For the people who have made $500K-$1M+ in TSP

[Anonymous]

I am 44 and have about 400k in. I only put in for the match since we have significant childcare costs and my husband maxes his 401k + his company provides a better match. Overall, we have over 1M in our TSP/401k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Retiring at my MRA (56.6 years) in December and I have 1.2 mil in TSP. I always contributed the full amount allowed. Currently in lifecycle funds.

You are brave. I couldn't do that. Leaving a lot of money on the table.

[Anonymous]

$1.4m, 26 years in. Have been maxing out probably for the last 18 years and have been doing catch-up contributions for the last 5 years.

[Anonymous]

I'm at $1.06 million, 25 years in. I work for Congress, so a slightly lower salary structure than people on the GSA schedule. I maxed out at about $160,000 in 2019 and have been at that salary for a few years now.

For most of my time, I did not contribute even 10% - I contributed enough to hit the 5% match, but not much more than that. Then about five years ago I finally started maxing at 10%.

I've been through a lot of ups and downs in the stock market - you hit a milestone, and can stay there for a while before a big leap.

Hit the following milestones:

$100,000 - 7 years
$200,000 - 9 years
$300,000 - 14 years
$400,000 - 15 years
$500,000 - 18 years
$600,000 - 19 years
$700,000 - 21 years
$800,000 - 22 years
$900,000 - 22.5 years
$1,000,000 - 23 years!

I have been stuck at or close to a million since December 2021 - hopefully the market will start going up soon!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm at $1.06 million, 25 years in. I work for Congress, so a slightly lower salary structure than people on the GSA schedule. I maxed out at about $160,000 in 2019 and have been at that salary for a few years now.

For most of my time, I did not contribute even 10% - I contributed enough to hit the 5% match, but not much more than that. Then about five years ago I finally started maxing at 10%.

I've been through a lot of ups and downs in the stock market - you hit a milestone, and can stay there for a while before a big leap.

Hit the following milestones:

$100,000 - 7 years
$200,000 - 9 years
$300,000 - 14 years
$400,000 - 15 years
$500,000 - 18 years
$600,000 - 19 years
$700,000 - 21 years
$800,000 - 22 years
$900,000 - 22.5 years
$1,000,000 - 23 years!

I have been stuck at or close to a million since December 2021 - hopefully the market will start going up soon!

Good job. We are all stuck since dec 2021.

[Anonymous]

I'm 47 and have been a federal employee for 9.5 years only, I have $278K in TSP; but I also have $350,000 in IRA from previous jobs. I have been putting full contributions to TSP for the last 4 years or so, all in S and C section( stocks).

[Anonymous]

45 years old, 19 years of federal service and I currently have $650k in my tsp. I’d love to retire at my MRA which is 57 but I don’t think I’ll have enough to be comfortable until I’m 62, and I want that FERS bump.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have almost $1m. 46, started at 23, always got at least the match; probably maxing it out did the past 15-18 years.

This is almost me exactly but I started at age 26 (GS-7) and have about $900k now.

[Anonymous]

age and TSP balance
25 $0
30 $35,500
35 $94,000
40 $206,000
45 $503,000
50 $883,000
54 $1,250,000 (current)

I really want to retire at MRA because I'm tired. I'm not sure I'll make it to 62.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm at $1.06 million, 25 years in. I work for Congress, so a slightly lower salary structure than people on the GSA schedule. I maxed out at about $160,000 in 2019 and have been at that salary for a few years now.

For most of my time, I did not contribute even 10% - I contributed enough to hit the 5% match, but not much more than that. Then about five years ago I finally started maxing at 10%.

I've been through a lot of ups and downs in the stock market - you hit a milestone, and can stay there for a while before a big leap.

Hit the following milestones:

$100,000 - 7 years
$200,000 - 9 years
$300,000 - 14 years
$400,000 - 15 years
$500,000 - 18 years
$600,000 - 19 years
$700,000 - 21 years
$800,000 - 22 years
$900,000 - 22.5 years
$1,000,000 - 23 years!

