{
  "slug": "four-oh-three-b-457",
  "name": "403(b) / 457 / TSP",
  "aliases": [
    "403b",
    "457b",
    "thrift savings plan",
    "tsp",
    "teacher 403b",
    "governmental 457"
  ],
  "family": "accounts",
  "heat": "high",
  "talk": "Lots of talk",
  "mostDiscussed": false,
  "firstLine": "403(b) and 457(b) are employer retirement-plan types used by certain education, nonprofit or public-sector employers. Eligibility, fees and access rules depend on the plan, and governmental and nongovernmental 457(b) plans differ.",
  "whyLine": "Employees compare the actual vendor menu, surrender charges and payroll choices. Moving old money and choosing where the next contribution goes can be different decisions.",
  "feelWords": [
    "403b",
    "457",
    "tsp",
    "teacher retirement"
  ],
  "commonPicture": [
    {
      "lead": "A 457(b) can have a separate contribution limit",
      "why": "The applicable limit includes employer contributions; it is separate from 401(k)/403(b) employee deferrals. [community]"
    },
    {
      "lead": "2026 basic limits: $24,500 per relevant limit",
      "why": "Eligibility for two plans can make both limits available, subject to pay and plan terms. [community]"
    }
  ],
  "watchFor": "Compare investment-contract fees and surrender charges. A governmental 457(b) and a nongovernmental 457(b) have different rules and risks; the plan label alone is not enough. This is not advice.",
  "whatPeopleSay": [
    "**Start with the plan actually offered:** teachers, nonprofit workers and public employees may have account choices that differ from a private employer’s 401(k). [community]",
    "**r/personalfinance, Bogleheads, physician 457 threads** are the rooms. [community]",
    "**403(b) annuity menus** are the complaint. People roll or use a brokerage window when it exists. [community]",
    "**Non-governmental 457** has creditor/risk talk that governmental 457 threads do not. [community]",
    "**New payroll contributions and an old-account transfer differ:** the current vendor menu does not by itself answer where existing money can move or what leaving a contract will cost. [community]"
  ],
  "howPeopleRunIt": [
    "**Defer enough for the match, then ask if a 457 is extra room.** [community]",
    "**They read whether the 457 is governmental** before treating it like a twin 401(k). [community]"
  ],
  "amountsPeopleUse": [
    "**IRS deferral limits change by year** — people chant the current number, then confirm. [community]",
    "**Stacking 403(b)+457** is the hospital-forum headline when both exist. [community]"
  ],
  "howPeopleKeepIt": [
    "**Cheap funds if the menu has them.** [community]"
  ],
  "howItFeels": [
    "**Confusion, then a paycheck line.** [community]"
  ],
  "howLongPeopleRunIt": [
    "**The job years.** [community]"
  ],
  "deepDive": [
    "**Three separate comparisons:** employer matching concerns contributions received from the workplace; Roth versus Traditional concerns tax treatment; a rollover concerns money already in an account. Each still depends on the particular 403(b) or 457(b) terms. [community]"
  ],
  "watchForLong": [
    "**Annuity-only 403(b) with huge fees.** [community]",
    "**Treating every 457 as portable and safe.** [community]"
  ],
  "related": [
    "the-match",
    "four-oh-one-k-rollover",
    "roth-vs-traditional",
    "solo-401k",
    "hsa-account"
  ],
  "researchPointer": [],
  "housePointers": [],
  "playPointer": null,
  "sources": [
    "r/personalfinance 403b/457 threads",
    "Bogleheads TSP and 403b menu talk"
  ],
  "disclaimer": "Community talk may be wrong. Not financial, tax, legal, or investment advice. No return or outcome is promised.",
  "quickAnswerHistory": [
    {
      "field": "commonPicture",
      "rows": [
        {
          "lead": "The plan on the paycheck",
          "why": "403(b) or TSP instead of a 401(k) logo. [community]"
        },
        {
          "lead": "457 as a second bucket",
          "why": "Hospital/gov threads stack deferrals when the plan allows. [community]"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "definition",
      "rows": [
        "403(b), 457 and TSP are workplace retirement plans common in schools, hospitals, government and uniformed service when a 401(k) is not the wrapper."
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "communityPicture",
      "rows": [
        "People ask whether a 403(b) is ‘the same’ as a 401(k), then discover annuity-heavy menus, TSP’s cheap funds, and 457 stacking rules that depend on plan type."
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "firstLine",
      "rows": [
        "403(b), 457, and TSP are the workplace plans people have when there is no 401(k) — schools, hospitals, governments, uniformed services."
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "whyLine",
      "rows": [
        "403(b), 457, and TSP are the workplace plans people have when there is no 401(k) — schools, hospitals, governments, uniformed services."
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "commonPicture",
      "rows": [
        {
          "lead": "403(b): school/nonprofit plans; TSP: federal-service plan",
          "why": "TSP stands for Thrift Savings Plan. [community]"
        },
        {
          "lead": "457(b): a separate contribution limit",
          "why": "Its limit is separate from the 401(k)/403(b) employee-deferral limit and includes employer contributions. [community]"
        },
        {
          "lead": "TSP’s famous cheap funds",
          "why": "Federal/uniformed talk. [community]"
        },
        {
          "lead": "The match still matters",
          "why": "Same instinct as the 401(k) match card. [community]"
        },
        {
          "lead": "2026 basic limits: $24,500 per relevant limit",
          "why": "A person eligible for both a 403(b) and a 457(b) can have both limits available, subject to pay and plan terms. [community]"
        },
        {
          "lead": "Age catch-ups depend on plan and eligibility",
          "why": "For most eligible 403(b), governmental 457 and TSP participants: $8,000 at 50+, or $11,250 at ages 60–63 in 2026. [community]"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "watchFor",
      "rows": [
        "Annuity-heavy 403(b) menus. Governmental vs non-governmental 457. This is not advice. Not $STUD."
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "whatPeopleSay",
      "rows": [
        "**The job:** use the workplace wrapper they actually have, not the one blogs assume. [community]",
        "**Not a 401(k) rollover card** — that neighbor still exists. [community]"
      ]
    },
    {
      "field": "deepDive",
      "rows": [
        "**The match, 401(k) rollover, Roth vs Traditional** are the cousins. [community]"
      ]
    }
  ]
}