The government matches employees dollar for dollar up to 5 percent of an employee's investment. CSRS employees can invest up to 5 percent of their income in the TSP, but they do not receive government matches. The highest level of participation, 91.3 percent, is among employees between the ages 60 and 69. Younger employees participate the least, with about 78 percent of employees in their 20s investing in the plan. The council is responsible for relaying employees' concerns about TSP to the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board.
Participation rates rise accordingly with higher salaries.
Participation rates actually dropped slightly among lower-paid workers between 1997 and 1998. The board's survey also shows that employees become more conservative in their investments as they grow older. The investment pattern is almost reversed for employees over age 70. About 35 percent of their investment is in the C Fund, while 60 percent goes into the G Fund. The trend toward making conservative investments as one ages is natural, Zurndorfer said.