# What is my TSP loan payment?

Computes the most you can borrow from your Thrift Savings Plan account, the processing fee, the payment per paycheck at the G Fund rate, the interest paid back into your account, and the schedule.

- Page: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/tsp-loan-calculator
- JSON spec: https://www.acalculator.org/finance/tsp-loan-calculator.json
- Version: 97c7a40ad65a

## Default answer

Example with the default inputs (Your contributions and earnings $60,000.00, Loan amount $20,000.00, G Fund rate 4.5%, Loan type General purpose, Repayment term (months) 60, Paychecks per year Every 2 weeks): You repay $171.93 per paycheck, 130 payments, with $2,351.53 of interest back into your account.

## Inputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| own | Your contributions and earnings | Your own contributions and their earnings in the account, not counting agency contributions, the mutual fund window, or loans you owe. |
| amount | Loan amount | How much you want to borrow, from $1,000. |
| rate | G Fund rate | The G Fund rate for the month before you apply. It stays the same for the life of the loan. |
| type | Loan type | General purpose (12 to 60 months, $50 fee) or primary residence (61 to 180 months, $100 fee). |
| months | Repayment term (months) | 12 to 60 months for a general purpose loan; 61 to 180 for a primary residence loan. |
| per | Paychecks per year | Payments come out of each paycheck: every 2 weeks for most civilians, twice a month in the uniformed services. |
| owe | TSP loans you owe now | The balance of any TSP loans you have now. Leave empty for none. |
| high | Highest loan balance in the last 12 months | The highest you owed on TSP loans at any time in the past 12 months. Leave empty for none. |

## Outputs

| Key | Label | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| payment | Payment per paycheck | The level payment taken from each paycheck. |
| limit | Most you can borrow now | The smallest of the three TSP limits. |
| fee | Processing fee | $50 for a general purpose loan, $100 for a primary residence loan. |
| net | Money you receive | The loan amount minus the processing fee, which comes out of the loan. |
| interest | Total interest | All the interest, which goes back into your TSP account. |
| total | Total repaid | Loan amount + total interest. |
| count | Number of payments | Months × paychecks a year ÷ 12, rounded. |

## Method

Limit = min(your contributions and earnings, max(half of them plus loans owed, $10,000) − loans owed, $50,000 − highest loan balance in 12 months); payment = L·r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)^−n) with r = G Fund rate ÷ paychecks a year and n = months × paychecks a year ÷ 12, rounded.

## Assumptions

- The three TSP limits as tsp.gov states them; My Account shows the exact amount for you.
- Level payments each paycheck with interest on the unpaid balance; the last payment clears the balance.
- The number of payments is the term in months × paychecks a year ÷ 12, rounded to the nearest whole payment; the TSP sets the exact count.
- The G Fund rate is the one you type; no live rates.

## Worked examples

1. own = $60,000.00, amount = $20,000.00, rate = 4.5%, type = general, months = 60, per = 26 gives limit = $30,000.00, payment = $171.93, count = 130, fee = $50.00, net = $19,950.00, interest = $2,351.53. Source: Thrift Savings Plan, TSP loans (loan types and terms, $50 and $100 fees, $1,000 minimum, the three limits on the maximum, the G Fund rate for the month before you apply), https://www.tsp.gov/tsp-loans/ (retrieved 2026-10-05).
2. own = $15,000.00, amount = $8,000.00, rate = 4%, type = general, months = 24, per = 12, owe = $2,000.00, high = $6,000.00 gives limit = $8,000.00, count = 24, payment = $347.40, interest = $337.59. Source: Thrift Savings Plan, TSP loans (loan types and terms, $50 and $100 fees, $1,000 minimum, the three limits on the maximum, the G Fund rate for the month before you apply), https://www.tsp.gov/tsp-loans/ (retrieved 2026-10-05).
3. own = $200,000.00, amount = $50,000.00, rate = 4.875%, type = residence, months = 180, per = 26, owe = $0.00, high = $0.00 gives limit = $50,000.00, count = 390, fee = $100.00, payment = $180.86, interest = $20,534.50. Source: Thrift Savings Plan, TSP loans (loan types and terms, $50 and $100 fees, $1,000 minimum, the three limits on the maximum, the G Fund rate for the month before you apply), https://www.tsp.gov/tsp-loans/ (retrieved 2026-10-05).
4. own = $30,000.00, amount = $5,000.00, rate = 0%, type = general, months = 13, per = 26 gives count = 28, payment = $178.57, interest = $0.00.

## FAQ

### How much can I borrow from my TSP?

The smallest of three limits: your own contributions and earnings; the greater of half of them (plus any loan you owe) or $10,000, minus the loan you owe; and $50,000 minus your highest loan balance in the last 12 months. The minimum loan is $1,000.

### What interest rate does a TSP loan charge?

The G Fund rate for the month before you request the loan. It stays the same for the life of the loan. Type the rate from tsp.gov; the calculator uses no live rates.

### How long can I take to repay a TSP loan?

A general purpose loan is repaid in 12 to 60 months. A primary residence loan, for buying or building your main home, is repaid in 61 to 180 months.

### Is there a fee for a TSP loan?

Yes, a one-time processing fee that comes out of the loan: $50 for a general purpose loan and $100 for a primary residence loan. A $20,000 general loan pays you $19,950.

### Where does the interest go?

Back into your own TSP account, with the principal. The cost of the loan is the growth the borrowed money would have earned while it was out of the funds.

### How is the payment per paycheck worked out?

As a level payment: L × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r)^−n), with r the G Fund rate ÷ paychecks a year and n the number of paychecks. $20,000 at 4.5% over 130 biweekly paychecks is $171.93.

## Sources

- Thrift Savings Plan, TSP loans. https://www.tsp.gov/tsp-loans/ (retrieved 2026-10-05)
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, What is amortization and how could it affect my auto loan? https://www.consumerfinance.gov/ask-cfpb/what-is-amortization-and-how-could-it-affect-my-auto-loan-en-771/ (retrieved 2026-10-05)