An Easy-to-Understand Introduction to the Retirement Plan and the Savings Plan. Contributions. Other Benefits

Transcription

1 An Easy-to-Understand Introduction to the Retirement Plan and the Savings Plan Annuities How the Plans Work Contributions Eligibility Enrollment Other Benefits September 2013

2 WELCOME TO THE YMCA RETIREMENT FUND Inside you ll find clear, easy-to-read explanations to many of the key aspects and intricacies of the Retirement Plan and the Savings Plan, including how to get started, and how to build your savings. This Guide was originally created in 2002 as a joint effort by the YMCA Retirement Fund and Lightbulb Press. ( PHOTO CREDITS YMCA of the USA IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGY Please note that use of the terms listed below have the following meanings: Retirement Plan the YMCA Retirement Fund Retirement Plan Savings Plan the YMCA Retirement Fund Tax-Deferred Savings Plan 403(b) Smart Account the account for pre-tax contributions under the YMCA Retirement Fund Tax-Deferred Savings Plan ELEVENTH EDITION 2013 YMCA RETIREMENT FUND. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. If any inconsistencies arise between this guide and the Plan Documents, the language in the official Plan Documents will govern. The YMCA Retirement Fund has made every attempt to ensure the accuracy of this material, however, it should not be construed as legal, accounting, financial, investment or other advice. The Fund reserves the right to revise this information at any time to correct errors or otherwise. If it appears that any item is incorrect, please contact the YMCA Retirement Fund. Y and the Y logos are registered trademarks of the YMCA of the USA and used with permission. YMCA Retirement Fund and the YRF logo are trademarks owned by the YMCA Retirement Fund.

3 Why Save for Your Future? PLANNING AHEAD The earlier you start saving for retirement, the better off you will be. You should save at least 15% of your salary each year throughout your career in order to retire comfortably. SOURCES OF INCOME There are three categories of income that may be available to provide for your retirement: YMCA Retirement Fund plans and other pension plans Personal savings and investments Social Security Since Social Security benefits won t cover all of your expenses, it s crucial to take saving for retirement into your own hands. As a Y employee, you are given a special opportunity to save for your future. The Savings Plan and Retirement Plan enable you to build up your savings. THE SAVINGS PLAN Starting on your first day of employment, you can save tax deferred in a 403(b) Smart Account and roll over your savings from another eligible employer pension plan or certain IRAs. THE RETIREMENT PLAN Once you re enrolled in the Retirement Plan, your Y will contribute a part of your retirement savings. RETIREMENT PLAN SAVINGS PLAN PLAN FOR A LONG RETIREMENT Having an annuity that provides income for life is important since many of us will look forward to spending as many (if not more) years retired as we worked during our Y careers. Experts call this longevity risk. As this chart shows, there is a 50% chance that a 65-year-old male will live to age 85, a woman to age 88 and at least one spouse in a married couple to age 91. PROBABILITY OF A 65-YEAR-OLD LIVING TO VARIOUS AGES 100% 75% Male Female At Least One Spouse 50% Age % 0 Age Source: Morningstar Inc

4 Path to Saving for Your Future One of the primary benefits of working for a Y is that you can build your savings with the YMCA Retirement Fund. In the course of your Y career, you might move from one Y to another, but your savings will stay at the YMCA Retirement Fund. The YMCA Retirement Fund sponsors two plans: the Retirement Plan and the Savings Plan. The Retirement Plan is a 401(a) defined contribution account balance plan. This means that benefits at retirement are determined by the amount in your account during your working career, plus interest credited. The Savings Plan is a 403(b) plan, which offers you a way to save additional money for your future, from your first day of employment at a Y. WHEN YOU START As soon as you start working for a Y, you can begin to save with a 403(b) Smart Account. You can also roll over money from eligible employer pension plans or certain IRAs to a Rollover Account. ELIGIBILITY To be enrolled in the Retirement Plan, you must have completed 1,000 hours of service during each of any two 12-month periods, beginning with your date of hire. The two years do not have to be consecutive. You must also be at least age 21. THE SOONER YOU START SAVING, ADDITIONAL SAVINGS You can add to your retirement nest egg by saving with a 403(b) Smart Account. The account is tax-deferred, so income taxes on contributions and earnings are postponed until you take a withdrawal or start your annuity. You can start, stop, or change the amount you want to save at any time. You can also roll over money to a Rollover Account if you haven t already done so. HOW THE FUND INVESTS The money saved in the plans is invested in a variety of vehicles, including stocks and bonds, to ensure future growth and to assure retirement income to all participants who retire from a Y. The Fund s Board of Trustees declares the interest rate that will be credited to your accounts based on how well the investments perform and other considerations. 2

