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TSP to Gold IRA
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TSP to Gold IRA: How a Thrift Savings Plan Rollover Works

Not affiliated with the Thrift Savings Plan, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB), or any federal agency.

By Jan Wirum, editor · Updated

Yes, if you've separated from federal service or you're 59½ or older. You request a direct rollover in My Account, the TSP pays a self-directed IRA custodian, and that IRA buys the metal. Traditional money sent this way to a traditional IRA has nothing withheld and isn't taxed in the year of the move.

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Can I roll over?

Three questions. Your answers stay in this page; nothing is sent anywhere.

1 Have you left federal service?
2 Are you 59½ or older?
3 Which TSP money would you move?
The short rule
  • Left federal service: yes, at any age, once your agency has reported your separation.
  • Still working and 59½ or older: yes, with an age-59½ in-service withdrawal.
  • Still working and under 59½: generally no.

From tsp.gov and irs.gov, checked October 30, 2026. Court orders, account holds and a rehire within 31 days can change the answer.

Companies that handle the IRA side

The TSP doesn't sell metal. Your rollover goes to a self-directed IRA custodian, and a dealer sells the coins or bars that IRA buys; these companies arrange both halves. Goldco's FAQ names the TSP among the accounts it funds gold IRAs from.

Gold IRA companies that take rollovers, by minimum. The fees are custodian and depository charges, not the dealer's, and they depend on which custodian holds the account. Dealer markups are extra and mostly unpublished.
CompanyIRA minimumIRA fees, and whose they areFree guideNext step
GoldcoPaid partnerOur first pick for TSP rollovers of $25,000 or more $25,000 Setup $50 and admin $125 a year (custodian fees, per Goldco's cost page). Storage $110 non-segregated or $160 segregated a year is Equity Trust's schedule, so it applies if Equity Trust is your custodian; Goldco's page shows older, lower figures. Free Gold & Silver Kit / Ultimate Guide to Gold & Silver Request Goldco's free Gold & Silver Kit
Augusta Precious MetalsPaid partner $50,000 minimum Setup $50, admin $125 (Equity Trust's fees) and storage $110 a year, per Augusta's cost article; storage type not stated, segregated rate not published. Qualifying accounts may receive up to ten years of eligible fees paid by Augusta. (Who qualifies isn't published.) Free Gold & Silver IRA Info Kit (2026 Gold IRA Guide, 4 guides) Get Augusta's free Gold IRA guide ($50k minimum)
Birch Gold Group $5,000 An Equity Trust example on Birch's prices page, which says these aren't Birch's own fees: setup $50, custodial $125 and storage $110 a year (type not stated). Segregated storage isn't on Birch's page; Equity Trust's schedule lists $160. Birch covers first year's fees for accounts over $50,000. Free 24-page 2026 Gold IRA Info Kit For information only
American Hartford Gold $10,000 Setup and admin not published. Storage $110 pooled or $160 segregated a year, from its investment guide. Free 2027 Gold & Silver Information Guide For information only
Noble Gold Investments $20,000 Setup $80, admin $125 a year, storage $150 a year, segregated only (Noble's own pages give two storage figures; ask which applies). Free Gold IRA Kit For information only

Goldco is first because its $25,000 minimum fits a typical partial TSP rollover, it publishes a flat fee schedule, and it pays us when you request its kit, as does Augusta (how that affects this list). For the complaint record and the TCPA settlement that sit behind those fees, read the Goldco review on Gold IRA Companies Ranked.

The rollover, step by step

Seven steps, in order: what you do, what you need and how long it usually takes, with times as tsp.gov and the companies state them.

  1. Step 1: Confirm you can take money out

    What you do
    Work out which door is open: a post-separation distribution if you have left federal service, or an age-59½ in-service withdrawal if you are still working. The checker above sorts this out.
    What you need
    Your My Account log-in. If you have just left, your agency must have reported your separation date to the TSP before you can start.
    Typical time
    Same day if you are 59½ or older and still working. After you leave, tsp.gov says an agency can take up to 30 days to report the date.

  2. Step 2: Decide how much, and from which balance

    What you do
    Pick a dollar amount or the whole account, and whether it comes from traditional money, Roth money or both. Nothing forces you to move everything: a partial distribution only has to be at least $1,000.
    What you need
    Your traditional and Roth balances, shown separately in My Account. To stay open after you leave, the TSP account needs a vested balance of $200 or more.
    Typical time
    Your call. Take the time: once the TSP has paid out, it cannot reverse the payment.

