How To Get Started

Determine Your Deferral

You may elect to reduce your compensation by a specific percentage or dollar amount and have that amount contributed to an account maintained on your behalf. The amount you elect to defer, plus any earnings on that amount, will not be subject to income tax until it is actually distributed to you. You also have the opportunity to make Roth 403(b) contributions. Click here to learn more about the Roth 403(b) feature. Review your monthly budget, consult your tax advisor if necessary, and determine your deferral.

Decide Your Investor Type

The complex world of mutual funds has been simplified in your employer sponsored retirement plan. The logic involved when selecting investments for your retirement dollars is this: the younger you are the more risk you can assume and as you progress towards retirement, gradually shift your assets to achieve a more conservative portfolio. Achieving your target asset allocation can be accomplished in two ways; lifecycle funds or building your own account.

Lifecycle Funds

The first asset allocation tool available in the plan is the lifecycle fund option. The emergence of lifecycle funds is attributed to participants wanting to shift the burden of selecting the appropriate asset allocation for their portfolio to the professionals. The idea of lifecycle funds is that the participant estimates their expected retirement date then invests all of their contributions into that corresponding fund matching that retirement date. The lifecycle fund will automatically shift more conservatively as the target retirement date nears. This is an ideal option for the participant that understands the importance of saving for retirement, but wants nothing to do with choosing mutual funds or adjusting their asset allocation as their expected retirement date nears.

Choosing Own Investments

The second method is to build your own diversified portfolio. There are many different fund options for the participant to choose from in this plan. This is an ideal option for the participant that knows their risk tolerance, enjoys tracking the markets, and has a disciplined investment philosophy. It is essential that the participant who chooses this option monitor their account, and modify the asset allocation on a periodic basis.

Determine Your Beneficiaries

Upon your death, your account balance will be used to provide your beneficiary with a death benefit. You will need to determine your beneficiaries. If you are married at the time of your death, your spouse will be the beneficiary of the entire death benefit unless an election is made to change the beneficiary. If you wish to designate a beneficiary other than your spouse, your spouse must consent in writing. If you are not married, you may designate your beneficiary on the form located on this website.

Enroll in the Plan

Select View Your Account from the menu or click here to log into your account and complete the enrollment steps.