Thrift Savings Plan
2011 Enrollment Information

Elections for 2010 begin: December 15, 2010 (3:30 p.m. CT)
Elections for 2011 end: December 14, 2011 (3:00 p.m. CT)

TSP Contribution Limits

n The TSP contribution limit for 2011 (based on the 2011 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) annual deferral limit) remains the same at $16,500.

Note: If you are a Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) employee, you may lose agency match­ing contributions if your employee contributions reach the maximum IRS limit before the last pay period in the calendar year. To evenly distribute the IRS maximum contribution over all 26 pay periods, elect to con­tribute $635 per pay period ($16,500 divided by 26).

n The TSP 50+ catch-up limit for 2011 (based on the 2011 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) annual deferral limit) remains the same at $5,500.

Note: To participate you must be age 50 or older during calendar year 2011 and must self-certify that by the end of the calendar year you will have contributed the IRS annual deferral limit, $16,500, through reg­ular contributions to the TSP and/or to other plans subject to the elective deferral limit.

n You can begin contributing, change your contribution amount or percentage, or cancel TSP contributions at any time.

Who Can Participate

All career employees are eligible to contribute to the TSP.

How to Enroll and Make Contribution Elections or Cancellations

For regular TSP contributions, if you are already contributing to TSP, your contributions will automatically continue. If you would like your regular TSP contributions to continue without a change for 2011, do nothing, as they will automatically continue.

For TSP 50+ catch-up contributions, your contributions will automatically end in Pay Period (PP) 26-10 and you will need to make a new election if you want to make TSP 50+ catch-up contributions in 2011.

For your elections to be effective during the first pay period of 2011 (PP 01-11), you should make your election using PostalEASE between Wednesday, December 15, 2010, at 3:30 p.m. Central Time (CT) and Wednesday, December 29, 2010, at 3:00 p.m. CT.

To use the Employee Web — the easiest way to use PostalEASE — access the system in any of these ways:

n On Lite Blue at https://liteblue.usps.gov. Under “My HR,” select Find Employee Apps and then PostalEASE.

n At an employee self-service kiosk, select PostalEASE.

n On Blue at http://blue.usps.gov. Under “Essential Links,” select PostalEASE.

To use the telephone, call the Employee Service Line toll-free at 877-477-3273 and select option 1 for PostalEASE.

If you have a medical condition that interferes or for another reason cannot successfully complete your transaction using PostalEASE, contact the HR Shared Services Center (HRSSC) at 877-477-3273, option 5, for assistance.

Please Post on All Bulletin Boards Through December 15, 2011.

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