  3. Step 3: Choose the company and open the self-directed IRA

    What you do
    Choose a dealer and the custodian it works with, then open the self-directed IRA. Roth TSP money can only go to a Roth IRA. Traditional money normally goes to a traditional IRA; it can go to a Roth IRA instead, but is then taxed that year as a conversion.
    What you need
    The company's minimum (Goldco $25,000, Augusta $50,000), photo ID and beneficiary details. Ask for the custodian's fee schedule: Equity Trust's precious-metals schedule, which several dealers use, is $50 to open and $125 a year, plus storage.
    Typical time
    Set by the custodian. The TSP has nothing to do with this step, so ask the custodian for its own estimate.

  4. Step 4: Get the custodian's rollover details

    What you do
    Ask the custodian what to enter: payee name, account number, mailing address, and a yes that it accepts TSP money (and Roth money, if any).
    What you need
    No paper: the TSP won't accept other institutions' rollover forms, so the details go into your online request. A custodian with questions about the plan can read the TSP fact sheet TSPFS5.
    Typical time
    Usually one call or email.

  5. Step 5: Request a direct rollover in My Account

    What you do
    Start the withdrawal or distribution, choose to roll it over, and enter the custodian's details. Before you submit, check that nothing is being withheld from the part you are rolling over.
    What you need
    Married under FERS: your spouse's notarized consent (partial or in-service withdrawal) or annuity waiver (total distribution). Under CSRS the TSP notifies your spouse instead.
    Typical time
    The TSP processes requests every business day. Entered before noon eastern time, a request is processed that night; after noon, the next business night. You can change or cancel it until noon on that day.

  6. Step 6: The TSP pays the custodian

    What you do
    Watch the status in My Account. The TSP pays rollovers by U.S. Treasury check to the receiving IRA.
    What you need
    The confirmation of payment, which says whether the payment was eligible for rollover. The TSP reports every payment to the IRS on Form 1099-R, and the rollover goes on your return.
    Typical time
    Mail time plus the custodian's processing. The TSP doesn't publish a figure; the custodian can estimate when it will post the money.

  7. Step 7: Buy the metal and check the first statement

    What you do
    With the money in the IRA, agree products and prices with the dealer, who ships to the depository. Check products, quantities and storage type on the first statement.
    What you need
    Each product's price and markup, in writing, before you agree. The metal must meet IRS fineness rules and be held by a bank or approved trustee, not at home.
    Typical time
    Goldco's terms: "Ships 5-14 business days after good funds; may ship up to 45 business days after receipt of good funds."

Forms: there isn't one to print

Older guides tell you to download a withdrawal form and mail it in. That's out of date: tsp.gov's Forms and resources page says "You don't need to complete a paper withdrawal form." The request, rollover instructions included, is made in My Account. The Distributions booklet adds that the TSP won't use forms provided by the new plan or financial institution, so a custodian's transfer form has no part in it.

What tsp.gov lists for taking money out

From tsp.gov's Forms and resources page, checked October 30, 2026.

Every document tsp.gov lists, and what your custodian will ask for.

Taxes and penalties

The tax result depends on two choices: whether the TSP pays the IRA custodian or pays you, and whether the money is traditional or Roth. The TSP's booklet Tax Rules about TSP Payments sets out each case.

Traditional TSP money, from TSPBK26 (October 2026) and irs.gov
Direct rollover to a traditional IRAPaid to you, then rolled over (indirect)
Withheld toward your federal income taxNothing20%
Taxed in the year of the moveNoAny part not back in an IRA within 60 days
10% early withdrawal taxNoPossible on the part not rolled over, if under 59½
Your deadlineNone60 days from receiving the payment

Why the indirect route costs you cash. The TSP's own example: on a $10,000 distribution paid to you, it withholds $2,000 and you receive $8,000. To roll over the full $10,000, you have to add $2,000 from savings within 60 days. The withheld $2,000 isn't a fee, and it isn't automatically refunded either: it reaches the IRS as a tax payment in your name, and the IRS's own example has the taxpayer report it as taxes paid. Whether any of it comes back depends on the total tax on the return. The IRS can waive the 60-day deadline in some situations outside your control, but it is not something to plan around.

Traditional into a Roth IRA is a conversion. The TSP allows it, but the whole amount is taxable that year and nothing is withheld, so estimated tax may be due. Roth TSP money can only go to a Roth IRA (the Roth worksheet).

The age-55 trap. Payments from the TSP after you separate in or after the year you turn 55 escape the 10% early withdrawal tax (50, or 25 years of service, for public safety employees). The IRS table of exceptions shows this one applies to plans, not IRAs. Once money sits in an IRA, taking it out before 59½ generally brings the 10% tax back. For anyone who may need cash before 59½, that belongs in a conversation with a tax professional before the amount is settled.

