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Retirement Savings Plans

Benefits Plans Home
Retirement Savings Plans Home
Basic Retirement Plan
Supplemental Retirement Accounts (SRAs)
Extra to Basic vs. SRA
Eligible Compensation
New Employee SRA Calculator (PDF)
TIAA-CREF Investment Funds
Fidelity Investment Funds
Enrollment Deadlines
Compulsory Participation
Cancel Enrollment
Re-Enrollment
Retirement Savings Plan Forms
Quarterly Statements
Rollovers & Transfers
Cash Withdrawals
QDRO
Your Tax Deferring Limit
Federal Income Tax
Michigan Income Tax
IRS 10% Penalty
Myths and Misconceptions
Military Leave
MPSERS
Your Retirement Income Choices
How to Choose a Financial Planner
IRS/SRA Max Limit Handbook
Glossary
Your W-2
Temps


Questions

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HR/Payroll Service Center

 

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Important Reminders for New Faculty and Staff

U-M Retirement Savings and 457(b) Plans

Click below for a printable version of this information:
Retirement Savings Plan Reminders (PDF)

Enrollment is Not Automatic
You must submit the Salary or Annuity Option Plan Agreement form and the TIAA-CREF and/or Fidelity Investments account applications in order to enroll in the U-M Basic Retirement Plan.

  1. Requests for retroactive enrollment must be received within 60 days of hire. 
  2. December 1 is the final deadline for any plan enrollments or contribution changes.

Where to Obtain Forms
You may download enrollment applications from the Retirement Savings Plan website:

www.umich.edu/~benefits/forms/retirement.htm

Submit All Benefit Elections
Your enrollment in the retirement plan cannot be processed until after you elections for medical, dental, life, etc. has been made. Your enrollment will be delayed if your other benefit elections have not been submitted.

Return Forms to Benefits Office

Mail:             U-M Benefits Office
                     Retirement Savings Plan
                     Wolverine Tower-Low Rise G405
                     3003 S. State Street
                     Ann Arbor, MI  48109-1278

FAX:              (734) 936-8835  (for faster service)

Questions:     (734) 615-2000      or visit online at:

www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/index.htm

Did You Contribute to Another Plan?
Contributions you have made to another retirement plan will reduce how much you may contribute to the U-M Retirement Plan. This includes:

  1. Contributions to a previous employer’s plan.
  2. Contributions to the VA retirement plan.

Elective deferrals you have made to these types of retirement plans will reduce your U-M limit:

  1. 403(b)
  2. 401(k)
  3. 408(k)(6) SARSEPs
  4. SEP-IRAs
  5. SIMPLEs

Consult with a tax adviser if you have questions about the need to aggregate your contributions so you do not exceed IRS limits. 

Enroll in an SRA
You contribute 5% of your pre-tax salary and U-M contributes 10% when you enroll in the Basic Retirement Plan. Both contributions are made on your U-M earnings up to $225,000 for 2007. You may also make additional pre-tax contributions to a supplemental retirement account (SRA). These amounts are not matched by U-M, yet allow you to save more pre-tax for retirement.

Enroll in the 457(b) Plan
This plan allows to tax-defer up to $15,500 for 2007 or $20,500 if you are age 50 or older. These amounts do not reduce how much you may contribute to the U-M Retirement Plan and allow you to save even more on a pre-tax basis.  To learn more, visit:
www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/457b/index.htm


WHAT’S ON THE BENEFITS OFFICE WEBSITE

TOPIC

Description / URL

Divorce / QDRO

  1. Resources to call to establish one, legal requirements, forms, etc.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/qdro.htm  

Quarterly Statements

  1. How to read quarterly statements, when deductions are sent, how to reconcile pay stub to statements.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/qstatement.htm

Re-Enrollment

  1. Process and forms to re-enroll if new hire, newly eligible, or just canceled participation.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/reenroll.htm 

Eligible Compensation

  1. List of pay and comp that is eligible for retirement contribution and those that cannot have a deduction.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/eligcomp.htm

MAX Handbooks

  1. Highly detailed and technical information on how calculate IRS limits, your limit when you leave or retire, how other retirement plan contributions can reduce your U-M max limit.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/maxlimit.htm

Your Tax-deferring Limit

  1. Brief overview of contribution limits.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/taxdefer/index.htm

Forms

  1. PDF download of forms to enroll, cancel or change participation.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/forms/retirement.htm  

Cash Withdrawals

  1. Eligibility for Basic and SRA cash outs for current and former employees, taxation, tax planning issues.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/cashwithdrawal.htm  

Transfers & Rollover

  1. Rollovers to an IRA, rollovers from another plan, moving money between vendors, forms and procedures.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/transrollover.htm

Federal Income Tax

  1. Brief overview of federal taxation and which types of distributions are subject to mandatory 20% withholding.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/fedtax.htm  

Michigan Income Tax

  1. Explains when and how plan distributions are eligible as an deduction for Michigan taxes.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/mitax.htm  

IRS 10% Penalty

  1. When the penalty applies, exemptions to the penalty and how to qualify for them.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/irspenalty.htm 

Military Leave

  1. How to make up retirement contributions missed when you take a military leave of absence.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/military.htm 

How to Choose a Financial Planner

  1. Tips on choosing a planner, how they are credentialed, web sites that can direct you to find one.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/finplan.htm  

MPSERS

  1. How to get credit from working at U-M to retire from the State of Michigan.
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/miretire.htm  

Retirement Income Choices

  1. Overview of the various income plans at retirement: cash outs, lifetime annuity, minimum distribution
  2. www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/choices.htm 

Calculate Your SRA Contribution Limit:

www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/taxdefer/

View deadlines to target a specific paycheck:

www.umich.edu/~benefits/plans/retire/retdeadlines.htm

 

 

 

 

 


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the benefits information in this site. However, if any provision on the benefits plans is unclear or ambiguous, the Benefits Office reserves the right to interpret the plan and resolve the problem. If any inconsistency exists between this site and the written plans or contracts, the actual provisions of each benefit plan will govern. The University in its sole discretion may modify, amend, or terminate the benefits provided with respect to any individual receiving benefits, including active employees, retirees, and their dependents. 

©2002 University of Michigan Human Resources and Affirmative Action | Benefits Office | Wolverine Tower - Low Rise G250, 3003 South State Street, Ann Arbor MI 48109-1278 | Fax (734) 763-0363