TSP Loan Calculator
Estimate your TSP loan payment per paycheck, the interest and fee, and the most you can borrow. A TSP loan is repaid with interest to your own account at the G Fund rate in effect when you apply, which tsp.gov showed as 4.875% on October 23, 2026. To see how borrowing affects your retirement balance, run the TSP calculator.
Maintained by Archie Chang · TSP loan rules checked against tsp.gov October 23, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Estimates only. The payment uses standard amortization at the rate you enter, rounded to the cent. TSP is the authority: it computes interest daily, sets your final payment, and shows the official maximum and payment in My Account. Not affiliated with TSP or the FRTIB; this is general information, not financial or tax advice.
TSP loan payment and maximum loan
Estimate only. Uses standard loan amortization at the rate you enter. TSP calculates interest daily and shows your official payment in My Account, so confirm figures with TSP before you borrow.
4.875% was shown on tsp.gov on October 23, 2026. Changes monthly.
Maximum loan check
Find these in My Account. Use your own contributions and their earnings only, excluding agency money, loans and the mutual fund window. If you have both a civilian and a uniformed services account, tests 2 and 3 use the combined balances and the total of all your loans (enter combined figures), while test 1 uses only the account you borrow from. The two-loan limit applies per account, so you can have up to four loans across two accounts.
Estimated payment per paycheck
$86.75
130 payments, the last one $86.74.
- Total interest (paid to your own account)
- $1,277.49
- Loan fee (deducted from the loan)
- $50
- Cash you receive
- $9,950.00
- Total you repay
- $11,277.49
Most you can borrow: $25,000
Limited by 50% of your own contributions and earnings, or $10,000 if greater, minus loans outstanding. The three tests give $50,000, $25,000 and $50,000; the smallest applies.
What the loan costs in lost growth (illustration)
If the $10,000 had stayed invested at 6% a year, it would be worth about $13,494 when the loan ends. Borrowing it and repaying with 4.875% interest, with each payment invested at the same return, leaves about $13,134. That is about $360 less in your account. Separately, the $50 fee comes out of the cash you receive and is not part of this comparison. Returns are not guaranteed and can be negative.
Loan payments come out of your paycheck, so your take-home pay drops. If you cut your contribution below 5% as a FERS or BRS participant you also lose part of the agency match. You cannot stop loan payments once the loan is made.
TSP loan rules at a glance
| Rule | General purpose | Primary residence |
|---|---|---|
| Repayment term | 12 to 60 months | 61 to 180 months |
| Loan fee | $50 | $100 |
| Documentation | None | Required, within 30 days of the request |
| Allowed use | Any purpose | Future purchase or construction of a primary residence |
| Minimum loan | $1,000 | $1,000 |
You can have two loans at once, and only one can be a primary residence loan. After you repay a loan in full, you must wait 30 business days before another. Source: TSP booklet Loans (TSPBK04).
How the maximum TSP loan is set
The most you can borrow is the smallest of three amounts:
- Your own contributions and their earnings in the account you borrow from, not counting any outstanding loan balance.
- 50% of your own contributions and earnings (counting outstanding loans) or $10,000, whichever is greater, minus your outstanding loan balance.
- $50,000 minus your highest outstanding loan balance during the last 12 months, even if that loan has been repaid.
Agency and service contributions and the mutual fund window do not count. The maximum is per person and is recalculated every business day, so the amount can change before your loan is processed. If your account value falls and the amount available drops before disbursement, you get a smaller loan with the same term; below $1,000 the request is canceled.
Repayment, taxes and leaving service
Payments come out of each paycheck by payroll deduction and go back into your account, invested in your current fund election. The payment is set when the loan is made and is normally level for the life of the loan. TSP changes it only in a few cases, such as when you move to an agency with a different pay schedule (it re-amortizes the loan) or when payments are suspended during nonpay status. You can prepay without a penalty by check, money order or direct debit.
