Form Tsp-3 - Designation Of Beneficiary - Thrift Savings Plan (Page 2 of 4) in pdf

INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

Make a copy of this form for your records. Mail the original to:

Keep your designation (and your beneficiaries’ addresses)

current. If your family status changes due to marriage, birth or

TSP Service Office

adoption of a child, divorce, or death, you may want to change

P.O. Box 385021

your designation.

Birmingham, AL 35238

If your beneficiaries predecease you. The share of any

Or fax the completed form to our toll-free fax number:

beneficiary who dies before you die will be distributed propor-

1-866-817-5023

tionally among the surviving designated TSP beneficiaries

If you have questions, call the (toll-free) ThriftLine at

unless a designated contingent beneficiary is alive at your

1-TSP-YOU-FRST (1-877-968-3778) or TDD: 1-TSP-THRIFT5

death. If none of your designated beneficiaries is alive at the

(1-877-847-4385). Outside the United States and Canada,

time of your death, the standard order of precedence will be

please call 404-233-4400 (not toll free).

followed.

Your quarterly participant statement will show the date of your

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SECTION II. You may name as a benefi-

most recent designation.

ciary any person, corporation, trust, or legal entity, or your

Designating a beneficiary. This Designation of Beneficiary

estate. Note: If the beneficiary is a minor child, benefits will be

form applies only to the disposition of your civilian Thrift

made payable directly to the child.

Savings Plan (TSP) account after your death. It does not affect

If you need more space, use a blank sheet of paper. Enter your

the disposition of your FERS Basic Annuity, your CSRS annuity,

name, Social Security number, and date of birth, and number

your uniformed services TSP account (if you have one), or any

the pages. You must sign and date all additional pages; the

other benefits.

same two witnesses who signed the form must sign each

It is necessary to designate a beneficiary only if you want

additional page.

payment to be made in a way other than the following order of

Enter the share for each beneficiary as a whole percentage or a

precedence:

fraction. Percentages must total 100 percent; fractions must

1. To your widow or widower.

total 1.

2. If none, to your child or children equally, and descendants

The examples show you how to name a beneficiary or cancel

of deceased children by representation.

prior Designations of Beneficiary.

3. If none, to your parents equally or to the surviving parent.

•

For each person you designate as a beneficiary, enter the

4. If none, to the appointed executor or administrator of your

full name, share, address, Social Security number (SSN),

estate.

date of birth, and relationship to you. If you do not have all

the requested information, you must provide at least the

5. If none, to your next of kin who is entitled to your estate

beneficiary’s name, the beneficiary’s share, and either the

under the laws of the state in which you resided at the time

SSN or date of birth.

of your death.

•

You may designate one or more contingent beneficiaries

In this order of precedence, a child includes a natural child

for each primary beneficiary you name on Form TSP-3.

(even if the child was born out of wedlock) and a child adopted

The contingent beneficiary will receive the primary benefi-

by the participant; it does not include a stepchild who was not

ciary’s share if the primary beneficiary dies before you do.

adopted. Note: If the participant’s natural child was adopted by

(You cannot designate contingent beneficiaries for contin-

someone other than the participant’s spouse, that child is not

gent beneficiaries.)

entitled to a share of the participant’s TSP account under the

•

If the beneficiary is a corporation or other legal entity,

statutory order of precedence. “By representation” means that

enter the name of the entity on the name line. Enter the

if a child of the participant dies before the participant dies, that

legal representative’s name and address on the address

child’s share will be divided equally among his or her children.

lines. Enter the Employer Identification Number (EIN).

Parent does not include a stepparent, unless the stepparent

Leave the date of birth and relationship blank.

adopted the participant.

•

If the beneficiary is a trust, enter the name of the trust on

Making a valid designation. To name beneficiaries to receive

the name line. Enter the trustee’s name and address on

your TSP account after you die, you must complete this form,

the address lines. Enter the EIN, if available. Leave date

and it must be received by the TSP on or before the date of

of birth blank. Enter “Trust” on the relationship line.

your death. Only Form TSP-3 is valid for designating a benefi-

Note: Filling out this form will not create a trust.

ciary to your civilian TSP account; a will is not valid for the

•

disposition of a TSP account. You may, however, designate

If the beneficiary is an estate, enter the name of the estate

your estate or a trust as a beneficiary on Form TSP-3.

on the name line. Enter the executor’s name and address

on the address lines. Enter the EIN, if available. Leave

You are responsible for ensuring that your Form TSP-3 is prop-

date of birth blank. Enter “Estate” on the relationship line.

erly completed, signed, and witnessed (see the Instructions for

•

You may cancel a designation of beneficiary by printing

Sections II and IV in the right-hand column). Do not submit an

“Cancel prior designation” on the name line. Note: If you

altered form; if you need to correct or change the information

do not submit another Form TSP-3, your account will be

you have entered on the form, start over on a new form.

paid according to the order of precedence.

Changing or cancelling your designation of beneficiary. This

Designation of Beneficiary will stay in effect until you submit an-

INSTRUCTIONS FOR SECTION IV. Do not ask the individuals

other valid Form TSP-3 naming other beneficiaries or cancelling

you name as beneficiaries of your TSP account to witness your

prior designations. To cancel a Form TSP-3 already on file,

Form TSP-3. A person named as a beneficiary of this TSP

write “Cancel prior designations” in Section II of a new Form

account who is also a witness cannot receive his or her share of

TSP-3, sign and date the form, and have it witnessed.

this TSP account.

Form TSP-3 (10/2005)

EDITIONS PRIOR TO 8/02 OBSOLETE

Form Tsp-3 - Designation Of Beneficiary - Thrift Savings Plan Page 2

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