neo@web:~ $ ./tsp-growth --project
Project your Thrift Savings Plan balance with monthly compounding, the agency automatic 1%, and the matching formula. Runs in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere.
The Thrift Savings Plan is the federal government's 401(k)-style retirement plan. If you are under FERS or the Blended Retirement System, your agency puts in 1% of your pay automatically and matches your contributions up to another 4%, for 5% total agency money when you contribute at least 5%. The 2026 elective deferral limit is $24,500, with catch-up contributions of $8,000 at age 50 and up (or $11,250 at ages 60 to 63). This calculator projects your balance with monthly compounding and shows your money, the agency money, and growth separately.
Planning estimate only, not investment or tax advice. Actual returns vary year to year. Confirm limits and rules at tsp.gov before making decisions.
The TSP offers five individual funds plus a series of Lifecycle funds. Your agency money follows a fixed formula, and your own contributions face an annual IRS limit.
| Fund | Full name | What it holds |
|---|---|---|
| G | Government Securities Investment Fund | Short-term U.S. Treasury securities issued only for the TSP. Principal is guaranteed, so this fund cannot lose money. Lowest risk, lowest long-run return. |
| F | Fixed Income Index Investment Fund | Bond index fund tracking the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (government, corporate, and mortgage-backed bonds). Bond prices fall when interest rates rise. |
| C | Common Stock Index Investment Fund | Stock index fund tracking the S&P 500, the 500 largest U.S. companies. The main growth engine of most TSP accounts. |
| S | Small Cap Stock Index Investment Fund | Tracks the Dow Jones U.S. Completion Total Stock Market Index: small and mid-size U.S. companies not in the S&P 500. |
| I | International Stock Index Investment Fund | Tracks the MSCI ACWI IMI ex USA ex China ex Hong Kong Index: stocks from developed markets outside the United States. |
The eleven Lifecycle (L) Funds are pre-mixed portfolios of these five funds. Each quarter they shift from higher risk toward lower risk as the target date approaches, and each is rebalanced to its target allocation every trading day. When a fund reaches its target date, it rolls into the L Income Fund.
| You contribute | Automatic 1% | Agency match | Total going in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | 1% | 0% | 1% |
| 1% | 1% | 1% | 3% |
| 2% | 1% | 2% | 5% |
| 3% | 1% | 3% | 7% |
| 4% | 1% | 3.5% | 8.5% |
| 5% | 1% | 4% | 10% |
| More than 5% | 1% | 4% | Your % + 5% |
The first 3% of pay you contribute is matched dollar for dollar; the next 2% is matched at 50 cents on the dollar. Contribute 5% and your agency puts in 5%. CSRS participants and non-BRS uniformed services members receive no agency contributions.
| Limit | 2026 amount |
|---|---|
| Elective deferral limit (your traditional + Roth) | $24,500 |
| Catch-up, ages 50 to 59 and 64+ | $8,000 |
| Super catch-up, ages 60 to 63 | $11,250 |
| Combined maximum, under 50 | $24,500 |
| Combined maximum, 50 to 59 and 64+ | $32,500 |
| Combined maximum, 60 to 63 | $35,750 |
Download the 2026 TSP reference data as CSV
Data current as of October 2026. Source: Thrift Savings Plan (tsp.gov).