Fed Retirement Plan
That Connects Your TSP, Pension, and Roth Decisions
You have spent years earning and building your federal benefits. As retirement gets closer, it can be difficult to see how your pension, Thrift Savings Plan, Social Security, taxes, and health coverage fit together.
Fed Retirement Plan is Modern Edge Capital’s planning service for federal employees and retirees. We help you organize the decisions, understand the trade-offs, and consider how your retirement income choices may work together. Your plan is built around your circumstances, not a one-size-fits-all TSP or Roth recommendation.
The introductory meeting is complimentary. Any additional planning, advisory, or product service, including its scope, fees, and compensation, will be explained before you decide whether to proceed.
Your federal benefits work together
One retirement. Several connected decisions.
For many FERS employees, retirement planning involves three main sources: the FERS Basic Benefit, Social Security, and the Thrift Savings Plan. CSRS benefits have a different structure. Your personal service history, retirement eligibility, elections, and other income sources also matter. The Fed Retirement Plan brings the moving parts into one conversation so you can see which questions need answers and what decisions may be approaching.
Pension income
Review your official FERS or CSRS estimate and the role it may play in your household income.
TSP decisions
Consider contribution and withdrawal questions, investment choices, and whether to keep assets in the TSP or compare eligible alternatives.
Social Security
Coordinate claiming questions with your other expected income. Social Security makes the official benefit determination.
Tax and Roth choices
Understand how traditional and Roth balances are taxed and whether a conversion deserves further review.
Questions federal employees often want to resolve
You may already have a pension estimate and a TSP balance. The planning questions are often more specific:
● How much of our monthly spending may come from the pension and Social Security, and what would need to come from savings?
● What TSP withdrawal choices should we compare before making an election?
● Should we leave some or all of the TSP in place, take installments, or compare a rollover?
● How could a traditional-to-Roth conversion affect this year’s taxable income?
● Could a conversion affect other income-based calculations, such as the taxation of Social Security or Medicare premiums?
● How should we coordinate retirement timing, FEHB eligibility, survivor elections, and beneficiary designations?
● What assumptions should we revisit if one spouse retires before the other? You do not need to have every answer before you start. The first step is to identify which decisions matter for your timeline.
What the Fed Retirement Plan review can cover
1. Retirement income picture
1. Retirement income picture We organize the information you provide about your expected pension, Social Security, TSP, other retirement accounts, savings, spending needs, and retirement date. The goal is to make income sources and open questions easier to understand.
2. TSP choices before and after retirement
We discuss the TSP options relevant to your situation and compare potential trade-offs. Depending on eligibility and current plan rules, post-separation choices may include leaving money in the TSP, installment payments, partial withdrawals, purchasing a life annuity through the TSP, or taking a total distribution or eligible rollover. A rollover is one option to evaluate, not an automatic recommendation.
3. Traditional and Roth tax decisions
We review the role of traditional and Roth balances in your broader retirement picture. A Roth conversion generally accelerates tax on the converted pre-tax amount into the year of conversion. Whether that trade-off is appropriate depends on your tax situation, time horizon, liquidity, other income, and goals. Tax estimates are not a substitute for advice from your tax professional.
4. Benefits and family considerations
We help identify questions involving FEHB, FEGLI, Medicare, survivor benefits, and beneficiaries that may affect your plan. Eligibility and elections are governed by current agency rules. Confirm official determinations with OPM, your agency benefits office, or the applicable program.
5. Investment and insurance trade-offs, if relevant
If an investment advisory or insurance solution is considered, we explain the relevant costs, risks, liquidity limits, contract terms, and compensation before you make a decision. No particular product is right for every person, and a product is not required to have an introductory conversation.
TSP retirement choices: understand the options before moving money
Leaving federal service does not mean you must immediately withdraw your TSP account. The TSP offers several withdrawal paths, including installments, partial payments, an annuity purchase, or a total distribution. Rules and eligibility depend on your account and circumstances.
Before deciding whether to keep money in the TSP or move eligible assets elsewhere, compare the details that matter to you:
● Investment choices and expenses
● Withdrawal flexibility and access to funds
● Tax treatment and withholding
● Any applicable plan, account, advisory, or product charges
● Services and support
● Beneficiary, survivor, and legacy considerations
● The effect of moving money on features available under the TSP or a receiving account There is no single TSP decision that fits every federal employee. A careful review starts with what each part of your retirement savings needs to do.
