New TSP Website deleted my Contingent Beneficiary

[InvestDogg]

One of the first things that I checked upon my first Login to the new TSP Website was my Beneficiaries. The Primary (my wife) was still listed, but my Contingent Beneficiary (Living Trust) was gone. So, I attempted to click on the Contact Us Button but all I get is a spinning icon. I called the phone number but every time it rings, then, immediately it hangs up with a busy signal. This is pure BS! whoever was in charge of this should be fired! This isn't some irrelevant data website that we are talking about here. This is a huge part of our Life's savings and our beneficiaries as well. I bet that when I finally get through to somebody at TSP they are going to try and tell me to re-submit my Contingent Beneficiary paperwork. Wrong answer. They need to fix their crappy new TSP Software. I'm very frustrated with this.

 

[Bullitt]

You must have filled out at TSP-3 form some time in your life if you have a living trust so beneficiaries can't be changed unless you authorize it.

There might be a problem with beneficiaries on the new site. I keep getting a notification to adjust my beneficiaries despite there being no need. I don't have a special situation that would require the default distribution order to change.

 

[InvestDogg]

Yes, I submitted the TSP-3 Form after we established our Living Trust. Everything was all set and my TSP was updated to reflect the Living Trust as the Contingent Beneficiary. Good thing that I checked the Beneficiaries Designation after the New TSP Website went active. My wife's TSP is setup the same way. She has been on a cross-country trip while this all occurred and therefore hasn't created her new Login. Hopefully, when she gets home and creates her new Login, her Beneficiaries designation will be correct / unchanged. I guess we'll see. I'm still unable to reach anyone at TSP. I was able to upload a saved copy of my Beneficiaries Designation using the "Upload Documents" feature, hoping that somebody at TSP will respond / contact me. But, since I can't add any comments to that uploaded document, they are probably just scratching their heads (or other body parts) at TSP.

 

[Iggypop]

My two designations of beneficiary were wiped out also in the system conversion. They were in effect for years. Used the TSP form. Had it witnessed. TSP accepted it. And they just wipe it out without even an individual warning to me. Several others have told me same happened to them. This is truly unbelievable. Invalidating a legally executed and accepted form designed by TSP and not providing a way for me to reinstate it.

Tried to reinstate it. Got first beneficiary in. Tried to add the second one. Typed all data in. Triple checked it. Hit continue but it won’t accept it. No error message on my data entry. Had to abandon after multiple tries. Called cust service number. Estimated 2 hour wait. Hung up.

Anyone have similar issue getting it to accept second beneficiary? Anyone know a workaround?

 

[Smoke]

Tried to reinstate it. Got first beneficiary in. Tried to add the second one. Typed all data in. Triple checked it. Hit continue but it won’t accept it. No error message on my data entry. Had to abandon after multiple tries. Called cust service number. Estimated 2 hour wait. Hung up.

Anyone have similar issue getting it to accept second beneficiary? Anyone know a workaround?

M

My beneficiary does not show up either. Rather than it having been deleted, I think it is more likely that it has NOT YET been carried forward into the new system (like many other aspects of our old site TSP accounts). Adding and deleting beneficiaries requires more verification than a few clicks.

 

[InvestDogg]

So, I finally got through to a TSP Rep a couple days ago. I Explained my situation to the TSP Rep who confirmed my Contingent Beneficiary was not listed. Rep then suggested that I re-submit a new TSP Form 3 online. I said no, and informed the Rep that we can't assign a Contingent Beneficiary Online. It has to be submitted manually on the paper form and routed through the mail. In my case it gets routed through my Family Law Office. And, I shouldn't have to resubmit a TSP Form 3 because I already had my Contingent Beneficiary established with TSP and that it's TSP's fault that their New System didn't carry forward this important data. I then requested that this be up channeled to a Supervisor. The Rep told me that she would do that. I asked the Rep for a Case Number, which she did provide to me. I asked how will I know if any action is taken on my case i.e. will somebody call me, email, secure message etc. The Rep told me that I would have to periodically log into my account and check for messages. So, that's where I am with my situation. If I can't get a resolution in a reasonable amount of time, I will reach out to my elected officials. This situation is totally unacceptable and and could've / should have been avoided with proper planning and testing prior to system implementation. For those of you that feel that your beneficiary designation will be carried forward eventually. I think that you are in error with that assessment. If you log into TSP and read the TSP "Welcome To The New My Account!" Publication, and scroll down to the Confirm Your Beneficiary section. It reads:

1. For a small number of participants, we did not transfer beneficiary information to our new system because it did not meet certain data quality standards. We encourage all participants to review and confirm beneficiary information.

