ex-spouse or deceased?

[retired2017]

Hi - This is my first posting. I am retired. My wife recently passed away. She was the primary beneficiary on my TSP account and was required to consent to any withdrawals I made from it. I called the TSP and was told that in order to expedite my ability to withdraw, the TSP agent could simply delete my wife from the account as an "ex-spouse" instead of the longer process of a 'death declaration'. Might that present some legal problems or is it okay to do?

Thanks.

 

[TommyIV]

Hi retired2017,

I agree with your hesitation to expedite the process. The "ex-spouse" route seems like a misrepresentation of your situation. This could expose you to legal issues and damage your credibility.

Did the TSP representative give you the details to the proper legal route?

Notify the TSP Service Office of the death. Once the TSP records the death, update your beneficiary designation and designate new beneficiaries with a Form TSP-3.

 

[nasa1974]

Hi - This is my first posting. I am retired. My wife recently passed away. She was the primary beneficiary on my TSP account and was required to consent to any withdrawals I made from it. I called the TSP and was told that in order to expedite my ability to withdraw, the TSP agent could simply delete my wife from the account as an "ex-spouse" instead of the longer process of a 'death declaration'. Might that present some legal problems or is it okay to do?

Thanks.

Sorry for your loss. When my wife passed in late 2021, I filled out the forms for TSP. It didn't take that long to process. I wouldn't do the ex-spouse route. That could open up a whole lot of s!!t down the line. If you are getting a monthly check from TSP that won't be affected. Just if you want to make any other type of withdrawals.

 

[retired2017]

Thanks for your replies. In fairness, he was ready to detail the proper way, but I guess I made it sound like 'sooner the better'. Only after I hung up with him did I consider the propriety of such a move. So, I will follow you advice. By the way, our son (only child) is the secondary beneficiary. If I designate him as the primary he will not hold the same authority to sign withdrawals that my wife had, true? I think it only applies to spouses...

 

[evilanne]

You are correct. Non-spouse beneficiaries don't have any impact on what you withdraw