Roth planning for federal employees: timing matters
Traditional TSP contributions generally receive tax-deferred treatment. Roth contributions are made after taxes, and qualified Roth distributions may receive different tax treatment. The choice between traditional and Roth contributions, or whether to convert eligible traditional balances, depends on your full financial picture.
A new TSP option began in 2026
As of January 28, 2026, eligible TSP participants can request a Roth in-plan conversion from an eligible traditional TSP balance to a Roth TSP balance. The amount converted is included in taxable income for that year. TSP guidance says the conversion tax must be paid with personal funds outside the amount being converted. Eligibility, account rules, and tax effects should be confirmed before taking action.
A conversion is not automatically beneficial. It may increase taxable income in the conversion year and could affect other tax or income-based calculations. A qualified tax professional can help evaluate the tax return impact.
The Fed Retirement Plan helps you frame the questions: What is the estimated tax cost? Where would the funds to pay it come from? How might the conversion affect retirement income and other goals? What happens if you make no conversion? Any analysis uses assumptions and is not a guarantee of future tax results.
A clear process for making informed decisions
Step 1: Start with your questions
In a complimentary introductory meeting, we learn what you are trying to decide, when you expect to retire, and which benefits or accounts you want to discuss. You can start without sending financial documents.
Step 2: Organize the information
If you choose to continue, we explain what information would help, such as a pension estimate, TSP statement, Social Security estimate, or a summary of other retirement assets and income. Please do not send sensitive records through an ordinary contact form or regular email. We can provide a secure upload option when documents are needed.
Step 3: Compare relevant paths
We discuss the assumptions, options, costs, risks, and limitations that apply to the questions you raised. If an illustration or projection is used, it is based on stated assumptions and is not a promise or guarantee of results.
Step 4: You decide what to do next
You can ask questions and take time to review. If you request an advisory or insurance service, its scope, fees, compensation, and applicable disclosures are provided before implementation. You decide whether to proceed.
Who this service is for
TSP Retirement Edge may be useful if you are:
● An active federal employee beginning to organize retirement decisions
● Within several years of leaving federal service
● Comparing retirement dates or income sources
● Already retired and reviewing TSP withdrawal or tax choices
● A spouse or partner coordinating household retirement decisions
● A federal employee considering traditional or Roth TSP questions
The service is for planning and education. It does not replace official benefit estimates or determinations from OPM, your employing agency, the TSP, Social Security, Medicare, or a tax or legal professional.
Frequently asked questions about TSP Retirement Edge
What is the TSP Retirement Edge?
The TSP Retirement Edge is the name of Modern Edge Capital’s federal employee retirement planning service. It is designed to help you organize questions involving TSP, pension income, Social Security, Roth decisions, taxes, and related retirement benefits. It is not a government program, benefit, or TSP product.
Is Modern Edge Capital affiliated with the TSP or the federal government?
No. Modern Edge Capital is an independent financial services firm and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the TSP, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, OPM, or any U.S. government agency. Use tsp.gov and opm.gov for official account and benefit information.
Who can use the TSP Retirement Edge service?
Roth conversions are different from direct Roth IRA contributions. Although income limits can restrict eligibility to make direct Roth IRA contributions, there is generally no corresponding income ceiling preventing an otherwise eligible taxpayer from completing a Roth conversion. Other rules and tax considerations still apply.
Who can use the Fed Retirement Plan service?
The service is intended for active federal employees, people nearing retirement, current federal retirees, and couples coordinating household retirement decisions. Planning needs vary by retirement system, service record, state, and individual circumstances. Availability is subject to applicable licensing and state requirements.
What are the three parts of FERS?
OPM describes FERS as providing benefits through the Basic Benefit Plan, Social Security, and the Thrift Savings Plan. How each source applies to you depends on eligibility, service, elections, and account information. CSRS has a different benefit structure.
How is CSRS different from FERS?
CSRS and FERS are separate federal retirement systems with different benefit structures and rules. Your coverage and service history matter, so review your official records and ask your agency benefits office or OPM about eligibility and calculations for your case.
Can you tell me exactly how much my federal pension will be?
We can discuss the official estimates and information you provide as part of a broader retirement income conversation. OPM and your agency determine official eligibility and benefit amounts. If you are missing an estimate or have questions about your service record, contact your agency benefits office or OPM.
What can I do with my TSP after I retire?
