The new TSP website is an unmitigated disaster!

[James48843]

Fun fact: I changed my monthly payment amount in April, so that when my FERS supplement ends in August (age62), I will be prepared to live on the same amount of money I had before.

However, I was not expecting $400 more in taxes taken out. That showed up for the first time in the June monthly payment. So I am $400 off a month what I had planned on.

And I can’t change the monthly withdrawal amount right now, as there is no computer system any more to adjust the monthly payment.

And I can’t reach anybody on the thrift line, because the wait is always OVER one hour to reach a human, and my phone battery will die before I get to an agent 95 minutes estimated wait time.

I’m hoping they do something soon to create an on-line monthly withdrawal system. Simply hiring another 600 phone agents won’t really help, you still just a work around to try and lower times, but, as indicated above, at the current pace, it will be over a YEAR to get everyone signed on to the system, let alone the **** they broke fixed.

In my world, you come up with a software, and then you test it with real people for a while, and verify your requirements were met, before you turn something “on” to the general public. This contractor and TSP board obviously did it backwards, and you see the poor result


Sent from my iPhone using TSP Talk Forums

 

[tsptalk]

Never a dull moment. They keep you guessing.

 

[Rcf3]

Fun fact: I changed my monthly payment amount in April, so that when my FERS supplement ends in August (age62), I will be prepared to live on the same amount of money I had before.

However, I was not expecting $400 more in taxes taken out. That showed up for the first time in the June monthly payment. So I am $400 off a month what I had planned on.

And I can’t change the monthly withdrawal amount right now, as there is no computer system any more to adjust the monthly payment.

And I can’t reach anybody on the thrift line, because the wait is always OVER one hour to reach a human, and my phone battery will die before I get to an agent 95 minutes estimated wait time.

I’m hoping they do something soon to create an on-line monthly withdrawal system. Simply hiring another 600 phone agents won’t really help, you still just a work around to try and lower times, but, as indicated above, at the current pace, it will be over a YEAR to get everyone signed on to the system, let alone the **** they broke fixed.

In my world, you come up with a software, and then you test it with real people for a while, and verify your requirements were met, before you turn something “on” to the general public. This contractor and TSP board obviously did it backwards, and you see the poor result


Sent from my iPhone using TSP Talk Forums

There are approximately 5 million TSP members If just 1% of them are similarly affected then 50,000 families are struggling today because of the TSP FU. But hey, what the heck huh?

 

[PessOptimist]

I mentioned this before somewhere and many have said stuff about "the contractor" who created the "new" website. Does anyone know who/what it is? Should be a record of it "somewhere".

 

[PessOptimist]

Fun fact: I changed my monthly payment amount in April, so that when my FERS supplement ends in August (age62), I will be prepared to live on the same amount of money I had before.

However, I was not expecting $400 more in taxes taken out. That showed up for the first time in the June monthly payment. So I am $400 off a month what I had planned on.

And I can’t change the monthly withdrawal amount right now, as there is no computer system any more to adjust the monthly payment.

And I can’t reach anybody on the thrift line, because the wait is always OVER one hour to reach a human, and my phone battery will die before I get to an agent 95 minutes estimated wait time.

I’m hoping they do something soon to create an on-line monthly withdrawal system. Simply hiring another 600 phone agents won’t really help, you still just a work around to try and lower times, but, as indicated above, at the current pace, it will be over a YEAR to get everyone signed on to the system, let alone the **** they broke fixed.

In my world, you come up with a software, and then you test it with real people for a while, and verify your requirements were met, before you turn something “on” to the general public. This contractor and TSP board obviously did it backwards, and you see the poor result


Sent from my iPhone using TSP Talk Forums

I agree, I agree. BUT. If you have the time to wait for over an hour, plug your phone charger in.

PO

 

[Ltrman61]

Has anyone had an issue with your IFT request not being what you requested? On 6/10 I made a request to go from 100%G to 60G 40 C. I got the confirmation email and just assumed it was good to go..I know, I should never assume. Anyway...after seeing on another board that people were having IFT issues, I checked mine a couple days ago. It was 84G and 16 C! I couldn't believe it....don't even know how they came up with those numbers. I called and after being on hold for 90 minutes gave up. But I am p....d off! Someone needs to be held accountable for this fiasco.

 

[rangerray]

I understand what you are saying, and it is exactly the type of attitude that I saw time and again during my 30 years of government service. We have come to expect, and even allow Government entities to fail without much consequence. Rather than demanding excellence we have accepted mediocrity. The fault for this condition lies both with those who do not aspire to achieve excellence as with those who do not demand it. As long as this is the case government agencies will have a license to be mediocre.

