Augusta TSP to Gold IRA Rollover: Federal Employee Retirement Guide
TL;DR: A separated federal employee or uniformed services member can roll a Thrift Savings Plan balance into an Augusta gold IRA, and an active employee who's 59½ or older can use an age-59 ½ in-service withdrawal. The direct path sends money straight to the receiving custodian, so nothing is withheld. Augusta requires a $50,000 minimum and works with Equity Trust Company as its preferred custodian.
A Thrift Savings Plan balance can fund an Augusta gold IRA, and the move rewards sequencing over speed. A direct rollover is a payment sent straight from the old plan to the account that receives it, never passing through the saver's hands. That routing choice decides whether the transfer stays tax-neutral. This guide covers only the federal-specific parts, the eligibility windows, the online request, the withholding rules, and the honest cost trade-off. The full Augusta gold IRA rollover process walkthrough owns the generic journey from account opening through storage confirmation.
What You Need Before You Start
Two accounts, one signature, and a clear picture of your own eligibility. That's the short list, and most of the friction comes from starting the money request before the receiving account exists. Line up the pieces below first and the rest of the process runs in order.
Time required: a few hours of your own paperwork, plus an institutional wait in the middle that runs longer than the form-filling and sits outside your control.
Difficulty: moderate. Nothing here is hard, but the sequence matters.
You'll need each of the following.
- A qualifying event, either separation from service or age 59½ on the job
- A rollover-sized balance, since Augusta requires a $50,000 minimum to open a precious-metals IRA
- Access to My Account or the ThriftLine
- Your spouse's signed consent waiver if you're a married FERS participant or uniformed services member taking an in-service withdrawal
- A decision on tax wrappers, because Roth money and traditional money land in separate receiving accounts
Step 1: Confirm Your TSP Withdrawal Eligibility
Eligibility comes down to employment status and age. A separated federal employee or uniformed services member can move retirement money out of the Thrift Savings Plan at any point after leaving service, while an active employee qualifies at age 59½ or older through an age-59 ½ in-service withdrawal.
Federal civilian employees under FERS or CSRS hold the account, and so do uniformed services members on active duty or in the Ready Reserve. Separation opens every door. A separated participant chooses among a partial distribution of at least $1,000, a total distribution, an annuity purchase, or installments, and a partial payout can fund the rollover while the rest stays put.
Still on the payroll? The plan then offers exactly two in-service paths, financial hardship on one side and age-59 ½ on the other. Hardship money is the wrong vehicle for this move. It can't be less than $1,000, it's taxed as income, and it may carry a 10% early withdrawal penalty tax for participants younger than 59½. An age-59 ½ withdrawal works differently. You must pay 20% federal income tax on the taxable portion "unless you're able to roll it over to an IRA or an eligible employer plan," and that carve-out is the door this guide walks through. Four withdrawals per calendar year is the cap, and each must be at least $1,000 or the entire vested balance.
Watch out for: married FERS participants and uniformed services members need a spouse's signed consent waiver before any in-service withdrawal is processed.
Step 2: Open the Self-Directed IRA That Receives the Money
The receiving account must exist before any money moves. Augusta Precious Metals pairs each new customer with a dedicated agent who handles the account-opening paperwork, and the account type has to match the balance being moved.
Equity Trust Company administers the account as Augusta's number-one preferred custodian, with GoldStar Trust Company or Kingdom Trust available as alternates. "Equity Trust is our #1 preferred custodian, but you'll always have full transparency and the freedom to choose the best fit for your gold IRA," explained Augusta Precious Metals on its gold IRA page. Augusta itself is the metals dealer, not the custodian, so expect two names on the paperwork.
What about Roth money? Roth routes to Roth. A Roth TSP balance is designated Roth money, so it lands in a Roth IRA, while traditional pre-tax money routes to a traditional IRA. The dedicated agent sets up whichever wrapper the move requires, or both.
Augusta requires a $50,000 minimum, which fits rollover-sized federal accounts far better than small transfers. Augusta Precious Metals holds Best Overall Gold IRA Company recognition from Money magazine for each year from 2022 through 2025 and appears as Best for Educational Resources on the 2026 roundup.
Watch out for: opening the wrong wrapper. Ask the agent to confirm in writing which account type each balance will enter.
Step 3: Request the TSP Rollover in My Account
The request starts online. Log in to My Account on the plan's website to begin the withdrawal or distribution request, or start it by phone through the ThriftLine. Separated savers and active employees share the same entry points, though an age-59 ½ election asks different questions than a post-separation payout.
