Invest your way. Retire your way.

Transcription

1 Invest your way. Retire your way.

2 Welcome to investing freedom. It s easy to get started. Click. Web-activate your account. Transfer. Add money to your PCRA to begin investing right away. Invest. Take full advantage of our online tools and guidance. Questions? We re here to help. PCRA call center: PCRA (7272)

3 Your Schwab PCRA Guide You have your own vision for retirement. Now you can take your own approach to investing for it.

4 Thank you for opening a Personal Choice Retirement Account (PCRA) with Charles Schwab. With your Schwab PCRA, you ve added more investment access, choice and flexibility to your retirement plan. Now you have a much wider range of investment opportunities, and the full breadth of Schwab tools and services to help you make choices that are right for you. PCRA gives you the freedom to: Fine-tune your retirement strategy. Research and choose your investments. Trade whenever it s convenient for you. Monitor your progress. And you can do it all using the industry-leading Schwab.com website.

5 Account basics Getting started page 3 Funding your PCRA page 4 Reviewing your investment choices page 6 Placing trade orders page 7 Saving on commissions and fees page 8 Withdrawing money page 9 Investing tools and guidance Planning your investment strategy page 11 Researching and choosing investments page 12 Monitoring your progress page 14 Who to call for help Getting account assistance page 17 Questions? We re here TO HELP. PCRA Questions? Call Center: We re here PCRA TO HELP. (7272) call center: Online: PCRA schwab.com/pcra (7272)

6 2 ACCOUNT BASICS Account Basics

7 3 ACCOUNT BASICS GETTING STARTED Your Schwab PCRA is ready for investing just as soon as it s funded. And once you ve activated your account for web access, you re set to use all the great tools and research available on Schwab.com. Your first login: 1. Click the Login button on Schwab.com and then click the link for New User. 2. For your first login, all you need is your PCRA account number (which was mailed to you recently), plus your Social Security number, date of birth and home phone number. If you re already a Schwab client, please use your current login and select your PCRA account number. 3. Once you ve logged in, select your PCRA account number and look for PCRA Resources on the right side of the screen. You can also locate PCRA information by clicking on Products > Retirement > Personal Choice Retirement Account. Your first transfer: 1 1. Fund your PCRA initially by transferring money from other investments you have in your retirement plan (core investments). For details about how to do this, see the next page. 2. If your plan doesn t offer other core investments, check with your Retirement Plan Provider for funding instructions. Your first trade: Once you have money in your PCRA, you can use the tools on Schwab.com to research and plan your investments, make your choices and place your trade orders. Or, call a Schwab PCRA Registered Representative for personal assistance at PCRA (7272). Questions? We re here TO HELP. PCRA call center: PCRA (7272)

8 4 ACCOUNT BASICS Funding your PCRA After you initially fund your account, you can make additional transfers into your PCRA at any time. To transfer funds into your PCRA: 1. Decide how much you want to transfer and from which of your core investments (for example, $5,000 from ABC fund and $2,500 from XYZ fund). 2. Contact your Retirement Plan Provider and follow the instructions they provide for transferring money to your PCRA, and note any limits they may impose. 3. Your funds are automatically swept into a Schwab money market fund* in your PCRA, where they ll earn interest until you place a trade. Need additional help? For more details, view the PCRA Educational Webcast on Schwab.com. You ll find it at Products > Retirement > PCRA > Features. * An investment in a money market fund is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. Although money market funds seek to preserve the value of your investment at $1.00 per share, it is possible to lose money by investing in a money market fund.

9 5 ACCOUNT BASICS Investing with your PCRA Let s say you d like to buy a mutual fund that isn t offered by your retirement plan. Here s an example of how you can move money into your PCRA to buy the fund. 1 You sell a core investment Unless you already have cash in your PCRA, you ll need to use money from one of your other retirement plan investments (core investments). In this case, you decide to sell shares of your EFG mutual fund. 2 You transfer the proceeds After selling shares of EFG, you instruct your Retirement Plan Provider to transfer the proceeds to your PCRA. Your transfer is automatically swept into a Schwab money market fund in your PCRA. 3 You re ready to invest Now there s money in your PCRA to buy the fund you want a fund you can now buy because you ve opened a PCRA. If you sell an investment inside your PCRA, the proceeds are swept back into the Schwab money market fund. Your core investments YOUR PCRA MONEY MARKET FUND YOUR PCRA INVESTMENTS ABC Mutual fund EFG Mutual fund cash from selling investment(s) MUTUAL FUNDS STOCKS BONDS EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT AND MORE XYZ Mutual fund For illustration purposes only. Refer to your Retirement Plan Provider for details on available investments. Questions? We re here TO HELP. PCRA call center: PCRA (7272)