Required minimum distributions. RMDs from traditional TSP money start at 73 if you were born before 1960 and 75 if you were born in 1960 or later, once you've left service. An RMD can't be rolled over: in a year you're subject to one, the TSP pays the RMD to you first and only lets you roll over the rest. A traditional gold IRA has RMDs too, and metal pays no cash. The IRS lets an owner of several traditional IRAs take their combined RMD from any one or more of them (RMD FAQ, question 5), so another traditional IRA can cover the gold IRA's share; a gold IRA on its own pays by selling metal or distributing coins.

The TSP doesn't withhold state income tax but does report every payment to your state. Rules change and every return is different, so talk to a tax professional before you move money. More detail on the taxes and penalties page.

What holding metal in an IRA costs, next to the TSP

The TSP is cheap to hold. Its 2025 total expense ratio for the C Fund was 0.035%, which tsp.gov translates as 35 cents a year for every $1,000 invested. On $25,000 that is about $8.75 a year.

A gold IRA charges flat dollar fees instead. On Equity Trust's current schedule, $125 a year to administer the account plus $110 for pooled storage comes to $235 a year after a $50 setup fee. On $25,000 that is about 0.94% a year, less on a larger balance. On top comes the dealer's markup, which most dealers don't publish. American Hartford Gold is the one in our data that does: 1.00%-19.99% on bullion and up to up to 59.99% on certain collector coins.

Neither number says what the metal or the funds will do. For the dealer's own figures, Gold IRA Companies Ranked breaks down Goldco's fees, line by line; our TSP vs gold IRA comparison puts the two structures side by side.

Who this suits, and who it tends not to

It tends to fit someone who has separated or is past 59½, holds well above the dealer's minimum, wants part of their retirement money in physical metal, and won't need that part as cash for years.

It tends not to fit a small amount, anyone who separated at 55 or later and may need the money before 59½, or anyone who wants income: metal pays none. And the SEC and NASAA investor alert on self-directed IRAs says their custodians generally don't evaluate what you buy. The longer version.

Moving a 401(k) or 403(b) from a later job too? The steps are the same, and there is a gold IRA rollover walkthrough for employer plans on Gold IRA Companies Ranked.

Verdict

If you have left federal service or you're 59½ or older, moving part of your TSP into a gold IRA is a short, mostly online job: one request in My Account, no TSP paper form, and, for traditional money paid straight to a traditional IRA, nothing withheld and no tax in the year of the move. A check paid to you instead brings the 20% withholding and a 60-day clock. And whatever leaves the TSP leaves the age-55 exception behind, which is worth a word with a tax professional if you separated at 55 or later.

For a first conversation we would start with Goldco. Its FAQ names the TSP among the accounts it funds gold IRAs from, its fees are flat amounts, and its $25,000 minimum fits most partial rollovers. The kit is free; a representative usually calls afterwards. If you're moving $50,000 or more, ask Augusta for its guide as well and compare the two in writing. Both pay us when you ask. Neither will tell you what metal prices will do, and neither should.

For a longer TSP to gold IRA rollover guide with each dealer's complaint and court record, see goldiracompaniesranked.com.

Paid partner

Request Goldco's free Gold & Silver Kit

A representative usually calls after you request it.

Paid partner

Get Augusta's free Gold IRA guide ($50k minimum)

Only if you're moving $50,000 or more: that's Augusta's published minimum.

Worth asking a dealer about

  • The price and markup of each product, in writing, before agreeing to anything.
  • Which custodian holds the IRA, its fee schedule, and the storage type: pooled or segregated.
  • How and at what price the company buys metal back.
  • Whether you feel rushed. The CFTC's precious-metals fraud advisory lists a false sense of urgency among its warning signs.

Paid partner

Request Goldco's free Gold & Silver Kit

A representative usually calls after you request it.

Questions

Can I roll my TSP into a gold IRA while I'm still working?

Only from age 59½, with an age-59½ in-service withdrawal. You can take up to 4 a calendar year, each at least $1,000 or your whole vested balance. Under 59½ the only in-service option is a financial hardship withdrawal, and the TSP's tax booklet lists those as not eligible for rollover.

Will I owe tax on a TSP to gold IRA rollover?

Not in the year of the move on traditional money that goes by direct rollover into a traditional IRA: the TSP withholds nothing, and the money is taxed when it later comes out of the IRA (TSP booklet TSPBK26, IRS Publication 721). Traditional money rolled into a Roth IRA is taxable that year, direct or not. If the TSP pays you instead, it must withhold 20% of the taxable amount, a prepayment toward your tax rather than the tax itself. A tax professional can say what this means for your return.

