Retired end of June 2017 @ age 47 with 28 years of service (including 4 years of active duty) partial withdrawal $240K and transferred to IRA and Roth IRA on 8/31/2017 left $100k ($100,875) in TSP. As of today my Tsp balance is $118,327 (so far 98% match with my Autotracker since two times I was in or out either a day later or earlier than my real account).
I invested only 5% to get matching during my 24 years of service. Always took a loan for the max available from TSP and continue to take out another loan after paid off the prior one (not recommend to anyone). My IRA and Roth IRA balance are increase more than 64% since September of last year by trading options. If this rate continue hopefully I have a chance to increase my balance to million within 3 years (so far I withdrew over $100k from my IRA for vacation and my two kids college expenses, but at least my younger one will be starting her 3rd year this Fall at the University with expect to withdrawal at least $50k to $100K per year). Very difficult to increase balance faster since I have to wait for 2 days settlement on cash accounts.
This week the signal is bullish on SPX with uncertain, but I have OVER 500 Calls contracts open that including APPL (40 contracts), AMZN (10 contracts or to control 1,000 shares or $2.8M with average between $5 to $6K per contract - very expensive that cost between $2k to over $9k per contract for expiration on 07/27 and 08/31 from $2800 to $2880 will close at least 5 to 8 contract before the earnings - note: this is the 1st time that I use so much money on a single stock normally I use around $2k or $2 per contract for 10 contracts), FB (60 contracts, this is another stock that I break my own rule by using more than 5% of the entire account balance), BAC (10 contracts left are free since I closed 10 contracts for 120% profit), FAST, MA, ADBE, LULU, IDTI, MU, SPX, SPY, XBI, VIX (protection and most of the time August is positive on this one) and more. I'm stay on the sideline for my TSP account since I can't closed out within minute as market direction change as needed like my IRA and Roth IRA.
I used 1% or $1k (sometime up to 2% or $2K) by selling the opposite of what my IFT of TSP fund and earned equivalent to more than $100K that I left in my TSP account. Normally I collect any where from 25% to over 100% profit. the expiration is depend on the time frame I was in the fund (This time I bought VIX instead of credit spread)
Example: If I'm in S fund then I sell puts spread of IWM to collect credit
if C fund then sell SPY
if I fund then sell EFA
if F or G fund then sell call spread of SPY, IWM or EFA depend on the one with the most credit