ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
 
PRIORITY       
 
P 061647Z DEC 01 ZYB MIN PSN 989969J50
 
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N1//
 
TO NAVADMIN
 
UNCLAS //N07220//
NAVADMIN 314/01
 
MSGID/GENADMIN/N1//
 
SUBJ/SIGN UP NOW FOR TSP IN THE FIRST PAY PERIOD IN JANUARY 2002//
 
REF/A/RMG/CNO WASHINGTON DC/022110ZOCT2001//
 
NARR/REF A IS NAVADMIN 258/01 IMPLEMENTATING GUIDANCE ON UNIFORMED
SERVICES THRIFT SAVINGS PLAN.//
 
RMKS/1.  SAILORS LOOKING TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE THRIFT
SAVINGS PLAN (TSP)  MUST ENROLL BY THE END OFTHIS WEEK TO ENSURE
THEIR MONEY THIS WEEK TO ENSURE THEIR MONEY STARTS WORKING
STARTS WORKING FOR THEM THE FIRST PAY PERIOD IN JANUARY.
 
2.  SERVICE MEMBERS WHO ENROLL IN TSP BY 8 DEC 01, EITHER ONLINE OR
IN PERSON, WILL SEE THEIR INVESTMENT BEGIN ACCUMULATING THE EARLIEST
WHILE THOSE ENROLLING AFTER 8 DEC 01 WILL SEE THEIR DEDUCTIONS BEGIN
AFTER THE FIRST PAY PERIOD IN JANUARY.
 
3.  THE TIME TO ENROLL IS NOW.  THOUGH WE ARE LEADING THE WAY AMONG
ALL SERVICES IN BOTH OFFICER AND ENLISTED ENROLLMENTS, THE RESPONSE
TO DATE LETS US KNOW THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF SHIPMATES WHO STILL
HAVE THE ENROLLMENT FORM IN THEIR LOCKER OR THEIR WORK CENTER AND
HAVEN'T FILLED IT OUT.
 
4.  ANY ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES OR RESERVIST IN ANY
PAY STATUS MAY PARTICIPATE IN TSP.  CONTRIBUTIONS CAN RANGE FROM AS
LITTLE AS 1 PERCENT TO 7 PERCENT OF BASE PAY; ALSO, BONUS AND
INCENTIVE PAY MAY BE CONTRIBUTED, UP TO $11,000 IN 2002.  FOR THOSE
SERVING IN A COMBAT ZONE, THE CURRENT CEILING FOR CONTRIBUTIONS IS
$40,000.  CONTRIBUTION LIMITS INCREASE THROUGH 2007 WHEN THERE WILL
BE NO LIMIT ON THE PERCENTAGE OF BASE PAY CONTRIBUTED AND THE TOTAL
DOLLAR LIMIT IS INFLATION ADJUSTED.
 
5.  TSP INVESTMENTS MAY BE DIRECTED TO ANY OF FIVE DIFFERENT FUNDS,
WHICH VARY IN RISK AND INVESTMENT MIXTURE.  THE FIVE FUNDS ARE
GOVERNMENT SECURITIES INVESTMENT (G FUND), FIXED INCOME INVESTMENT
(F FUND), COMMON STOCK INDEX INVESTMENT (C FUND), SMALL
CAPITALIZATION STOCK INDEX INVESTMENT (S FUND) AND INTERNATIONAL
STOCK INDEX INVESTMENT (I FUND).  CONTRIBUTIONS ARE INITIALLY
DIRECTED TO THE G FUND AND SERVICE MEMBERS THEN REDIRECT THEIR
INVESTMENT ONCE THE ACCOUNT IS ACTIVE.
 