As far as preparing for the installment payment issue, it is all relative. While there are members like you and I who can perhaps easily absorb the situation until the TSP decides to fix it, I can imagine that there are many, particularly in this economy, who may need some extra cash right now and cannot get to it because of TSP’s inept handling of the situation. Can you imagine being a recent retiree living on a fixed income in an age of runaway inflation and calling the TSP line to start or increase your installment payments only to be told that your request would be passed along to the withdrawals department but that there is no telling when and if your request will be fulfilled? That poor sucker is screwed. Are you telling me any of this is on him because he didn’t prepare adequately?

I'm with you on that last thought. I don't have much sympathy because we had a system that was limited, but at least it all worked pretty good. I feel like some of these decision makers should have to abide by a Hippocratic Oath: first, do no harm. :laugh:

 

[rdodson]

I mentioned this before somewhere and many have said stuff about "the contractor" who created the "new" website. Does anyone know who/what it is? Should be a record of it "somewhere".

I can tell you this, the new TSP website is literally identical to another 401k plan that I access for my wife. Which tells me that this company does this for a living.

 

[angel4me]

"The FRTIB awarded the contract for the recordkeeper to Accenture Federal Services in November of 2020."

https://www.myfederalretirement.com/...lems/:notrust:
Click on Thrift Savings

Lawmaker Requests Meeting with TSP to Discuss Ongoing Problems with New Online System (scroll through to the letter)

June 28, 2022 My Federal Retirement

 

[nasa1974]

Has anyone had an issue with your IFT request not being what you requested? On 6/10 I made a request to go from 100%G to 60G 40 C. I got the confirmation email and just assumed it was good to go..I know, I should never assume. Anyway...after seeing on another board that people were having IFT issues, I checked mine a couple days ago. It was 84G and 16 C! I couldn't believe it....don't even know how they came up with those numbers. I called and after being on hold for 90 minutes gave up. But I am p....d off! Someone needs to be held accountable for this fiasco.

Did you do your IFT as a percentage or a dollar amount? Sorry I haven't really explored my account as I probably should. I'm 100% "S" and it showed 100% "S". I'm so far down the rabbit hole I have to stay "S" or I'm out a lot of money. So, I really haven't explored IFT's that much.

 

[Rcf3]

"The FRTIB awarded the contract for the recordkeeper to Accenture Federal Services in November of 2020."

https://www.myfederalretirement.com/...lems/:notrust:
Click on Thrift Savings

Lawmaker Requests Meeting with TSP to Discuss Ongoing Problems with New Online System (scroll through to the letter)

June 28, 2022 My Federal Retirement

Well, hopefully this is a step in the right direction but given that Congress is one of the few government entities that is probably more dysfunctional than the new TSP website I’m not sure!

By the way, if you read the article you saw that the Board’s response was a classic non-response.

“We would like to assure you that the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) remains committed to ensuring… blah, blah, blah.

 

[Rcf3]

Never a dull moment. They keep you guessing.

Speaking of never a dull moment, I am now being flooded by mailers from the TSP. Everything from changes I’ve made to my personal information to the June payment confirmation. Five or six so far. I know I selected email notifications for all of the above, and when I started getting the mailers I went into the account to confirm. Yep, email is selected. Nevertheless, the paper keeps on coming! :aargh4:

Edit - I have decided to try again to get through on the Thrift line today. There is an announced 49 minute wait which seems like a real bargain compared the last week. Anyway, here is the really great part. While you are on hold the recording tells you if you want faster service to go into your account online. Well, the reason I’m holding is because the thing I want to accomplish online doesn’t work. Additionally, the recording also announces many of the wonderful new features of the new website, many of which do not work! You really can’t make this stuff up!

 

[Rcf3]

Speaking of never a dull moment, I am now being flooded by mailers from the TSP. Everything from changes I’ve made to my personal information to the June payment confirmation. Five or six so far. I know I selected email notifications for all of the above, and when I started getting the mailers I went into the account to confirm. Yep, email is selected. Nevertheless, the paper keeps on coming! :aargh4:

Edit - I have decided to try again to get through on the Thrift line today. There is an announced 49 minute wait which seems like a real bargain compared the last week. Anyway, here is the really great part. While you are on hold the recording tells you if you want faster service to go into your account online. Well, the reason I’m holding is because the thing I want to accomplish online doesn’t work. Additionally, the recording also announces many of the wonderful new features of the new website, many of which do not work! You really can’t make this stuff up!