10 6 ACCOUNT BASICS Reviewing your investment choices With your PCRA, you expand your choices far beyond your plan s menu of investments. You can tailor your portfolio according to your own needs and investment objectives. Typical PCRA choices: MUTUAL FUNDS Thousands of funds from hundreds of fund families. STOCKS Listed on all major exchanges, including over-the-counter issues. EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS 2 Invest like a fund, but trade like a stock. INDIVIDUAL BONDS Find the right bond easily with the online Schwab BondSource tool. MONEY MARKET FUNDS Paying interest on between-investment money. CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT 3 A wide selection of rates and maturities from banks nationwide. Investors should consider carefully information contained in the prospectus, including investment objectives, risks, trading policies, charges and expenses. You can request a prospectus by calling Schwab s dedicated PCRA Call Center at PCRA (7272). You may also request a prospectus online at Please read the prospectus carefully before investing. Restricted investments: Due to regulations, some investments are not allowed in PCRAs. Your employer may also decide to exclude some types of investments from your PCRA. Check with your Retirement Plan Provider for specifics that apply to your plan. Currencies Short sales Private placements Commodities Precious metals Real estate Futures Margin accounts Collectibles Options (other than covered calls and protective puts, if permitted by your employer) Any other investments your employer may restrict

11 7 ACCOUNT BASICS Placing trade orders You may place trade orders as often as you like, day or night, 4 as long as you have sufficient cash or securities in your PCRA to complete the trade. Ways to place trade orders: SCHWAB.COM This is the easiest and least expensive way to place trade orders. AUTOMATED PHONE SERVICES With Schwab s touch-tone and voice recognition services, you can place trade orders, as well as get real-time stock quotes and check your account balance, whenever it s convenient for you. DEDICATED PCRA CALL CENTER Place your trade order with a Schwab PCRA Registered Representative who is specifically trained to assist PCRA clients. Call PCRA (7272). SCHWAB AUTOMATIC INVESTMENT PLAN 5 (AIP) Arrange regular, ongoing investments of $100 or more in any Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource fund you purchase in your PCRA. Schwab AIP also makes it easy to take advantage of dollar-cost averaging. Enroll on Schwab.com or call the PCRA Call Center. YOUR PERSONAL INVESTMENT ADVISOR If your plan allows, you can authorize your own investment advisor to trade on your behalf by completing a Schwab PCRA Limited Power of Attorney (LPOA) form for an Investment Advisor, or a PCRA LPOA form for a Third Party. Access these forms in the PCRA Resources section on Schwab.com or call the PCRA Call Center for assistance. Questions? We re here TO HELP. PCRA call center: PCRA (7272)

12 8 ACCOUNT BASICS SAVING ON COMMISSIONS AND FEES At Schwab, we know how important it is to manage investing costs, and we believe you should always know exactly what you re paying. In many cases, you ll enjoy price advantages by investing with Schwab. Ways to save and things to know: SAVE ON MUTUAL FUNDS Thousands of mutual funds 6 offered through Schwab PCRA are available to you with no loads or transaction fees, which means that more of your money goes to work for you. For a complete list of funds typically available, visit the PCRA Resources section on Schwab.com and select the Investments link. AUTOMATED SERVICES REDUCE COSTS Place trade orders on Schwab.com or via Schwab s automated phone services to help reduce your costs. WHERE TO FIND TRADING COMMISSIONS Some purchases and sales in your PCRA may be subject to commissions and fees. For details, select the Overview link in the PCRA Resources section on Schwab.com to review the Charles Schwab Corporate and Retirement Services (SCRS) Pricing Guide, as well as the Schwab PCRA Pricing Summary. FEES YOUR PLAN MAY CHARGE Please note that Schwab does not charge a fee to activate or maintain a PCRA. However, fees may be charged by your Retirement Plan Provider. Check with your provider for details.