If you miss payments and do not catch up in time, or you do not repay by the end of the term, an active employee’s loan becomes a taxed loan: the unpaid balance and accrued interest are taxable income, Roth earnings in it are taxed even if they were qualified, and under age 59½ the 10% early withdrawal penalty tax can apply. If you leave federal service with a loan, you can keep paying monthly, pay it off, or let it be foreclosed. If you leave federal service and the loan is foreclosed, the unpaid balance and accrued interest are taxable income, and unless you turn 55 or older in the year the foreclosure is declared, the 10% early withdrawal penalty tax may apply (public safety employees: age 50 or 25 years of service). You may be able to roll over the taxable amount with personal funds by your tax-filing deadline, including extensions. See the TSP booklet Tax Rules about TSP Payments and ask a tax advisor about your situation.
TSP loan calculator questions
What interest rate does a TSP loan charge?
The rate equals the G Fund interest rate for the month before you request the loan and stays the same for the life of the loan. tsp.gov showed 4.875% on October 23, 2026. The rate changes monthly, so check tsp.gov or My Account when you apply. You pay the interest to your own account, but it is not tax deductible.
How long can I take to repay a TSP loan?
A general purpose loan has a repayment term of 12 to 60 months and needs no documentation. A primary residence loan has a term of 61 to 180 months and requires documentation of the purchase or construction costs. Payments are deducted from your pay every pay period.
What fees does a TSP loan have?
TSP deducts a one-time fee from the loan: $50 for a general purpose loan and $100 for a primary residence loan. If you request $5,000 as a general purpose loan, you receive $4,950, and you still repay the full $5,000 with interest.
What is the most I can borrow from my TSP?
The smallest of three amounts: your own contributions and their earnings (not agency money), excluding any outstanding loan balance; 50% of your own contributions and earnings, or $10,000 if that is more, minus any outstanding loan balance; and $50,000 minus your highest outstanding loan balance in the last 12 months. The minimum loan is $1,000. If you have both a civilian account and a uniformed services account, the second and third tests use the combined balances of both accounts and the total of all your loans, while the first test looks only at the account you borrow from. The two-loan limit (only one of them a primary residence loan) applies per account, so you could have as many as four loans across two accounts.
What happens if I stop making TSP loan payments?
If you miss two or more payments, or pay less than required, and do not catch up by the deadline TSP gives you, an active employee’s unpaid balance and accrued interest become a taxed loan. The IRS treats it as taxable income, and if you are under age 59½ you may owe an additional 10% early withdrawal penalty tax. A taxed loan permanently reduces your account unless you pay it off, and it counts against your next loan. The Roth and tax-exempt contributions in the loan are not taxed again, but Roth earnings will be subject to tax, even if they were already qualified.
What happens to my TSP loan if I leave federal service?
You can keep the loan active with monthly payments by check, money order or direct debit, pay it off by the deadline, or let it be foreclosed. A foreclosed loan is treated like a distribution: the taxable part of the balance and accrued interest is income, and unless you turn 55 or older in the year the foreclosure is declared, the 10% early withdrawal penalty tax may apply (public safety employees: age 50 or 25 years of service). You may be able to roll over the taxable amount with personal funds by the tax-filing deadline, including extensions, to avoid the tax and penalty. Qualified Roth earnings in a foreclosed loan are not taxed, unlike in an in-service taxed loan. You cannot take a new loan after you separate.
Is a TSP loan a good idea?
It costs you the growth the borrowed money would have earned, the loan fee never returns to your account, and loan payments can squeeze the contributions you make. If you drop below 5% as a FERS or BRS participant you also lose part of the agency match. The calculator shows the effect on your balance at the end of the loan for the return you enter. It is an illustration, not a forecast.
How accurate is the payment estimate?
It uses standard loan amortization at the TSP loan rate with payments rounded to the cent. TSP calculates interest daily based on the days since your last payment, and your payroll calendar can differ, so your actual payment and final balance can differ slightly. Your first payment can start up to 60 days after the loan is disbursed, and because interest accrues daily the first payment can carry more interest than this estimate shows. TSP shows the official amount in My Account before you accept the loan.
Important Disclaimer
NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE
The calculators and information on this site are for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, legal, or tax advice. Calculator results are estimates and actual terms may vary. Always consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.
Related federal retirement tools
Authoritative sources: tsp.gov: TSP loans · TSP booklet: Loans (TSPBK04) · TSP booklet: Tax Rules about TSP Payments · TSP fact sheet: Nonpay status · tsp.gov: G Fund