Can Roth TSP money go into a gold IRA?

Yes, but only into a Roth IRA (or a Roth account in an employer plan), so you would open a Roth gold IRA. The 5-year clock for tax-free Roth earnings does not carry over from the TSP. Roth TSP rules.

How long does a TSP to gold IRA rollover take?

The TSP processes requests every business day; before noon eastern time means that night. If you have just left, your agency may first take up to 30 days to report your separation. Then come mail time, the custodian and the dealer. Goldco's terms: "Ships 5-14 business days after good funds; may ship up to 45 business days after receipt of good funds."

How much do I need to move?

The TSP's floor is $1,000 per partial distribution. The dealers' floors are higher: Goldco $25,000, Augusta $50,000, Birch Gold Group $5,000, American Hartford Gold $10,000 and Noble Gold $20,000. Flat yearly fees weigh more on a small account.

Do I have to move my whole TSP?

No. A partial distribution leaves the rest invested in the TSP, and after you leave service the account stays open while your vested balance is $200 or more. A total distribution closes it.

Can I keep the gold at home?

No. Under IRC 408(m), bullion escapes the "collectible" rules only if a bank or approved non-bank trustee physically holds it. Otherwise the IRS treats its cost as a taxable distribution, possibly with the 10% additional tax before 59½.

Sources

  1. TSP: Forms and resources checked October 30, 2026
  2. TSP: Taking money from your account checked October 30, 2026
  3. TSP: In-service withdrawals checked October 30, 2026
  4. TSP: Withdrawals in retirement checked October 30, 2026
  5. TSP booklet: Distributions (TSPBK25, 9/2026) checked October 30, 2026
  6. TSP booklet: In-Service Withdrawals (TSPBK12, 5/2024) checked October 30, 2026
  7. TSP booklet: Tax Rules about TSP Payments (TSPBK26, 10/2026) checked October 30, 2026
  8. TSP fact sheet: Rollovers from the Thrift Savings Plan to Eligible Retirement Plans (TSPFS5, 11/2023) checked October 30, 2026
  9. TSP: Expenses and fees checked October 30, 2026
  10. IRS: Rollovers of retirement plan and IRA distributions checked October 30, 2026
  11. IRS Publication 721: Tax Guide to U.S. Civil Service Retirement Benefits (TSP withholding, Roth TSP, direct rollovers) checked October 30, 2026
  12. IRS Topic no. 413: Rollovers from retirement plans checked October 30, 2026
  13. IRS: FAQs on waivers of the 60-day rollover requirement checked October 30, 2026
  14. IRS: Exceptions to tax on early distributions checked October 30, 2026
  15. IRS: Required minimum distributions (RMDs) checked October 30, 2026
  16. IRS: Retirement plan and IRA required minimum distributions FAQs (Q5, taking the RMD from one IRA) checked October 30, 2026
  17. IRS: Investments in collectibles (IRC 408(m)) checked October 30, 2026
  18. IRS: About Form 1099-R checked October 30, 2026
  19. Goldco: Gold IRA FAQs (lists the TSP among accounts a gold IRA can be funded from) checked October 30, 2026
  20. Goldco: How much does a gold IRA cost? checked October 29, 2026
  21. Goldco: Terms and conditions (shipping) checked October 29, 2026
  22. Goldco: home page (Gold & Silver Kit) checked October 29, 2026
  23. Augusta Precious Metals: FAQ (minimum) checked October 29, 2026
  24. Augusta Precious Metals: What a gold IRA costs each year checked October 29, 2026
  25. Augusta Precious Metals: Gold IRA kit checked October 29, 2026
  26. Birch Gold Group: FAQs checked October 29, 2026
  27. Birch Gold Group: Prices checked October 29, 2026
  28. American Hartford Gold: Gold IRA FAQs checked October 29, 2026
  29. American Hartford Gold: Investment guide (PDF) checked October 29, 2026
  30. American Hartford Gold: Shipping and Transaction Agreement (PDF) checked October 29, 2026
  31. Noble Gold Investments: Gold IRA checked October 29, 2026
  32. Noble Gold Investments: Support FAQ checked October 29, 2026
  33. Equity Trust: Fee FAQs (precious-metals IRA schedule) checked October 29, 2026
  34. SEC and NASAA Investor Alert: Self-Directed IRAs and the Risk of Fraud (PDF) checked October 30, 2026
  35. CFTC Fraud Advisory: Precious Metals Fraud checked October 30, 2026

Facts checked . Company fees, minimums and kits are from our verified company record, checked ; confirm them with the company in writing before you act.