5 ENROLLMENT AND VESTING When you meet the eligibility requirements, your Y will enroll you in the Retirement Plan. When you re enrolled, you are immediately vested. CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR RETIREMENT PLAN ACCOUNTS Contributions are based on your compensation. Some Ys pay the entire amount. Others require that both you and your Y pay. THE MORE YOUR EARNINGS WILL GROW ACCOUNT GROWTH Your savings grow based on the level of contributions being made and interest credited to your accounts. What s more, the earlier you begin to save with a 403(b) Smart Account, the faster your savings will grow. AT RETIREMENT Once you are no longer working for a Y, you can start receiving an annuity from the Retirement Plan and/or the Savings Plan as early as age 55. An annuity pays you a monthly income for life. You ll need to make important decisions about the annuity option that s best for you. Depending on the amount you have saved, you can decide whether to withdraw your savings or start an annuity from each plan, and these decisions can be made for each plan at different times. 3

6 Savings for Life YMCA RETIREMENT FUND 403(b) SMART ACCOUNT Any employee of a participating Y can participate in the Savings Plan by opening a 403(b) Smart Account starting on their first day of employment. Saving with a 403(b) Smart Account is easy. You agree to have a percentage or dollar amount withheld from your paycheck and deposited into your account. By saving in this account, you reduce your taxable income. You ll still have to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes on the amounts you save, but you won t have to pay federal income taxes on those amounts, or on the account s earnings until you withdraw them from the Savings Plan or begin receiving an annuity. In most cases, you can defer state and local taxes as well. TAX-DEFERRED SAVINGS: PUTTING ON A CAP The federal government sets limits on the amounts you can save annually. To learn more about the limits, go to Contribution Limits Calculator. If you are age 50, these limits are increased. If you ve worked for a Y for at least 15 years, you may be able to save additional amounts in your 403(b) Smart Account. WHAT IS TAX-DEFERRED? It s important not to confuse tax-deferred savings with tax-free savings. When you save for retirement in a 403(b) Smart Account, you re postponing taxes, not eliminating them. When you retire or take money out of your account, you ll pay income tax on the amount you withdraw. Although there s no guarantee what the tax rates will be in the future, many people find that they pay income tax at a lower rate after they retire. ROLLOVERS Whether you are a new employee or have been working at the Y for a while, you can roll over amounts into the Savings Plan from another eligible employer pension plan or certain IRAs. LOANS While you are working for the Y, you can borrow from your accounts in the Savings Plan the 403(b) Smart Account and the Rollover Account. If you have both a 403(b) Smart Account and a Rollover Account, the amount you borrow will be split between them. You may borrow up to 50% of your total balance in the Savings Plan, or $50,000 (minus your highest outstanding loan balance from the prior 12 months if you have previously taken another loan), whichever is less. The minimum amount you can borrow is $1,000. All interest you pay will be credited back to your accounts. Loan terms are a maximum of five years and repayment is through payroll deduction. THE DOUBLE ADVANTAGE OF TAX DEFERRAL THE MORE MONEY YOU PUT IN YOUR 403(b) SMART ACCOUNT... THE LOWER YOUR TAXABLE SALARY... THE LESS TAX YOU PAY... AND THE FASTER YOUR SAVINGS WILL GROW. 4

7 THE FINE PRINT To get the benefits of tax deferral, you cannot withdraw from your 403(b) Smart Account before you turn 59½. If you do, you may owe a 10% federal penalty tax on the amount you take out, in addition to any income tax that s due. While you are working at a Y and are under age 59½, you may only withdraw from your account if you have an IRS-qualified financial hardship. The Fund requires proof of your hardship. Before taking a hardship withdrawal, you must take all available withdrawals and non-taxable loans from plans maintained by your Y. This includes taking a loan from the Savings Plan. If you take a hardship withdrawal, you cannot make contributions to your 403(b) Smart Account for six months. If you re 59½ or older, you can withdraw your entire account without penalty, although federal taxes will still apply. State tax laws vary. Y RETIREES SAY Put in as much as you can and forget it s there. When it s your time to retire, you will be pleasantly surprised how much you have accumulated by not touching it. Get in the habit of saving and start early in your career; it is the length of time you are saving that makes the difference. Take full advantage of the tax savings and keep your expenses low one reason I am having more fun is that I am not worrying about money. Let s look at two examples: Mark chooses not to save any tax-deferred money in a 403(b) Smart Account. With $30,000 in taxable Y income and assuming he lives in a state with no state income tax, his monthly net income will be around $2,251. Krista, on the other hand, decides to open a 403(b) Smart Account. Despite the fact that she s saving $100 a month, her net income is only $85 a month less than Mark s. Krista Mark Taxable Y Income $30,000 $30, (b) Smart Savings of $100 per month 1,200 Taxable Y Income after Savings $28,800 $30,000 Federal Income Taxes 2,804 2,984 Annual Net Y Income $25,996 $27,016 Monthly Net Y Income $2,166 $2,251 5

