The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) manages the Employee Express automated telephone line and Web site, which are widely used by federal agencies including Treasury, Justice, Commerce, and many others. Pathfinder is an automated telephone system that Customs developed and maintains.

Employee Express is required to conduct certain Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) and Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) transactions as well as some basic payroll transactions such as changing your tax withholding or taking out a savings bond. To use Employee Express, you need your PIN and social security number (SSN).

There are a few circumstances where Employee Express isn't required. For instance, if you've just started working for Customs or if you experience a qualifying life event (e.g., marriage, newborn) where you need to add your spouse or child to your health plan. You may contact the Employee Services Division at (202) 927-3900 for more information about other exceptions.

Under Pathfinder, you follow menu-driven steps to obtain copies of current job announcements and learn about recruitment initiatives. To be linked to Employee Express or receive a retirement estimate through Pathfinder, you need to enter your SSN and Employee Express PIN.

Your Employee Express PIN - a very important number.
Every Customs employee receives an Employee Express PIN in the mail from OPM. You'll need it and your SSN to make changes such as those you see in the chart to the right. If you need a replacement PIN, call Employee Express at (800) 827-6290 or OPM's Employee Express Help Desk at (478) 757-3030, and you'll receive it in about one week.

Contributions to TSP
In the February 2001 issue of U.S. Customs Today, we discussed how important it is for employees who are just starting out to contribute to TSP. The May 15 - July 31, 2001, TSP open season is a great time to begin contributing.

If you are already participating in TSP, this is your opportunity to increase or decrease your contribution rate (percentage or dollar amount); you do this with your Employee Express PIN. Beginning this open season and at any time thereafter, by using your separate TSP PIN, current participants may change allocations between the five available funds through TSP's ThriftLine or Web site (this may no longer be done through Employee Express).

Employee Express (800) 827-6290 - here's what you can do using your PIN and SSN   TSP Thrift Savings Plan During TSP Open Season May 15 - July 31, 2001 a Start contributing a Change contribution percentage or dollar amount Any time a Stop contributing a PIN change/replace FEHB Federal Employees Health Benefits During FEHB Open Season beginning in fall 2001 (to be announced) a Start plan a Change plans a Add members Any time a Cancel plan   "Other" Any time a Direct deposit change a Allotment (new/ change) a Tax withholding change a Address change a Savings bond

Your TSP PIN - you need one of these also
TSP maintains a Web site at www.tsp.gov. The site provides details on the open season changes. The TSP provides you with a separate TSP PIN that allows you to access TSP's ThriftLine and Web site. With this PIN and your SSN, you can do some things that you can't do through Employee Express. For instance, at any time, you can change the allocation of your funds, make an interfund transfer, or check on your account or loan balances. If you need a replacement TSP PIN, request one from TSP. You'll receive it in about one week.

TSP PIN and SSN ThriftLine (504) 255-8777 or TSP Web site www.tsp.gov - here's what you can do "any time" a Change funds' allocation (previously done through Employee Express) a Interfund transfer a Loan status a In-service withdrawal status a Account balance a Rates of return a TSP PIN change/replace

Note your PINs here and save this article in a secure location My Employee Express PIN (received from OPM)   My TSP PIN (received from TSP)

New options this TSP Open Season
Contribution maximum increased Starting this open season, your maximum contribution increases by one percent; FERS employees may elect to contribute up to 11 percent of basic pay while CSRS employees may contribute up to 6 percent of basic pay.

There are no changes to the agency automatic one percent contribution or to agency matching contributions for FERS employees. Effective January 2002 and each following year, the contribution limit will increase by one percent through January 2005.

In 2006, these percentage contribution limits will be eliminated entirely; then the total amount that you may contribute to the TSP each year will continue to be capped by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) deferral limit. The IRS deferral limit for 2001 is $10,500.

Two new funds added

• Small Capitalization Stock Index Investment (S) Fund
• nternational Stock Index Investment (I) Fund

New eligibility provision
Be sure to visit the TSP Web site at www.tsp.gov regarding the TSP waiting period for newly hired and rehired employees covered by FERS or CSRS. Clarification of the new provision is expected soon.

Watch for additional information regarding TSP changes.

Customs Pathfinder (800) 944-7725 4 options available Job Express (Press #1) Lists all current internal/external Customs job announcements a Obtain a copy of an announcement a Updated weekly Retirement Express (Press #2) Only for Customs employees a Requires your SSN and Employee Express PIN a Obtain retirement information a CSRS and FERS eligibility a High-3 calculations a Life and health insurance options> a Service credit aReceive a personalized retirement annuity estimate a Based on your current personnel records a You'll hear your estimate in seconds a Sent to your home at your request Employee Express (Press #3) Only for Customs employees a Links you to Employee Express a Allows you to make changes to your personnel/payroll records a Requires your SSN and Employee Express PIN Recruitment Express (Press #4) a Highlights current national recruitment campaigns a Provides external job announcement numbers and     automatically connects you to Job Express (#1)

During fiscal year 2000, Customs employees conducted over 25,000 Employee Express transactions. There were approximately 192,000 calls to Pathfinder from the public and agency employees, including over 3,400 retirement estimates provided to employees.