Here is why calling the Thrift line right now is basically useless. These are the notes from my call today:

1. Recording announces the hold will be 49 minutes.
2. The call is answered 56 minutes later.
3. I ask how I can accomplish a change in my installment payment amount
4. I was placed on a “brief hold”
5. 15 minutes later the rep reappears and says it can’t be done online.
6. I tell the rep it is not one of the “known issues” on the website.
7. She says, “Yes, but they know about it.
8. So how can I get this done I ask.
9. Rep says she will have to transfer me to “operations” so they can open a case. Note: last week I was told “withdrawals” does this.
10. I ask if a record of the request is made, and the rep says it is only an internal record with no documentation for me.
11. I ask the rep how I am contacted once the change is processed.
12. The rep says they don’t reach out, you have to call in or wait until the next payment is issued to see if it changed.
13. I ask if my wife needs to co-sign because her information didn’t transfer to the new site.
14. The rep doesn’t know the answer to this but says I need to enter her information online.
15. I tell the rep that the website will not allow this and refers me to “my agency”. I ask if that is OPM for retirees.
16. The rep responds that “withdrawals” can handle this and offers to transfer me.
17. I mention that last week I was transferred to withdrawals and the call dropped after a 25 minute hold
18. She assures me someone will answer.
19 She transfers me at 1:15 into the call.
20. It is now 1:40 into the call and I’m still on hold. I’ll let you know if the pick up or if I give up!

 

[retired34]

I had a similar situation recently and gave up holding for the withdrawals division to answer after about 60 minutes. I also cannot get any documents to go through the website. It says it's successfully uploaded and then when I refresh it's not there. I still don't understand how a regulatory agency like the SEC isn't involved at this point? I can't imagine this isn't violating fiduciary responsibilities. A private company would get raked over the coals for this situation and assume would be cited, fined, if not sued by their investors.

 

[Rcf3]

I had a similar situation recently and gave up holding for the withdrawals division to answer after about 60 minutes. I also cannot get any documents to go through the website. It says it's successfully uploaded and then when I refresh it's not there. I still don't understand how a regulatory agency like the SEC isn't involved at this point? I can't imagine this isn't violating fiduciary responsibilities. A private company would get raked over the coals for this situation and assume would be cited, fined, if not sued by their investors.

After almost 3 hours of total hold time I got through to “withdraws”. The representative was actually a very helpful lady who unlike the other two representatives I have spoken to actually had a clue. She advised that the previous representative I had spoken to was incorrect. It is in fact withdrawals and not operations that handles changes in installment payments. Apparently, the request is processed telephonically through withdrawals and they submit it to operations for action. The withdraws representative also commented that my inability to enter my wife’s information through my personal page on the website seems to be another glitch in the system which she was going to report.

Although I was told that every day new features come online for the new website, there is no timetable for when the installments features (start, stop, change, adjust federal withholding) will be available. For now all that must be done telephonically. Dial the TSP line and select 1, select 1 again, enter your personal information, then wait for the prompt for withdrawal. At present the hold time for withdrawals is over an hour.

 

[nasa1974]

I just got my 2nd quarter TSP statement in the mail today. Along with the statement was a flyer. I scanned it and have attached it. Hopefully everyone can read it. I had to mess with it so it would fit the parameters to upload it. What a joke.

 

[Ltrman61]

Did you do your IFT as a percentage or a dollar amount? Sorry I haven't really explored my account as I probably should. I'm 100% "S" and it showed 100% "S". I'm so far down the rabbit hole I have to stay "S" or I'm out a lot of money. So, I really haven't explored IFT's that much.

I did it as a percentage....60G and 40C....then when I did get around to checking it a couple weeks later...it showed up as 84G and 16 C. Like I said, I have no idea how they got those numbers. I tried phoning again today and was on hold for an hour, it's exasperating. I guess I'm not losing that much, but it doesn't give a person much faith in the new system at this point.

 

[ramen]

It's as though the TSP purchased a new luxurious house for us so after negotiating several roadblocks, we move in, where we find cracked foundation, faulty electrical wiring, leaky plumbing pipes, toilets backing up, and oh, kitchen sink is missing. There is one repair guy trying to fix everything, but...

 

[ww1flyingace]

I got mine in the mail today.
My translation of what TSP sent me: This is all of the money you have lost while we have been screwing up the website, and not allowing you to do IFTs.

I still can't log in. And could potentially lose more money because of their incompetence.

I think they mailed these out so they can see how many of them bounce back to them in the mail. So they can verify addresses. But that would be kind of smart....So I don't think they will do that.

 

[Rcf3]

It's as though the TSP purchased a new luxurious house for us so after negotiating several roadblocks, we move in, where we find cracked foundation, faulty electrical wiring, leaky plumbing pipes, toilets backing up, and oh, kitchen sink is missing. There is one repair guy trying to fix everything, but...

The representative I spoke to yesterday told me that when they first started working with the new site they couldn’t access much. Everyday something new comes on line and they think progress is being made, but everyday they find a new glitch they have to report. The classic spinning your wheels scenario. All they can offer right now is that they “hope” everything will be sorted out soon. They are literally using the members as test subjects and hoping things go well. What is it that Mike Tyson said, “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”.