Free TSP Contribution and Match Check

Most people know to put in 5%. Fewer know that if you reach your yearly limit before your last pay date, your match stops for the rest of the year, and nothing makes it up later. Five minutes with your latest LES or earnings statement shows whether you are losing match and the amount per pay date that fixes it.

For FERS federal employees, BRS military members, and dual-status technicians with two TSP accounts. Works in any browser and the Google Sheets app. Prefer Excel? Make your copy, then choose File, Download, Microsoft Excel. Free. No email required.

What it answers

  • Full match: are you putting in at least 5%, and how much match you would miss the rest of 2026

  • Limit pace: will you reach your limit before your last pay date, and about how much match that costs. With two TSP accounts, it checks both together

  • The fix: the even amount per pay date that reaches your limit on your last pay date, so the match never stops

  • Catch-up: how much more you can put in at 50 and older, and whether your catch-up must be Roth

How to start

  1. Get your latest LES or earnings statement.

  2. Make your copy and fill in the blue cells. Use the second column only if you have a second TSP account.

  3. If anything turns red, change your election in myPay (military members and DoD civilians) or your agency's payroll system. Check again in the fall.

2026 numbers it uses

  • $24,500 limit on your own contributions. Both TSP accounts count toward it, and so does a 401(k) or 403(b) at another job

  • Catch-up: $8,000 more at 50 and older, or $11,250 if you turn 60 to 63 in 2026. It starts on its own past $24,500 and stays matched up to 5% of pay

  • FERS and BRS: put in 5% and you get 5% more from your agency or service: 1% automatic plus 4% matching

  • New in 2026: if box 3 of a 2025 W-2 was over $150,000, catch-up through that employer must be Roth

Limits change every January. The Rules tab lists every number and where it comes from. Verify at tsp.gov before you change your election. Tax-exempt combat zone pay follows other limits that this check does not cover.

Keep it safe

Never type a Social Security number, TSP account number, or password into the sheet. Keep your copy in your own Google account and share it only by email with people you trust. Avoid "Anyone with the link."

Help keep this accurate

If something is confusing, broken, or out of date, send me a note. Include the tool name and what to change. Version 1.1. October 2026.

The fine print

This is an unofficial planning tool. Results are estimates. It is not affiliated with the TSP, FRTIB, DoD, OPM, or any agency, and it is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Free to use, copy, and share. Please do not sell it.

More free tools

See how tools are built. Paid on orders or drill? See the Guard Orders and Pay Tracker. Reading a civilian pay stub? Try the Civilian LES Guide. More for federal employees and the Guard and Reserve, or browse all free tools.