2013 Annual Report on Financial Literacy Efforts of 

the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board 

February 7, 2014
FRTIB Annual Report on Financial Literacy Efforts Page 2 of 5

Introduction

The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Open Elections Act of 2004 contains the following 

requirement:

REPORT ON FINANCIAL LITERACY EFFORTS. The Board 

shall annually report to the Committee on Governmental Affairs of 

the Senate and the Committee on Government Reform in the House 

of Representatives on its Thrift Savings Plan education efforts on 

behalf of plan participants. Pub. L. 108-469, §2, 118 Stat. 3891, 3892. 

In 2013, financial literacy initiatives undertaken by the Federal Retirement Thrift 

Investment Board (the Board) included a large number of print products, web-based offerings, and in-person training sessions for employees and agency representatives. 

Financial literacy and numeracy are critical elements of retirement readiness. To 

that end, we are committed to delivering compelling messaging that encourages participants to save for retirement; to educate, communicate, and interact with participants to 

help them make smart choices; and to deliver innovative products and programs to assist participants in achieving their retirement goals. 

Expanded Internet Presence

We launched a mobile version of tsp.gov on October 21, 2013. TSP participants 

who navigate to tsp.gov from a smartphone will be automatically directed to the new 

mobile version of My Account. The mobile version allows smartphone users to visit 

tsp.gov anytime and anywhere without having to download an app. 

On December 16th, 2013, the Board established a Twitter feed @TSP4GOV. 

TSP “tweets” will encourage recipients to make smart saving and investing decisions

and provide them with timely plan news. During the last two weeks of 2013, the TSP 

gained 1,194 followers on Twitter. An image of our Twitter landing page is at Appendix 

A.

During 2013, we also expanded the selection of short video clips on our YouTube 

channel, YouTube.com/TSP4gov. New video selections for 2013 explain the benefits 

of investing in the plan (for both civilians and uniformed service members), the meaning 

of “vesting,” and the impact of investment expenses. By year’s end, our YouTube channel had 1,705 subscribers. 

Participant Statements Recognized for Innovation

To assist participants in identifying their retirement savings goals, the TSP provides lifetime income projections. In February 2013, our annual statements displayed, 

for the first time, estimated monthly retirement income on the front page alongside the 

total account balance. This feature was recognized by Pensions and Investments, a 
FRTIB Annual Report on Financial Literacy Efforts Page 3 of 5

leading industry publication, with their 2013 Innovator Award. The announcement, titled 

Employing a Simpler Approach to Help Illustrate Lifetime Income, is at Appendix B.

Outreach to the Uniformed Services

The Roth TSP option, which became available to most of our participants in 

2012, was finally rolled out to the uniformed services reserve components in 2013. 

Making Roth elections can be confusing for service members due to the multiple

sources of military pay with their differing tax treatments and contribution limits. The 

process is even more vexing for reservists because the various service components are 

supported by different pay systems, each with its own capabilities and technical limitations. We worked with the Defense Finance and Accounting Service this year to redesign our uniformed services contribution form in an attempt to help reserve component

members understand their options.

We presented a webcast, Roth TSP for Uniformed Service Members, Part II. This 

program was a follow-up to a 2012 webcast, and it addressed many of the detailed 

questions we received after introducing Roth TSP to the active components of the uniformed services. It is archived on our YouTube channel for on-demand viewing.

We partnered with the Department of Defense Financial Readiness Campaign, 

contributing two articles to militarysaves.org. Know Your Limits: Contribution Limits and 

Your Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) Account explains the contribution limits and how uniformed service members in certain situations can make contributions that exceed the 

elective deferral limit. There’s More to the TSP Than the G Fund encourages savers to 

diversify their retirement portfolios. During the week of February 25th, 2013, TSP staff 

members participated in the Military Saves campaign at the Pentagon, manning a TSP 

exhibit, answering questions, and presenting TSP briefings. During May and June, TSP 

experts from our education staff returned to the Pentagon to pilot the idea of a TSP satellite office, presenting ten “lunch and learn” sessions and conducting 80 one-on-one 

TSP counseling sessions.

