Employees are automatically vested for their contributions and agency matching contributions, and associated earnings on those, from day one, but are not vested in agency automatic contributions and associated earnings on those until three years after employment (two years for members of the uniformed services and some categories of civilian employees); if the employee leaves those contributions are forfeited<ref>If an employee dies while employed, the matching contributions and associated earnings are "deemed" to be vested at death and can be withdrawn by his/her beneficiaries/heirs.</ref> (and used to pay administrative fees, which makes the TSP among the lowest-cost plans available). An employee having forfeited funds, if s/he returns to civil service, cannot reclaim those funds. | Employees are automatically vested for their contributions and agency matching contributions, and associated earnings on those, from day one, but are not vested in agency automatic contributions and associated earnings on those until three years after employment (two years for members of the uniformed services and some categories of civilian employees); if the employee leaves those contributions are forfeited<ref>If an employee dies while employed, the matching contributions and associated earnings are "deemed" to be vested at death and can be withdrawn by his/her beneficiaries/heirs.</ref> (and used to pay administrative fees, which makes the TSP among the lowest-cost plans available). An employee having forfeited funds, if s/he returns to civil service, cannot reclaim those funds. |