 

[nasa1974]

So, I finally got through to a TSP Rep a couple days ago. I Explained my situation to the TSP Rep who confirmed my Contingent Beneficiary was not listed. Rep then suggested that I re-submit a new TSP Form 3 online. I said no, and informed the Rep that we can't assign a Contingent Beneficiary Online. It has to be submitted manually on the paper form and routed through the mail. In my case it gets routed through my Family Law Office. And, I shouldn't have to resubmit a TSP Form 3 because I already had my Contingent Beneficiary established with TSP and that it's TSP's fault that their New System didn't carry forward this important data. I then requested that this be up channeled to a Supervisor. The Rep told me that she would do that. I asked the Rep for a Case Number, which she did provide to me. I asked how will I know if any action is taken on my case i.e. will somebody call me, email, secure message etc. The Rep told me that I would have to periodically log into my account and check for messages. So, that's where I am with my situation. If I can't get a resolution in a reasonable amount of time, I will reach out to my elected officials. This situation is totally unacceptable and and could've / should have been avoided with proper planning and testing prior to system implementation. For those of you that feel that your beneficiary designation will be carried forward eventually. I think that you are in error with that assessment. If you log into TSP and read the TSP "Welcome To The New My Account!" Publication, and scroll down to the Confirm Your Beneficiary section. It reads:

1. For a small number of participants, we did not transfer beneficiary information to our new system because it did not meet certain data quality standards. We encourage all participants to review and confirm beneficiary information.

Just by chance do you or your lawyer have a copy of your TSP form? It's definitely not the right way to ensure that everyone's information carries over. Resubmitting your form may be the only way you will be able to resolve the SNAFU.

 

[Bullitt]

If you have a certified copy of the TSP-3 form in your digital file, how can your beneficiaries be deleted? I would be willing to bet they have not been deleted and that it's just a matter of things still being transferred over to the new site.

Having a living trust is uncommon for most TSP participants. Have you tried the TSP-3 Wizard that looks to have taken the place of the PDF form? Looks pretty easy to me.

 

[InvestDogg]

So, my problem is still unresolved. Nobody at TSP is taking any action on my Case. In fact, my wife just created her new Username and PW and checked her beneficiary designation. Not only is the Trust account not listed as her contingent beneficiary, but I am no longer her Primary Beneficiary, nor, am I her spouse (it reads: you do not have a spouse.) WTF! So, she gets on the phone and talks to a Rep who says that they are having problems with the new TSP Site (no ****!) but she could help add me back as the Primary. That sounded good until the Rep said that she needed the email address of the person that would be signing as the witness for adding me back as the Primary Beneficiary. WTF! This new TSP is a disaster!

 

[Skorcher]

TSP also deleted my contingent beneficiaries. Fortunately my spouse is still listed as the primary beneficiary. I tried to add the contingent beneficiaries online, but all I can do is add additional primary beneficiaries. This new system sucks if I have to complete a new TSP-3, notarize it and mail it in.

 

[Geaux4it]

TSP also deleted my contingent beneficiaries. Fortunately my spouse is still listed as the primary beneficiary. I tried to add the contingent beneficiaries online, but all I can do is add additional primary beneficiaries. This new system sucks if I have to complete a new TSP-3, notarize it and mail it in.

I went through the same thing. Having to involve a witness really added torque to the matter. I think what it all means is somebody screwed up. And, my original beneficiary was completed hard copy years ago. I'm sure it was digitized at TSP but why it didn't cross over remains to be answered.

Where are the requirement documents? I want to see what someone planned (*required) the system to look like compared to what we have.

I'm retired but oh boy, would I have called a meeting lol......

 

[InvestDogg]

I just got this email from TSP. I filed it with my Trust Package and sent a copy to my Family Law firm. They said that they would file a copy of the email with my Trust as well.

Dear Participant:​

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You’re receiving this notice because we are unable to display some or all of your contingent (secondary) beneficiary information in the My Account section of the TSP website. We want to reassure you that we still have any Designation of Beneficiary forms that you submitted in the past, and those designations are still valid. If you need a copy of your form, you can request one by calling the ThriftLine.
Be aware that beneficiary designation rules changed on June 1, 2022. If you make any changes to your beneficiary information, your beneficiary designation will be subject to the new rules. Under the new rules, contingent beneficiaries can no longer be linked to primary beneficiaries, and contingent beneficiaries only receive payment if all primary beneficiaries are deceased.
However, if you choose not to update your beneficiary information, then we’ll distribute your TSP account according to the rules in place when you submitted your Designation of Beneficiary form. This means that any contingent beneficiaries linked to primary beneficiaries prior to June 1, 2022, will receive payment if the primary beneficiary is deceased, regardless of whether there are other living primary beneficiaries.
If you need to make changes to your beneficiary information, the easiest way to submit a new beneficiary designation is through My Account. If you haven’t logged in to My Account since June 1, 2022, you’ll need to complete a one-time process to set up a new login on tsp.gov or by using our new TSP Mobile App. You can submit your beneficiary designation entirely online; forms are no longer necessary.
You can learn more about designating beneficiaries on our website.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We’re sorry for any concern or inconvenience this may have caused you.
Sincerely,
Your TSP