Depending on your circumstances and TSP rules, choices can include keeping money in the TSP, taking installment payments, requesting partial payments, purchasing a life annuity through the TSP, or taking a total distribution or eligible rollover. Review current rules directly with the TSP before making an election.
Should I leave my money in the TSP or roll it over?
There is no universal answer. Compare the TSP’s available features with the receiving account’s investment choices, expenses, services, withdrawal rules, tax treatment, and other relevant protections. A rollover may not be appropriate for everyone. Do not move retirement assets solely because someone recommends a product or account without explaining costs and trade-offs.
What is the difference between traditional TSP and Roth TSP?
Traditional TSP contributions generally receive tax-deferred treatment, and withdrawals of untaxed amounts are generally taxable. Roth TSP contributions are made after taxes. Qualified Roth distributions may receive tax-free treatment under applicable IRS rules. The tax result depends on the type of money, distribution, and account requirements.
Can I convert traditional TSP money to Roth TSP?
Yes. The TSP made Roth in-plan conversions available beginning January 28, 2026, for participants with an eligible traditional balance. The amount converted is included in taxable income for the year. TSP rules determine eligibility and transaction details, and TSP says taxes on the conversion must be paid from personal funds outside the amount converted. Confirm the current rules and consult a tax professional before acting.
Is a Roth conversion right for every federal employee?
No. A conversion may or may not fit your situation. Relevant factors can include current and future taxable income, tax rates, available funds to pay the tax, retirement timing, expected withdrawals, Social Security, Medicare premiums, and other financial goals. A tax projection is an estimate, and you should consult a qualified tax professional.
Could a Roth conversion affect Social Security or Medicare costs?
It may. A conversion can increase taxable income for the year. The taxability of Social Security depends on your overall income, and Medicare Part B or Part D premiums may include income-related adjustments for some beneficiaries. The effect depends on your specific income and applicable rules, so review the potential impact with a tax professional.
Could a Roth conversion affect Social Security or Medicare costs?
It may. A conversion can increase taxable income for the year. The taxability of Social Security depends on your overall income, and Medicare Part B or Part D premiums may include income-related adjustments for some beneficiaries. The effect depends on your specific income and applicable rules, so review the potential impact with a tax professional.
Can I keep FEHB health coverage when I retire?
Some retirees can continue FEHB, but eligibility requirements apply. OPM generally requires that you retire on an immediate annuity and have been continuously enrolled in FEHB for the five years of service before retirement, or for the full period since your first opportunity to enroll if that is less than five years. Confirm your eligibility with OPM or your agency benefits office before relying on continued coverage.
What is the FERS annuity supplement?
Some eligible FERS retirees may receive an annuity supplement before age 62. Eligibility depends on retirement type and other rules. Ask OPM or your agency benefits office to confirm whether you qualify and how an estimate applies to you.
Do I need to send documents before the first meeting?
No. You can begin with your questions and a general outline of your situation. If you decide to continue, we will explain which documents may be useful and how to share them securely. Do not send account numbers, Social Security numbers, or sensitive records through an ordinary web form.
Does the first meeting cost anything?
The introductory meeting is complimentary. If you request additional financial planning, investment advisory, or insurance services, we will explain the service scope, costs, and compensation before you decide whether to proceed.
Will you recommend an annuity or ask me to move my TSP?
Not automatically. Any advisory, rollover, or insurance recommendation depends on your goals, financial circumstances, and the relevant costs, risks, limitations, and alternatives. You can ask questions and decide whether to take any action.
Give your federal retirement decisions a place to come together.
You have earned the opportunity to understand your options before making a major retirement decision. Start with a conversation about your timeline, TSP questions, pension estimate, and Roth or income concerns.
No recommendation is made solely from this webpage. Any planning analysis is based on information provided and assumptions that may not reflect future results. Investment products involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Insurance guarantees, when applicable, are subject to the terms of the contract and the claims-paying ability of the issuing insurer.
Important Disclosures
Modern Edge Capital LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Thrift Savings Plan, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board, the Office of Personnel Management, or any U.S. government agency. Fed Retirement Plan is a private financial planning service name and is not a government program or benefit. Insurance, consulting, and education services are offered through Modern Edge Capital LLC. This content is for educational purposes and is not individualized investment, tax, or legal advice. Consult your tax professional or attorney about your circumstances. Investment advisory services involve risk, including the possible loss of principal. Any insurance guarantees are subject to the terms of the insurance contract and the claims-paying ability of the issuing company.