The plan tells participants to review its In-Service Withdrawals booklet thoroughly before applying. Its rules and eligibility restrictions deserve a full read before anything is signed. Reading it costs an evening. The smallest amount the plan releases in-service is $1,000, and withdrawals and distributions cannot be reversed once they've been processed.
Processing runs on business days. Requests entered before noon eastern time are processed that same night, and requests received after noon go out the next business processing night. A request can be canceled or changed only up until noon on the day it's scheduled to be processed.
Watch out for: enter the receiving custodian's details exactly as the new IRA paperwork spells them, whether the money is a post-separation payout or an age-59 ½ withdrawal. A processed request can't be corrected after the noon cutoff.
Step 4: Keep the Rollover Direct to Avoid Withholding
Direct means no withholding. Ask the plan to send the money straight to the receiving custodian, because the Internal Revenue Service requires mandatory withholding of 20% on a retirement plan distribution paid to you, even when you intend to roll it over later.
Indirect starts a 60-day clock. A payout made to you personally must be redeposited within 60 days, and the direct versus indirect rollover guide weighs the two paths for Augusta accounts. Paid-to-you money shrinks by a fifth before it arrives.
Federal law defines what can move. Under 26 USC 402(c), an eligible rollover distribution transferred to an eligible retirement plan is not includible in gross income for the year it's paid, and the statute excludes hardship distributions from that definition entirely. Hardship money cannot roll over, and required minimum distributions can't either.
One more piece of good news. The once-per-year IRA rollover limit does not apply to plan-to-IRA rollovers, so this move doesn't burn that annual slot.
Watch out for: an age-59 ½ withdrawal paid to your bank account arrives short by the 20% withholding, and making it whole for a full rollover means finding that difference from other savings within 60 days.
Step 5: Weigh TSP Costs Against the Gold IRA Fee Stack
Costs are the honest trade-off in this move. The plan you're leaving is among the cheapest retirement vehicles in existence, and the metals account you're opening carries real fees, so the decision deserves both numbers on the table rather than momentum.
Cheap is the plan's defining feature. "The TSP's expenses are lower than 99% of investment options," the plan's own expense page states. The total expense ratio for the C Fund in 2025 was 0.035%, about 35 cents for every $1,000 invested.
By contrast, the gold IRA side is heavier. Augusta's published fee schedule fills the comparison below.
| What It Costs | Thrift Savings Plan | Augusta Gold IRA |
| Account setup | No setup charge | $50 one-time setup fee |
| Recordkeeping and custody | 0.035% expense ratio on the C Fund in 2025 | $125 annual custodian fee plus $100 annual storage fee |
| Dealer spread | None, expenses come out of fund earnings | Disclosed on the pricing call before any purchase |
| Minimum to start | Stays open with a $200 vested balance | $50,000 |
The stack totals $275 in the first year and $225 in each later year, with custodian and storage fees set by third parties rather than by Augusta. Spreads surface on the pricing call with the assigned agent before any purchase. Why pay more to hold metal? Diversification into a physical asset is the only honest answer, and your own financial and tax professionals should weigh it before anything moves.
Watch out for: comparing a fee-free quote against the federal plan. Custodian and storage fees recur every year, and the spread is part of the cost even without an invoice line.
Step 6: Buy the Metals and Confirm Depository Storage
Once the money lands with the custodian, the purchase moves quickly. The dedicated agent walks through what's in stock, the fineness rules decide what's allowed, and the custodian executes the buy and ships the metal to an approved depository under the account holder's name.
Fineness is the legal floor. IRC 408(m)(3) requires bullion held by the trustee to meet contract-market fineness. In practice that means gold of at least 99.5% purity and silver of at least 99.9%, plus certain named coins. Personal possession at home does not satisfy that requirement.
Storage sits at an approved depository, and the $100 annual storage fee from the cost table pays for exactly this vaulting. Augusta's primary IRS-approved storage partner is the Delaware Depository in Wilmington, with vault contents insured under Lloyd's of London, and Brink's Global Services is among the additional depository options. The custodian, not Augusta, holds the title records and issues the tax paperwork each spring.
Watch out for: any pitch that promises home storage for IRA metal. The trustee-possession rule closes that door.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Four errors show up again and again when federal savers move retirement money into metal, and every one of them is avoidable with sequencing. Each mistake below traces back to a rule already covered, so the fix is usually patience.