13 9 ACCOUNT BASICS Withdrawing money As your financial needs change over time, you may need to transfer money out of your PCRA in order to take a loan, withdrawal or distribution. Or you may simply want to reallocate money back into your core retirement account investments. Keep the following points in mind when considering a transfer or distribution: Money in your PCRA cannot be accessed directly because it is part of your retirement plan savings. Investments in your PCRA generally must be sold to transfer money out. The funds from investments you sell are swept into a Schwab money market fund. The money you intend to transfer out cannot be used to buy securities that are pending settlement and cannot be used for limit orders pending execution. You may be able to make an in-kind transfer to a Schwab Rollover Individual Retirement Account (IRA). 7 Requesting a loan or hardship withdrawal: If you need to access money in your retirement plan, your plan may permit you to request a loan or hardship withdrawal. You cannot directly use your PCRA to fund your loan or hardship withdrawal. You must liquidate assets in your PCRA to make cash available for transfer to your core account before the loan or hardship request can be processed. However, the amount in your PCRA is taken into consideration as part of the entire retirement plan balance when a loan is requested. Contact your Retirement Plan Provider for details on this process. Questions? We re here TO HELP. PCRA call center: PCRA (7272)

14 10 Investing Guidance Investing Tools and Guidance

15 11 Investing Guidance Planning your investment strategy Through your Schwab PCRA, you can access a variety of resources that can help you take the right steps to reach your financial goals. START WITH A PORTFOLIO CHECKUP Use our Schwab Portfolio Checkup tool to take stock of where you stand now and what you need to do next. Click on Tools & Calculators under the Guidance tab on Schwab.com. FREE WORKSHOPS AND WEBCASTS Hone your investing skills by attending online and in-branch events on topics such as building a diversified portfolio and navigating Schwab.com. Check schedules at or call your local Schwab branch. NEED HELP WITH YOUR PORTFOLIO? If you do, and you meet certain requirements, Schwab can help you find an independent investment advisor to assist with planning and ongoing management of your PCRA. Ask your Retirement Plan Provider if your plan allows you to use investment advisors. With Schwab s Portfolio Checkup tool, you can assess all your investments including those you hold at other firms. Questions? We re here TO HELP. PCRA call center: PCRA (7272)

16 12 Investing Guidance Researching and choosing investments On Schwab.com, you ll find a wealth of resources including online tools, high-quality research, timely advisories and much more designed to help you locate the investments that are right for you. You can find these tools under the Research tab on Schwab.com: SCHWAB EQUITY RATINGS Use these ratings to help you decide whether you want to buy, sell or hold a particular stock. Ratings of A through F make it easy to identify stocks that may outperform or underperform the market in the next 12 months. Lists of rated stocks can be found in the Stocks section. LISTS OF PRESCREENED FUNDS Find the best funds for you by starting with lists of funds that have already been carefully prescreened by experts at the Schwab Center for Financial Research. The Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource Select List can be found in the Mutual Funds section. CUSTOMIZABLE SCREENER TOOLS When you re looking for investments that meet very specific criteria and you need to narrow down the many choices, you can use our customizable screeners to perform searches based on factors that are important to you. Find screeners for stocks, mutual funds and exchange-traded funds under the Research tab. MARKET INSIGHT FROM EXPERTS Make sense of the daily avalanche of market news and build successful investment strategies with straightforward, actionable perspectives and research from Schwab experts and industry-leading independent firms. Find Market Insight and other helpful tools under the Research tab.

