[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 5, Volume 3]
[Revised as of January 1, 2001]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 5CFR1651.16]

[Page 279]
 
                    TITLE 5--ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL
 
         CHAPTER VI--FEDERAL RETIREMENT THRIFT INVESTMENT BOARD
 
PART 1651--DEATH BENEFITS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 1651.16  Missing and unknown beneficiaries.

    (a) Locate and identify beneficiaries. (1) The TSP record keeper 
will attempt to identify and locate all potential beneficiaries.
    (2) If a beneficiary is not identified and located, and at least one 
year has passed since the date of the participant's death, the 
beneficiary will be treated as having predeceased the participant and 
the beneficiary's share will be paid in accordance with Sec. 1651.10
    (b) Payment to known beneficiaries. If all potential beneficiaries 
are known but one or more beneficiaries (and not all) appear to be 
missing, payment of part of the participant's account may be made to the 
known beneficiaries. The lost or unidentified beneficiary's share may be 
paid in accordance with paragraph (a) of this section at a later date.
    (c) Abandoned account. If no beneficiaries of the account are 
located, the account will be considered abandoned and the funds will 
revert to the TSP. If there are multiple beneficiaries and one or more 
of them refuses to cooperate in the Board's search for the missing 
beneficiary, the missing beneficiary's share will be considered 
abandoned. In such circumstances, the account can be reclaimed if the 
missing beneficiary is found at a later date. However, earnings will not 
be credited from the date the fund is abandoned. The beneficiary will be 
required to submit Form TSP-17 and may be required to submit proof of 
his or her identity and relationship to the participant.