Transfer/Rollover Education

In its recent study, 401(k) Plans: Labor and IRS Could Improve the Rollover 

Process for Participants, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) looked at the options available to 401(k) plan participants separating from employment. The GAO concluded that the current environment favors cash outs and rollovers to IRAs, resulting in 

either complete depletion of retirement savings or gradual depletion through high and 

hidden fees. 

The TSP began allowing inbound transfers and rollovers in July 2001, but we 

generally presented the transfer opportunity in narrow and somewhat discouraging

terms (e.g., “The conditions under which the TSP will accept a transfer or a rollover are 

strict.”). This was consistent with the Board’s traditional approach to inform and educate 
FRTIB Annual Report on Financial Literacy Efforts Page 4 of 5 

about plan rules and features, but never to advise (or be perceived as advising) about 

the TSP’s place in a participant’s overall investment/savings circumstances. 

During 2013, we began to question whether our “non-promotional” approach to 

transfer/rollover education truly serves the best interest of our participants. On September 27th, the Executive Director adopted a policy of actively encouraging participants to 

transfer their other retirement savings into the TSP, where they would be managed at 

low cost pursuant to fiduciary standards. We are currently studying the merits of actively 

assisting participants with their transfers. 

Educational Materials in Print and on the Web 

Our print materials and website do the heavy lifting for our education program. 

The print products are available to participants through the TSP ThriftLine (877-968-

3778) or on the website, and are distributed free to employing agencies and services. 

Booklets and leaflets help participants understand the TSP’s benefits and limitations. 

Posters, flyers, and a quarterly newsletter keep participants mindful of the importance of 

saving and prudently managing money for retirement. The website also offers informative articles, online calculators, and interactive pie charts along with share prices, historical returns, and administrative expenses to help participants make informed choices 

about their retirement investments. Posters and newsletters created for 2013 are represented at Appendix C. 

In 2013, our participants were concerned about sequestration cuts, furloughs resulting from the temporary Federal government shutdown, and the US Treasury’s suspension of investments in the G Fund. The Board responded by publishing timely fact 

sheets and website articles on the potential effects of these events. For example, information on the furlough’s potential effects was published to the website on March 1, 

2013 (see Appendix D). 

The Supreme Court ruling on the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) also affected 

many TSP participants. We reviewed all of our print and web products and, wherever 

necessary, updated references to DOMA and spousal rights. We created or significantly 

revised 19 print products during 2013

Our website’s interactive calculators let participants model the impact of various 

financial decisions. In 2013, we added two new calculators. Our Paycheck Estimator 

enables users to estimate how their TSP contributions will affect their take-home pay 

and their account savings over time. The Retirement Income Calculator helps users decide whether receiving monthly income is right for them by illustrating systematic withdrawal options side-by-side with life annuity payments. An image of the results screen is 

at Appendix E. 
FRTIB Annual Report on Financial Literacy Efforts Page 5 of 5 

Secure E-Messaging 

Secure messaging, a feature that has proven particularly attractive to our uniformed services participants, became increasingly popular in 2013. Message volume 

increased by 496% over 2012, with representatives responding to 54,039 questions. 

The most popular topic was TSP loans (28.9% of messages), followed by withdrawals 

(27.4%), general questions (13.6%), investments (10.8%), and eligibility (1.7%). The emessage screen also allows participants to provide a contact number for telephonic responses and provides 24-7 access to frequently asked questions and answers. 

In-Person Agency Representative Training/Employee Briefings 

By law (5 U.S.C. § 8350) the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is required 

to operate a training program for retirement counselors in employing agencies. This requirement ensures that employees are able to obtain current information and a level of 

personal service in response to their retirement-related questions. Since 1987, we have 

worked synergistically with OPM to sustain a network of TSP agency representatives 

within the retirement counselor community. The TSP agency representatives receive 

training and stay current by attending specialized TSP training sessions. In 2013, 662 

agency representatives attended a total of 52 training sessions led by the TSP training 

staff. In 2013, we submitted six training courses to OPM’s “HR University” to make it 

easier for benefits officers to choose and register for classes. 