17 13 Investing Guidance This Schwab Mutual Fund OneSource Select List sample shows large-cap U.S. stock funds. You can choose other fund categories from the drop-down box. Questions? We re here TO HELP. PCRA call center: PCRA (7272)

18 14 Investing Guidance Monitoring your progress Schwab makes it easy to check your investment portfolio regularly with helpful, customized views of your holdings, proactive alerts and portfolio monitoring tools. SCHWAB QUARTERLY PORTFOLIO PROFILE Monitor your progress with this free quarterly report that can be delivered online or mailed to you. Track performance, view ratings for your investments and identify areas where you may need to bring your portfolio in line with a target asset allocation you ve chosen. Subscribe to this report in the Portfolio Analysis section under the Accounts tab. ALERTS Sign up to receive s when ratings change or there is news about an investment you own or watch. Set your Alert Preferences in the Account Settings section under the Service tab. ACCOUNT UPDATES ON SCHWAB.COM See a summary of all the vital information that s important to you, including messages about your Schwab account, under the Accounts tab. For more detailed account information, including cost basis and Gain/Loss, visit the Positions and History sections. estatements AND econfirms Access your statements for the past two years and sign up to receive an advising you when your latest statement is ready to view online. Also, get electronic confirmations for the trades you place in your PCRA. Set your preference for electronic delivery in the Account Settings section under the Service tab.

19 15 Investing Guidance CURRENT ALLOCATION TARGET ALLOCATION Your Schwab Quarterly Portfolio Profile helps you identify areas where you may need to bring your investments in line with a target allocation you ve chosen. Markets change, companies change and your personal situation may change all good reasons to check your portfolio regularly. Schwab makes it easy. Questions? We re here TO HELP. PCRA call center: PCRA (7272)

20 16 W h o to C a l l f o r H e l p Who to Call for Help

21 17 W h o to C a l l f o r H e l p Getting account assistance In addition to the helpful tools on Schwab.com, your new PCRA comes with the professional support you need to start investing on your terms. Use the information below to connect with the right people right from the start. Contact the PCRA Call Center if you want to: Place trades in your PCRA. Obtain your PCRA balance. Obtain investment information. Ask about additional Schwab services. Change your address. Call PCRA (7272) PCRA Registered Representatives are available to help you, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. through 7:30 p.m. ET. And Schwab investment professionals are ready to help day or night. Due to regulations governing retirement plans, Schwab PCRA Registered Representatives cannot make specific investment recommendations, but they can guide you on using the tools that will help you make your investment choices. Contact your Retirement Plan Provider if you want to: Direct money into your PCRA through payroll contributions. Make transfers between your PCRA and core investment choices. Make transfers within your core investment choices. Obtain the balance of your entire employer-sponsored retirement account (core investments plus PCRA). Ask questions about your core investment choices. Request a loan or withdrawal. Questions? We re here TO HELP. PCRA call center: PCRA (7272)

22 1 Please refer to each fund s prospectus for more information before investing or transferring money. 2 Exchange-traded funds are subject to risks similar to those of stocks. 3 Certificates of deposit offer a fixed rate of return and are FDIC-insured. 4 Access to electronic services may be limited or unavailable during periods of peak demand, market volatility, system upgrades or maintenance, or for other reasons. 5 Periodic investment plans (dollar-cost averaging, dividend reinvestment or Schwab s Automatic Investment Plan [AIP]) do not assure a profit and do not protect against loss in declining markets. Since AIP involves continuous investment in securities regardless of fluctuating price levels, you should consider your financial ability to continue your purchases through periods of low price levels before deciding to invest this way. 6 Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. receives remuneration from fund companies in the Mutual Fund OneSource program for recordkeeping and shareholder services, and other administrative services. Schwab s short-term redemption fee will be charged on redemptions of funds (except certain Schwab Funds ) bought through Schwab s Mutual Fund OneSource program (and certain other funds) with no transaction fee and held for 90 days or less. If you pay a transaction fee to purchase a fund, you will pay a transaction fee when you sell it as well. Schwab reserves the right to change the funds we make available without transaction fees and to reinstate fees on any funds. Funds are also subject to management fees and expenses. 7 Contact your Retirement Plan Provider to determine eligibility for in-kind transfers. The Charles Schwab Corporation (Schwab) provides services to retirement plan sponsors and participants through its affiliates, Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., Schwab Retirement Plan Services, Inc., The 401(k) Company, Inc., and Charles Schwab Trust Company, a division of Charles Schwab Bank Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. Member SIPC. CSA ( ) MKT30180IV-02 (12/08)