ISOLATED CASE

Diana_of_Themyscira · May 20, 2020

I don't know if I should post my query here; but then again, I don't know where else to.
I'm totally perplexed now.

S o I'm just giving this a shot.

I won't qualify as a retiree for the following reasons :
I'm 49, was an RCA for a little over 3 years, and a Regular for almost 3 years.

I have been toying with the idea to quit soon and move out of the country. What are my options about my TSP?
What should I do with the rest of my SL, AL, X days?
Is there a site on LiteBlue I could visit to read more about it? HR #s I could call and inquire about?
Do I need to do the 14-day notice?

Thank you (in advance) for all the tips, advance, guidance, and help. ?

btdtret · May 21, 2020

D-o-T -- " have been toying with the idea to quit soon and move out of the country."

-- Is that "out to the country" or really out of the US?

-- Shared Services: 1-877-477-3273. Option 5.

-- Never got to use liteblue. Can anyone help??

-- SL -- use them if possible.

-- X-Days -- if not used within 12 weeks, request ( demand ) to be paid for them. Once the new Guarantee Year begins in OCT, and until the end of the Christmas period, X-Days should be scheduled and used within the pay period earned. If not, get the $$.

-- Unused AL should be paid in a lump sum.

-- A 14-day notice is common in the private sector ( where working relationships are more civil ). Probably a good idea as any future employer may want to contact the USPS regarding your work there.

-- TSP -- when one retires, they call Shared Services about a month after their retirement date. The rep will ask what to do with the TSP account, such as rolling it into some other account, IRA, Roth, etc. The rep can not nor will not provide any suggestion(s). Best consult with your own financial advisor.

-- Good luck.

Gotrope · May 21, 2020

Retirement contribution can be returned if under, I think, 5 years. Tsp can't be withdrawn(must continue in a retirement style account even if transferred) if vested A workaround is take a loan for your total amount and when not paid back(resigning) they issue a 1099 and you take a huge hit on taxes. Personally, I'd stick around for the full five years just for the medical. World health says that is the number one expense in retirement and working age.

Have you considered it takes a while to relocate to another country? Visas are taking significantly longer to request in any county. Unless you have citizenship for the country you are interested in. Also, working visas are even harder to achieve in other countries. They also like to see foreigners with healthy bank accounts. All can be done, but it needs a little planning.

Voglio-il mio · May 21, 2020

TSP is vested after 3 years!

Diana_of_Themyscira · May 21, 2020

btdtret said:
-- Is that "out to the country" or really out of the US?

* by country, I mean the US.
Yes, I'm moving out of the US.
I'm ambivalent about it.

Gotrope · May 22, 2020

Good luck and please have a plan...or 10 to succeed in your travels.?

Diana_of_Themyscira · May 22, 2020

Gotrope said:
Retirement contribution can be returned if under, I think, 5 years. Tsp can't be withdrawn(must continue in a retirement style account even if transferred) if vested A workaround is take a loan for your total amount and when not paid back(resigning) they issue a 1099 and you take a huge hit on taxes. Personally, I'd stick around for the full five years just for the medical. World health says that is the number one expense in retirement and working age.

Plan is to take the Retirement Contribution and TSP, depending on how much the penalties would be. And yes, for some time, I thought about sticking around for the full five years for the annuity; but then again, with all these things going on, I might not make it.

Have you considered it takes a while to relocate to another country? Visas are taking significantly longer to request in any county. Unless you have citizenship for the country you are interested in. Also, working visas are even harder to achieve in other countries. They also like to see foreigners with healthy bank accounts. All can be done, but it needs a little planning.

We are going back to my country but would keep my US citizenship; thus the need to apply for dual. Hubby is more excited than I in relocating. He is thrilled living in a foreign country, IDK why. This "thrill" is based on the eight 2-week trips he had when we were still dating. He is OK with not having any properties to his name and would have all of them on mine (foreigner can't acquire properties in my country; or they might, after going through hoops). We have some savings put away and would live off his pension. He did 30 years as State Employee for the School District. I might go back (part-time) teaching in the University. We just both need to stop and smell the roses - something I couldn't do while working for the PO.

Kubota Man · May 22, 2020

It sounds like it will work out for you. You're not going to a country you're not familiar with. And you can always come back. I say smell those roses. The only thing you're going to smell if you stay are exhaust fumes and sorrow.

callofthewild · May 24, 2020

GOOD FOR YOU! I love happy beginnings.

