Under the Blended Retirement System (BRS), the government helps fund your Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) — but only if you understand how the match works. Get it right and you collect a guaranteed 5% of your basic pay every year. Get it wrong and you leave free money on the table.
Add it up and contributing 5% of your basic pay unlocks the maximum 5% government contribution:
| You contribute | Automatic | Match | Total government |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0% | 1% | 0% | 1% |
| 1% | 1% | 1% | 2% |
| 2% | 1% | 2% | 3% |
| 3% | 1% | 3% | 4% |
| 4% | 1% | 3.5% | 4.5% |
| 5% | 1% | 4% | 5% |
| 10% | 1% | 4% | 5% (no extra) |
Your own contributions and all government matching contributions are yours immediately. The automatic 1% contributions generally vest after two years of service — leave before then and you forfeit just that automatic portion (not your own money or the match).
The IRS elective deferral limit for 2026 is $24,500 across the year. If you front-load contributions and hit the limit early, your own deposits stop — and so can your match in those remaining months, since the match is tied to what you contribute each pay period. Spreading contributions across all 12 months helps ensure you capture the full annual match.
Even if your own contributions go into the Roth TSP, all government automatic and matching contributions go into your Traditional (pre-tax) balance, and will be taxed when you withdraw them in retirement.
See how the match grows your TSP over a career →Related reading: BRS vs. High-3 explained · Roth vs. Traditional TSP