I have been stuck at or close to a million since December 2021 - hopefully the market will start going up soon!

Good job. We are all stuck since dec 2021.

Impressive. What's your distribution mostly? C?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm at $1.06 million, 25 years in. I work for Congress, so a slightly lower salary structure than people on the GSA schedule. I maxed out at about $160,000 in 2019 and have been at that salary for a few years now.

For most of my time, I did not contribute even 10% - I contributed enough to hit the 5% match, but not much more than that. Then about five years ago I finally started maxing at 10%.

I've been through a lot of ups and downs in the stock market - you hit a milestone, and can stay there for a while before a big leap.

Hit the following milestones:

$100,000 - 7 years
$200,000 - 9 years
$300,000 - 14 years
$400,000 - 15 years
$500,000 - 18 years
$600,000 - 19 years
$700,000 - 21 years
$800,000 - 22 years
$900,000 - 22.5 years
$1,000,000 - 23 years!

I have been stuck at or close to a million since December 2021 - hopefully the market will start going up soon!

Good job. We are all stuck since dec 2021.

Impressive. What's your distribution mostly? C?

I'm in L2030 - I turn 62 in 2030, so that seems like a good time to retire!

There is a nagging part of me that thinks that maybe that is too conservative given that I have a pension too, but it feels like it is too late to make a big change in plan allocation now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm at $1.06 million, 25 years in. I work for Congress, so a slightly lower salary structure than people on the GSA schedule. I maxed out at about $160,000 in 2019 and have been at that salary for a few years now.

For most of my time, I did not contribute even 10% - I contributed enough to hit the 5% match, but not much more than that. Then about five years ago I finally started maxing at 10%.

I've been through a lot of ups and downs in the stock market - you hit a milestone, and can stay there for a while before a big leap.

Hit the following milestones:

$100,000 - 7 years
$200,000 - 9 years
$300,000 - 14 years
$400,000 - 15 years
$500,000 - 18 years
$600,000 - 19 years
$700,000 - 21 years
$800,000 - 22 years
$900,000 - 22.5 years
$1,000,000 - 23 years!

I have been stuck at or close to a million since December 2021 - hopefully the market will start going up soon!

Good job. We are all stuck since dec 2021.

Impressive. What's your distribution mostly? C?

I'm in L2030 - I turn 62 in 2030, so that seems like a good time to retire!

There is a nagging part of me that thinks that maybe that is too conservative given that I have a pension too, but it feels like it is too late to make a big change in plan allocation now.

It’s not too late!

[Anonymous]

Time in the market.

I started in the Fed as a GS-7 in 1988, making $19K a year. I immediately put the max in the TSP. I worked for the government for 14 years - resigning in 2002. When I resigned, I had $98,000 in the TSP. I kept the money in the TSP until 2016 when I finally transferred it into an IRA. In 2016, it was worth $250,000. Today, it is worth $500,000. I have not put a single dime into the account since 2002.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Time in the market.

I started in the Fed as a GS-7 in 1988, making $19K a year. I immediately put the max in the TSP. I worked for the government for 14 years - resigning in 2002. When I resigned, I had $98,000 in the TSP. I kept the money in the TSP until 2016 when I finally transferred it into an IRA. In 2016, it was worth $250,000. Today, it is worth $500,000. I have not put a single dime into the account since 2002.

So you contributed over $7,300 to retirement on a gross salary of 19k? How did you live off of less than 10k per year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Time in the market.

I started in the Fed as a GS-7 in 1988, making $19K a year. I immediately put the max in the TSP. I worked for the government for 14 years - resigning in 2002. When I resigned, I had $98,000 in the TSP. I kept the money in the TSP until 2016 when I finally transferred it into an IRA. In 2016, it was worth $250,000. Today, it is worth $500,000. I have not put a single dime into the account since 2002.

If you contributed the TSP max for 14 years (from 1988-2001) that’s over 125,500 dollars of total contributions…so somehow you ended up not only making 0 profit but actually losing $27,500 during that timeframe? Not exactly an advertisement for “time in market” (or accurate accounting)