In addition to these “train the counselor” sessions, our training staff delivered 

250 TSP briefings to civilian and uniformed service member groups in 2013. A total of 

12,903 employees attended the sessions in person and another 1,305 participated from 

off-site via webinar, conference call, and video teleconference. We provide these sessions free to employing agencies and services. Typical responses to these training sessions are enclosed at Appendix F. 

We also set up TSP exhibits at conferences and financial/benefits fairs for civilian 

employees and members of the uniformed services. In 2013, we participated in 31 

such events, enabling our staff members to “talk TSP” with more than 5,005 attendees. 

A list of these events is at Appendix G. 

Appendix A: Twitter feed @TSP4GOV
Appendix B: Participant statements recognized for innovation
Appendix C: Posters and newsletters
Appendix D: Timely guidance on the effects of a furlough
Appendix E: Retirement income calculator results
Appendix F: Typical responses to TSP presentations
Appendix G: TSP representation at benefits fairs and conferences

Name City State Start End Visitors

US House of Representatives Washington DC 24-Jan-13 24-Jan-13 60

Navy West San Diego CA 29-Jan-13 31-Jan-13 192

Military Saves Week Arlington V A 25-Feb-13 01-Mar-13 733

Navy League National Harbor MD 08-Apr-13 10-Apr-13 314

Financial Literacy Day on the Hill 2013 La Plata MD 26-Apr-13 26-Apr-13 45

Transportation Security Admin. Arlington V A 30-Apr-13 30-Apr-13 50

Federal Asian Pacific American Council Long Beach CA 06-May-13 10-May-13 70

University of Maryland Finance Seminar Annapolis MD 15-May-13 17-May-13 29

Dept. of Transportation-Federal Railroad Admin Washington DC 15-May-13 15-May-13 95

Federal Communications Commission Capital Heights MD 21-May-13 21-May-13 85

Society of American Indian Govt Employees Spokane WA 03-Jun-13 05-Jun-13 50

Office of Surface Mining Washington DC 04-Jun-13 04-Jun-13 85

Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms Washington DC 17-Jul-13 17-Jul-13 43

Federally Employed Women Orlando FL 22-Jul-13 26-Jul-13 94

National Rural Letter Carrier's Association St. Louis MO 13-Aug-13 16-Aug-13 387

Blacks in Government Dallas TX 19-Aug-13 22-Aug-13 230

National Image Linthicum MD 09-Sep-13 13-Sep-13 40

National Guard Association of the US Honolulu HI 20-Sep-13 23-Sep-13 132

Modern Day Marine Quantico V A 24-Sep-13 26-Sep-13 347

Association of the US Army Washington DC 21-Oct-13 23-Oct-13 264

Association of Military Surgeons US Seattle WA 04-Nov-13 05-Nov-13 60

Federal Energy Regulation Commission Washington DC 13-Nov-13 13-Nov-13 74

Federal Trade Commission Washington DC 13-Nov-13 13-Nov-13 44

Smithsonian Institute Washington DC 13-Nov-13 14-Nov-13 200

DoT: Federal Railroad Administration Washington DC 19-Nov-13 19-Nov-13 150

Assn for Financial Counseling & Planning Education Greenville SC 20-Nov-13 22-Nov-13 64

Bureau of Economic Analysis Washington DC 20-Nov-13 20-Nov-13 75

Library of Congress Washington DC 20-Nov-13 20-Nov-13 600

National Institute of Standards & Technology Gaithersburg MD 26-Nov-13 26-Nov-13 93

Defense Information Security Agency Ft. Meade MD 11-Dec-13 11-Dec-13 300

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