6.  ENROLLING IN TSP IS JUST AS EASY WHETHER DONE ONLINE OR IN
PERSON.  IF YOU CHOOSE THE ELECTRONIC METHOD, ACCESS THE EMPLOYEE
MEMBER SELF SERVICE (E/MSS) WEB SITE AT HTTP:/WWW/DFAS/MIL/EMSS/ AND
COMPLETE THE ENROLLMENT FORM (TSP-U-1).  YOU WILL NOT SEE A RECEIPT
OR CONFIRMATION FOR ONLINE ENROLLMENT BECAUSE THE REQUESTS WILL NOT
BE PROCESSED UNTIL THE END OF DECEMBER; HOWEVER, YOU SHOULD SEE
DEDUCTIONS BEGIN WITH ALL PAY EARNED STARTING IN JANUARY.
 
7.  THE E/MSS SITE ENABLES SERVICE MEMBERS TO ENROLL DURING THE OPEN
SEASON WHICH LASTS THROUGH 31 JAN 02, OR WITHIN 60 DAYS OF THE
DATE OF ENLISTMENT.  YOU MAY ALSO CHANGE OR CANCEL PERCENTAGE OF
BASIC PAY CONTRIBUTED ONCE ENROLLED AND START OR CHANGE PERCENTAGE
OF BONUS PAY CONTRIBUTIONS AT ANY TIME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
 
8.  THOSE UNABLE TO ENROLL ONLINE OR WHO PREFER TO DO SO IN PERSON
MAY RECEIVE THE TSP-U-1 FORM FROM THEIR LOCAL PERSONNEL SUPPORT
DETACHMENT (PSD) OR SHIP'S OFFICE, OR MAY DOWNLOAD THE FORM FROM
HTTP:/WWW.BUPERS.NAVY.MIL/.  THEN SUBMIT THE COMPLETED FORM TO PSD
OR SHIP'S OFFICE WHO WILL PROCESS THE REQUEST.
 
9.  TSP ENROLLMENTS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING NOVEMBER COMPARED
WITH THOSE IN OCTOBER, THE INITIAL MONTH FOR SERVICE MEMBERS TO
SIGN-UP FOR THIS IMPORTANT RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLAN.  AWARENESS OF
THE PROGRAM AND ONLINE ENROLLMENT HAVE ENABLED MORE SAILORS AND
OFFICERS TO BEGIN ACTIVELY PLANNING FOR THEIR FUTURES.
 
10.  ENLISTED ENROLLMENTS INCREASED BY 78 PERCENT FROM OCTOBER TO
NOVEMBER AND OFFICER ENROLLMENTS INCREASED BY 76 PERCENT DURING THE
SAME PERIOD.  ENROLLMENT IS HIGHEST AMONG ACTIVE DUTY E5S WITH E6S
CLOSELY BEHIND.  ON THE OFFICER SIDE, O3S ARE LEADING THE WAY IN
ENROLLMENT.  ONLINE ENROLLMENTS ACCOUNT FOR NEARLY 40 PERCENT OF
NAVY PERSONNEL WHO HAVE SIGNED-UP FOR TSP.
 
11.  THE CURRENT ENROLLMENT PERIOD LASTS THROUGH 31 JAN 02.  THERE
WILL BE TWO REGULAR OPEN SEASONS EACH YEAR THEREAFTER:  15 MAY - 31
JUL AND 15 NOV - 31 JAN.  NEW SERVICE MEMBERS WILL HAVE A 60-DAY
WINDOW TO ENROLL ONCE THEY BEGIN THEIR SERVICE.
 
12.  TO START CONTRIBUTIONS WITH PAY EARNED IN JANUARY, SAILORS AND
OFFICERS MUST ENROLL BY 8 DEC 01.  ELECTIONS MADE AFTER 8 DEC 01
WILLBEGIN AFTER THE FIRST PAY PERIOD IN JANUARY.
IT IS EXPECTED THAT ALL HANDS WILL BE RECEIVING A SIGNIFICANT
PAY INCREASE ON 1 JAN 02. CHECK OUT THE TSP PLAN AND THINK
ABOUT THE PROVEN PRINCIPLE OF "PAYING YOURSELF FIRST."
 
13.  FOR MORE INFORMATION ON TSP VISIT HTTP:/WWW.TSP.GOV.
 
14.  RELEASED BY VADM NORB RYAN, JR., N1.//
 
BT