By Brittany R. Ballenstedt
In an effort to enhance security, the 3.8 million participants in the federal Thrift Savings Plan will no longer be identified by their Social Security numbers, officials for the retirement savings program announced Friday.
Starting Oct. 1, TSP enrollees will begin using account numbers in place of Social Security numbers, the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board announced in the Federal Register. Participants also will begin using passwords in place of 4-digit personal identification numbers for online transactions, officials said.
According to a notice posted on the TSP Web site in August, participants will use the new account number in conjunction with the TSP Web password to access their accounts online. Social Security numbers will still be used in some situations. For instance, service representatives might use them to further verify participants' identities, the Web notice said.
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