- A payout instead of a direct rollover. Paid-to-you money arrives short, because the 20% mandatory withholding applies even when you plan to redeposit everything. The 60-day rollover rule guide walks through that deadline.
- Hardship money in the rollover lane. These withdrawals are taxed as income, may carry the 10% penalty before 59½, and can't become a rollover, since the statute excludes hardship distributions from the eligible rollover definition.
- Mismatched tax wrappers. Pre-tax routes to traditional, and Roth routes to Roth. Sending a Roth TSP balance toward a traditional IRA stalls the paperwork and can create a tax problem a professional then has to unwind.
- A missing spouse consent waiver. Married savers have one extra signature to collect, since the plan requires a spouse's consent waiver from a married FERS participant or uniformed services member. Collect it first.
Put the sequence on paper before starting anything, and let a one-page checklist save you a reissued check.
What to Expect After the Rollover
The plan side is the fast part. Requests are processed each business day, a submission entered before noon eastern time is processed that same night, and later submissions go out the next business processing night. After that, the pace depends on the receiving custodian and on the metals selection.
A processed request cannot be reversed, so confirmation matters more than speed. Direct rollovers never start the 60-day clock that governs paid-to-you money, so the wait is administrative rather than legal. The custodian confirms when the money arrives, the purchase settles after the pricing call, and the depository records the holding.
What does done look like? Money out of the federal plan, metal recorded at the depository, and the fee schedule running at $225 a year after the first year's $275. From there the dedicated agent stays available, and your own advisers should stay in the loop at each turn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Active Federal Employees Move TSP Money Into a Gold IRA?
Yes, once they reach age 59½. Active federal civilian workers and uniformed services members get two in-service withdrawal types, and only the age-based one can roll over to an IRA. You may take up to four age-59 ½ withdrawals per calendar year, each at least $1,000 or the entire vested balance. Younger employees wait until separation, since hardship withdrawals can't fund a rollover.
Does a Roth TSP Balance Go Into a Roth Gold IRA?
Yes. A Roth TSP balance is designated Roth money, and under Internal Revenue Service guidance a distribution from a designated Roth account can be rolled over to another designated Roth account or to a Roth IRA. Traditional pre-tax money routes to a traditional IRA instead, and the dedicated agent opens whichever account type matches the balance being moved. Each dollar keeps its tax character.
Does the TSP Withhold Taxes on a Direct Rollover?
No. Withholding applies to money paid to you, not to money sent straight to the new custodian. A distribution paid to you personally carries mandatory withholding of 20%, while withholding does not apply when the amount goes directly to another retirement plan or to an IRA. Direct payment is the simplest tax protection in the whole process.
Can Uniformed Services Members Use the Same Process?
Yes. The plan serves uniformed services members on active duty or in the Ready Reserve, and the same two in-service withdrawal types apply. Married members need a spouse's signed consent waiver for an in-service withdrawal. Everything else in this guide, from the direct election to the depository record, reads the same for a military account.
Risk Warning: Precious metals investments carry risk, including the possible loss of principal. Prices for gold and silver can move with macroeconomic conditions, currency shifts, and market sentiment. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. A gold IRA is a long-term diversification tool, not a short-term trading vehicle. Rules governing the Thrift Savings Plan, self-directed retirement accounts, and rollover mechanics are complex and change with new legislation. Always consult your own licensed legal, financial, and tax professionals before moving retirement money out of any federal plan or into any metals account.
About the Editorial Team
Augusta Precious Metals Reviews is the editorial site covering Augusta Precious Metals. We publish articles about Augusta's products, leadership, fees, customer experience, and gold IRA process under an editorial team byline. Our coverage cites named third-party authorities, including the Thrift Savings Plan website, the Internal Revenue Service, and Money magazine, alongside Augusta's own published positioning. We do not publish urgent, scarcity-driven, or high-pressure content. Every educational article closes with a soft reminder to speak with your own legal, financial, and tax professionals before investing.
Disclosure: This site has a partnership relationship with Augusta Precious Metals and may earn a commission from accounts opened through the contact methods on this site, in line with the Federal Trade Commission affiliate-disclosure rules under 16 CFR Part 255. Editorial coverage reflects Augusta's published positioning and the current rules governing self-directed precious-metals IRAs.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional before making investment decisions.
