Page 100 - The Informed Fed--Hearn (edited 10.29.20)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

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Long-Term Advantages of the

Roth TSP and Roth IRA

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According to the ICI, during 2015, 85% of newly opened traditional
IRAs were funded entirely through rollovers from qualified retirement
plans such as a 401(k) retirement plan and the traditional TSP. On the
other hand, only 15% of newly opened Roth IRAs were a result of
rollovers from a Roth 401(k) retirement plan or the Roth TSP. Since
2006, when transfers from 401(k) plans to Roth IRAs were first
permitted, only 6.9% of 401(k) retirement plan owners (including
traditional TSP owners) had made transfers into their Roth IRAs. Note
that a transfer from a traditional 401(k) or the traditional TSP to a Roth
(“rollover”) IRA is considered a taxable event in which the Roth IRA
owner must pay tax on the entire traditional retirement funds being
transferred.
Perhaps the one important reason that many traditional qualified
retirement plans and traditional TSP owners are not performing Roth
IRA transfers is because of the immediate tax liability. Also, the
foregoing of “upfront” tax savings perhaps explains why many federal
employees are not contributing to the Roth TSP. However, the potential
tax-free distributions from the Roth TSP and from a Roth IRA
throughout retirement will, for most employees and annuitants, offset

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