(a) Fund transfers into mutual fund window. A participant may elect to make one or more fund transfers to the mutual fund window from the portion of his or her TSP balance invested in the TSP core funds, subject to the following rules:

(1) The participant must establish a mutual fund window account that is separate from his or her TSP account. A participant with more than one TSP account may establish a separate mutual fund window account for each TSP account, and the limitations and fees described in subpart will apply separately to each account;

(2) If the participant does not have an acknowledgment of risk on file as of the date of his or her initial fund transfer request to the mutual fund window, the participant must complete an acknowledgment of risk for the fund transfer to be processed;

(3) Fund transfers must be made in whole dollar increments (percentages are not permitted);

(4) The following limitations must be satisfied:

(i) A participant's initial fund transfer into his or her mutual fund window account must be at least $10,000 and may not exceed 25 percent of the participant's TSP account balance, as of the date of such transfer; and

(ii) Subsequent fund transfers into a participant's mutual fund window account may not cause the balance in the participant's mutual fund window account to exceed 25 percent of the participant's total TSP balance, as of the date of any such transfer;

(5) Each fund transfer into the mutual fund window counts toward the monthly limit set forth in § 1601.32(b);

(6) Amounts transferred to a participant's mutual fund window account will initially be invested in a sweep money market fund. Subsequently, the participant may direct the investment of the transferred amounts into any mutual fund(s) that are available through the mutual fund window;

(7) Fund transfers are subject to the fees set forth in § 1601.53; and

(8) A participant may not withdraw funds directly from his or her mutual fund window account. To make a withdrawal, the participant must elect a fund transfer back to the TSP core funds as described in paragraph (b) of this section. Upon completion of such fund transfer, the participant may make a withdrawal in accordance with 5 CFR part 1650.

(b) Fund transfers back to TSP core funds. A participant may elect to make a fund transfer to the TSP core funds from amounts invested in his or her mutual fund window account, subject to the following rules:

(1) Fund transfers must be made in whole dollar increments (percentages are not permitted);

(2) Amounts to be transferred from a participant's mutual fund window account to the TSP core funds must first be transferred to the sweep money market fund. Subsequently, the participant may direct the investment of the transferred amounts into the TSP core funds;

(3) Each fund transfer back to the TSP core funds from the mutual fund window account counts toward the monthly limit set forth in § 1601.32(b); except, however, that a participant may always elect a fund transfer from the mutual fund window account to the G Fund; and

(4) Fund transfers are subject to the fees set forth in § 1601.53.

(c) Forced transfers. The TSP record keeper will force a transfer from the participant's mutual fund window account to the TSP core funds in the following situations, and subject to the following rules:

(1) A forced transfer may occur if the balance invested in the TSP core funds is insufficient to cover:

(i) Amounts necessary to comply with a court order, legal process, or levy described in 5 CFR part 1653;

(ii) A beneficiary asset transfer;

(iii) A required minimum distribution;

(iv) An automatic cash out distribution; or

(v) Any other payment or transfer that the Board is required by law to make from the participant's TSP account balance;

(2) The amount of the forced transfer shall be equal to the amount of the insufficiency described in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, plus $1,000; except, however, that if the participant's mutual fund window account balance is less than $25,000, the entire mutual fund window account balance shall be transferred to the TSP core funds;

(3) Forced transfers shall be liquidated from the participant's mutual fund window account first from amounts held in the sweep money market fund; and then from amounts invested in mutual funds, beginning with the position with the highest balance;

(4) Forced transfers from a participant's mutual fund window account to the TSP core funds shall be invested according to the participant's existing contribution allocation; and

(5) The participant shall be responsible for any fees incurred as a result of the forced transfer.