The new, upgraded Thrift Savings Plan Web site is scheduled to go online in May, the board governing the program said Jan. 19.

The new site will feature a more modern, clean and interactive design that the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board hopes will make it more welcoming for users. It will let participants access their account information and other features directly from the home page, and will prominently feature tabs and links that will let visitors easily navigate the site.

The current site has remained largely unchanged since its 1997 debut.

TSP participants randomly selected to view the new site submitted nearly 7,000 comments since Dec. 13, said Renee Wilder, the board's director of research and strategic planning. Almost nine out of every 10 comments were positive, she said.

Wilder said another upgrade planned for July will roll out sections on retirement planning, on handling changes in life events such as marriage or death, a calculator to show the effect of different TSP contribution rates on a participant's paycheck, and a new messaging system that will let participants ask TSP staff questions. The board also is thinking about further improvements that would give members more investment guidance and would make it easier for military members to use TSP.

"This is not the end," board chairman Andrew Saul said. "This is the beginning."

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