Do not confuse separation with a required withdrawal

DoD financial-readiness guidance states that a member continues to own the vested TSP account after leaving uniformed service. Common choices include leaving funds in TSP, transferring eligible funds to another eligible retirement plan, or taking distributions subject to applicable rules and taxes.

Before the last day of service

• Confirm TSP My Account access and personal recovery information.
• Download recent statements and beneficiary information.
• Identify any outstanding TSP loan and separation consequences.
• Distinguish traditional, Roth, and any tax-exempt uniformed-service balances.
• Confirm myPay access, final LES, tax withholding, allotments and direct deposit.
• Build a post-service cash-flow plan before deciding to withdraw retirement funds.

Current TSP education materials state that retirees may continue to access and manage TSP savings after leaving service. Rollovers and distributions can have tax and spousal-rights consequences, so preserve the transaction confirmation and tax documents for every transfer or withdrawal.

Official sources

• DoD — TSP Portability
• Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board — TSP in Retirement
• DFAS — myPay / Pay Services

Source status: SRC-101; SRC-102; SRC-015 verified October 4, 2026. Individual eligibility and tax consequences can differ; use the current program decision and account record.