Shafted · May 24, 2020

You are so correct about stopping to smell the roses. The only thing you smell at the USPS lately is poo. By the time most are ready to retire the toll on the human body is huge. If you are financially blessed to follow your dream DO IT. I tell everyone that when you move from RCA to regular hammer that TSP hard so you can retire on your terms. Since it is agreed that the health ins is a key reason to stay, if you have coverage through your hubby’s state teacher retirement then that’s one less reason to stay aboard the USPS Titanic. Go out and enjoy your life. Congrats

RaggedyAmy · May 27, 2020

Shafted said:
You are so correct about stopping to smell the roses. The only thing you smell at the USPS lately is poo. By the time most are ready to retire the toll on the human body is huge. If you are financially blessed to follow your dream DO IT. I tell everyone that when you move from RCA to regular hammer that TSP hard so you can retire on your terms. Since it is agreed that the health ins is a key reason to stay, if you have coverage through your hubby’s state teacher retirement then that’s one less reason to stay aboard the USPS Titanic. Go out and enjoy your life. Congrats

That is the most important advice you can give to any new career employee. There hundreds of thousands of $$$ out there for the taking.

DB.Cooper · May 29, 2020

Back in the day, it seemed it was rare to see Regular carriers resigning.... seems to be getting more and more common....

Morty · May 29, 2020

DB.Cooper said:
Back in the day, it seemed it was rare to see Regular carriers resigning.... seems to be getting more and more common....

It's from the directionless and hopelessness people feel. To have 350 scans on an 60 scan evaluated route with no counts for years. I carried a 50ish k with 43k pay for years and was told daily how worthless i was for not being able to finish by 5. And a lot of people saw relief with the count(except the idiots who refused to count). Only to have another package avalanche and do more free work for who knows how long now.

Trblemkr · Jun 15, 2020

DB.Cooper said:
Back in the day, it seemed it was rare to see Regular carriers resigning.... seems to be getting more and more common....

Back when I was a newly minted RCA it was said that the only way to get rid of (get them to retire) a regular carrier was to take them out on a stretcher - that is to say they would stay until they dropped and would have to be taken away by an ambulance or a hearse.
Now days countdown to retirement clocks and timers can be seen at some cases. I have one both at work and home!

DB.Cooper · Jun 15, 2020

Yeah, back in the day.... late 1990's.... all the routes in my office were 48Ks.... all got done early most days.... one guy delivered his 48K out of a Geo Metro hatchback for about 10 years.... those were the daze....

Haychica · Jun 15, 2020

Kubota Man said:
It sounds like it will work out for you. You're not going to a country you're not familiar with. And you can always come back. I say smell those roses. The only thing you're going to smell if you stay are exhaust fumes and sorrow.

And burning cities?

Altoonaflyer · Jun 16, 2020

DB.Cooper said:
Yeah, back in the day.... late 1990's.... all the routes in my office were 48Ks.... all got done early most days.... one guy delivered his 48K out of a Geo Metro hatchback for about 10 years.... those were the daze....

Yep, had a sub that delivered a 46k out of a VW Rabbit, it was usually full tho?

Altoonaflyer · Jun 16, 2020

Trblemkr said:
Back when I was a newly minted RCA it was said that the only way to get rid of (get them to retire) a regular carrier was to take them out on a stretcher - that is to say they would stay until they dropped and would have to be taken away by an ambulance or a hearse.
Now days countdown to retirement clocks and timers can be seen at some cases. I have one both at work and home!

Yep, it was a job you could do as long as you wanted. Used to be plenty of obituaries in the magazine where carriers were still farming and carrying mail late in life. Not so much anymore

DB.Cooper · Jun 16, 2020

Altoonaflyer said:
Yep, had a sub that delivered a 46k out of a VW Rabbit, it was usually full tho?

Anybody still got those little white canvas buggies in their PO???? That's what all those 48K routes used to roll their mail out in each day.... smh....

Sandygirl · Jun 16, 2020

DB.Cooper said:
Anybody still got those little white canvas buggies in their PO???? That's what all those 48K routes used to roll their mail out in each day.... smh....

Yes!! I had three full today...…...