TSP to Gold IRA Rollover: The Complete Guide for Federal Employees & Military

Why a TSP Can't Hold Gold — And What That Means

The Thrift Savings Plan is the 401(k) equivalent for federal employees and uniformed service members, established under the Federal Employees Retirement System Act of 1986. It's widely regarded as one of the lowest-fee retirement plans in the country — but it only offers five core funds, all tied to stocks, bonds, or government securities. There's no option to hold physical gold, real estate, or other alternative assets directly inside a TSP.

If you want gold exposure with your federal retirement savings, the path is a TSP-to-Gold-IRA rollover: moving funds from your TSP into a self-directed IRA that can hold IRS-approved physical precious metals. Done correctly, the money moves directly from custodian to custodian and is never treated as a taxable distribution.

Who's Eligible to Roll Over

Your eligibility depends entirely on your employment status:

• Separated or retired from federal service: You can do a full rollover of your entire TSP balance at any time.
• Age 59½ or older, still employed: You're generally eligible for an "age-based in-service withdrawal" that lets you roll over funds while still working.
• Active employee under 59½: Full rollovers aren't available, but many federal employees can still do a partial in-service withdrawal of civilian contributions once they've met certain qualifying conditions — worth confirming your specific eligibility with the TSP directly before assuming you're locked out.

The Rollover Process, Step by Step

1. Choose a Gold IRA company and custodian. The company helps coordinate the paperwork; the custodian is the financial institution that actually holds and administers your self-directed IRA.
2. Open your self-directed IRA account. You'll need your Social Security number, beneficiary information, and a government-issued ID. Most custodians open accounts in 1–3 business days.
3. Initiate the transfer through the TSP's online system. The old paper forms (TSP-70 for full withdrawals, TSP-77 for partial) have largely been replaced by the online withdrawal wizard on the TSP's My Account portal. Specify a direct rollover and provide your new custodian's receiving information.
4. Wait for processing. The TSP typically completes transfers in 7–10 business days after submission, though high-volume periods can extend this.
5. Select your IRS-approved metals. Once funds land in your new IRA, you and your dealer select gold, silver, platinum, or palladium products that meet IRS purity requirements (0.995 fineness for gold, with the American Gold Eagle as the sole named exception at 91.67%).

Tax Treatment

A properly executed direct TSP-to-Gold-IRA rollover is not a taxable event. It will be reported on Form 1099-R for informational purposes, but as long as the transfer is coded correctly as a direct rollover, you owe nothing at the time of transfer. Once inside the Gold IRA, the same tax-deferred (traditional) or tax-free (Roth, if applicable) growth rules apply as with any IRA.

Choosing a Company for a TSP Rollover

Not every gold IRA company handles federal-employee rollovers with the same familiarity. Companies that regularly work with TSP transfers tend to have dedicated staff who understand the TSP's specific withdrawal forms and processing timelines, which reduces the odds of a paperwork delay. Among the companies we've reviewed:

If your TSP balance is below these minimums, or you'd rather not roll into an IRA at all, you can still buy physical gold and silver directly with no minimum through a bullion dealer like Silver Gold Bull — you'd lose the IRA's tax advantages, but it removes the minimum-investment barrier entirely.

Frequently Asked Questions