding. Fixed-dollar installments must be at least $25 (5 CFR 1650.13, retrieved 2026-10-13).
- Yearly return you want to testA hypothetical rate, your assumption and not a projection. Try a low, middle and high rate. Negative rates are allowed.
- Age when withdrawals startYour age when the first payment is made.
- Year you were bornSets your RMD age: 73 if you were born from 1951 through 1958, 75 if born in 1960 or later (IRS, retrieved 2026-10-13).
- Age when you separate from federal serviceYour age when you leave. It decides whether the age-55 rule removes the 10 percent early-withdrawal tax.
How we compute it
Each month we grow the balance by one twelfth of the yearly return you typed and then subtract the withdrawal. We repeat that until the balance reaches zero or 40 years pass, and record the balance at 10, 20 and 30 years. The return is applied evenly every month; real fund returns move from year to year and can be negative.
The early-withdrawal test follows the IRS rule. Distributions before 59 1/2 generally carry a 10 percent additional tax, but not payments after you separate from service in or after the year you turn 55 (IRS, retrieved 2026-10-13). Qualified public safety employees, including federal law enforcement officers, firefighters and air traffic controllers, use age 50 or 25 years of service instead (IRS, retrieved 2026-10-13). The calculator applies the age-55 test, so if you retire under the special provisions, read the age-50 rule as the one that applies to you.
For RMDs, the first-year estimate divides the balance in the year you reach your RMD age by the Uniform Lifetime Table divisor: 26.5 at 73 and 24.6 at 75 (IRS Publication 590-B, retrieved 2026-10-13). The TSP pays out any shortfall automatically by December 31 (5 CFR 1650.16, retrieved 2026-10-13). On taxes, the TSP withholds at least 20 percent from installments expected to last less than 10 years, and withholds on longer or life-expectancy installments as wages, figured as single with no adjustments unless you choose otherwise (TSP, retrieved 2026-10-13).
A worked example
A retiree born in 1966 separates at 60 and starts withdrawing $2,000 a month from a $400,000 balance, testing a 4 percent yearly return. Each month the balance grows by 4% / 12, about 0.333 percent, and then the $2,000 comes out. After 10 years the balance is about $301,833; after 20 years, about $155,484; it runs out in the 28th year, at about 87 and 7 months, so the 30-year balance is $0.
There is no 10 percent early-withdrawal tax, because the separation is after the year the retiree turns 55. Born in 1966, the RMD age is 75. The balance at 75 is about $235,940, and $235,940 / 24.6 is a first-year RMD of about $9,591, well under the $24,000 a year already being withdrawn. This is an educational estimate on the assumptions shown.
What to do with your estimate
Read how TSP withdrawals work for the installment, single-payment and annuity choices, then set the balance you are likely to start with in the TSP calculator. If a loan is still open, the TSP loan calculator shows what is left to repay, and the FERS pension estimator gives the annuity your withdrawals sit beside. More calculators are on the tools page.
FFEBA is an education organization. If you want someone to look at your own numbers, we can match you with a Federal Retirement Consultant (FRC), a professional trained on federal benefits. The FRC designation is listed with FINRA. The first review is free, nothing is booked until you choose a time, and you are never obligated to work with anyone we introduce. Get matched with an FRC.
Questions about this calculator
How long will my TSP last?
It depends on three numbers: the balance, the withdrawal and the return. The calculator runs them month by month and shows when the balance reaches zero, or says more than 40 years. The return is your assumption, not a forecast, so try a low, middle and high rate to see a range.
When can I take TSP money without the 10 percent penalty?
The 10 percent additional tax generally applies to distributions before 59 1/2. It does not apply to payments after you separate from service in or after the year you turn 55, or 50 for qualified public safety employees, who can also qualify with 25 years of service (IRS, retrieved 2026-10-13).
When do TSP required minimum distributions start?
Under the final IRS regulations the applicable age is 73 for people born from 1951 through 1958 and 75 for people born on or after January 1, 1960 (IRS, retrieved 2026-10-13). The TSP automatically pays out any amount your withdrawals fall short of the RMD for the year (5 CFR 1650.16, retrieved 2026-10-13).
Can I change my TSP installment payments?
Yes. Installments can be monthly, quarterly or annual, as a fixed dollar amount of at least $25 or based on life expectancy, and you can change the amount or frequency of fixed-dollar payments (5 CFR 1650.13 and 1650.17, retrieved 2026-10-13). A spouse must consent to some changes under FERS rules (5 CFR 1650.61, retrieved 2026-10-13).
Do TSP withdrawals come from my Roth or traditional balance first?
You choose: traditional only, Roth only, or pro rata from both. Within each balance the money is prorated further, and every withdrawal is drawn proportionally from the funds you hold (5 CFR 1650.2, retrieved 2026-10-13).
Is this what my TSP will pay me?
No. This is an educational illustration on a return you choose. Fund returns change from year to year and can be negative, and taxes come out of every withdrawal from the traditional balance.
Reviewed by the FFEBA education team. Last reviewed October 2026.
Sources
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 5 CFR part 1650 (methods of withdrawing funds from the TSP), retrieved 2026-10-13
- Internal Revenue Service, retirement topics: required minimum distributions, retrieved 2026-10-13
- Internal Revenue Service, Publication 590-B, appendix B, table III (Uniform Lifetime Table), retrieved 2026-10-13
- Internal Revenue Service, Internal Revenue Bulletin 2024-33 (final required minimum distribution regulations), retrieved 2026-10-13
- Internal Revenue Service, Topic no. 558, additional tax on early distributions from retirement plans, retrieved 2026-10-13
Every government figure on this page carries its source and retrieval date. Worked examples are educational estimates on the assumptions shown, not a projection of any person's benefit. FFEBA is an education organization, not a financial advisor.