8 Eligibility and Y Contributions As a Y employee, once you ve met eligibility requirements, participation in the Retirement Plan is mandatory. As a participant, you re taking a major step toward preparing for your financial future. While there are some rules and requirements you should know about, your Y is responsible for enrolling you on time. DETERMINING YOUR ELIGIBILITY Your eligibility depends on two things: 1. Your Y service: You satisfy the service requirement when you have completed 1,000 hours of service during each of any two 12-month periods, beginning with your date of hire or the anniversary of your date of hire (anniversary date). The two years do not have to be consecutive. 2. Your age: Once you have completed the service requirement, you are enrolled on the first day of the month following your anniversary date, provided you are 21 years of age. If your anniversary date falls on the first of the month, you are enrolled on your anniversary date. EQUIVALENCY RULE When a Y does not track hours worked, U.S. Department of Labor regulations determine hours of service. Under the service equivalency rules, an employee who has worked at least one hour for a Y will be credited with a specific number of hours based on the Y s payroll cycle. For example, if your Y is on a weekly payroll cycle, you will be credited with 45 hours of service for every paycheck you receive. When you become eligible, your Y will enroll you in the Retirement Plan. Upon enrollment, you are immediately vested, which means you can never lose the rights to the money in your accounts regardless of whether or not you stay with the Y. Depending on the amount you have saved, different plan rules apply which will determine whether you may receive an annuity when you retire, or take a distribution after you leave Y employment. WELCOME TO THE PLAN Shortly after you are enrolled in the Savings Plan or the Retirement Plan, you ll receive a Welcome Kit containing valuable information. If you have any questions, you can call our Customer Service Department at 800-RET-YMCA. 6

9 PLAN CONTRIBUTIONS Contributions to the Retirement Plan are based on your salary. Your Y chooses a total contribution rate of 12%, 11%, 10%, 9%, or 8%. Within that contribution rate, your Y also determines whether they will require you to save in the Retirement Plan. YOUR ACCOUNTS IN THE RETIREMENT PLAN Your own history with the Y will determine which types of accounts you have in the Retirement Plan. All current employees and many past employees will have a YMCA Account. This is the account that holds contributions made by your Y. If you work for a Y that requires you to also make contributions, those will be saved in a Personal Account. Y RETIREES SAY Having a secure, financially adequate retirement is well worth sacrificing current income for. As a single mother at the time I started working at the Y, my director told me if I could only put $5 to $10 a month extra toward my retirement to do so. It was the best advice I have ever received. Start your retirement planning the first day of being hired. HOW CONTRIBUTIONS WORK Suppose your Y has chosen a 12% contribution rate and your paycheck is $2,500. If your Y makes the entire contribution, $300 will be sent to your YMCA Account after every payroll. If your Y has chosen to pay 7% and requires you to pay 5%, your Y will send $175 to your YMCA Account and $125 will be deducted from your paycheck for your Personal Account. Contribution Rate = 12% Your Paycheck = $2,500 WHEN YOUR Y PAYS ALL WHEN YOU PAY SOME YMCA Account Contribution $300 $175 Personal Account Contribution $0 $125 Total Contribution Each Payroll $300 $300 TAX ISSUES Contributions made to your YMCA Account, and the interest credited to that account, are not taxed until you take a withdrawal from your accounts or begin receiving an annuity. The contributions you make to your Personal Account are after-tax, so only the interest credited to those contributions will be subject to tax. 7

10 Beneficiaries and Benefits DESIGNATING BENEFICIARIES When you begin participating in the Retirement Plan or Savings Plan, you ll receive a Welcome Kit. Inside you ll find a Designation of Beneficiary form. It is important that you complete and mail the form to the Fund. Your named beneficiary is the person, people, institution, or trust that will receive benefits from the Fund if you die before you retire. You can name any individual or entity as beneficiary. If you are married and you name someone other than your spouse, your spouse must give notarized consent. If you name more than one beneficiary, you must also decide how benefits will be divided among them. While you cannot assign a specific dollar amount to go to any beneficiary, you may assign a specific percentage for each one, or have them share equally. LIFE CHANGES If at any time there s a change in your family, such as when you marry, have a child, or are widowed or divorced, you should review your beneficiary designation and make changes if necessary. It is important to keep the Fund up-todate on any beneficiary changes so your benefits are paid according to your wishes. You can get the forms you need at or by contacting the Fund s Customer Service Department at 800-RET-YMCA, or info@ymcaret.org. CLAIMS PROCEDURES If you believe you did not receive a benefit that you were entitled to, you or your beneficiary (or authorized representative) have the right to file a claim for benefits. The claim must be made in writing to the YMCA Retirement Fund s Claims Review Panel, 140 Broadway, New York, NY A copy of the complete claim review procedures can be found at DISABILITY RETIREMENT The Fund offers retirement benefits if you become permanently and totally disabled. That means if you re incapable of working for a living, and your condition isn t expected to improve, you may be eligible to receive an annuity from the Fund. To qualify for this benefit: You must have had contributions made to your YMCA Account every month for at least five years and be under age 60 You must have become disabled while you were employed at a participating Y You must not have withdrawn your Personal Account since leaving a Y You must apply for disability benefits within six months after terminating your Y employment You must be approved for this benefit by the Fund s disability claims administrator MILITARY SERVICE If you are called to active military duty for more than 30 days, the Heroes Earnings Assistance and Relief Tax (HEART) Act gives you special rights concerning survivor benefits, elective deferral distributions from the Savings Plan and differential wage payments. Please contact the Fund for more information. 8

11 PRE-RETIREMENT DEATH BENEFITS If you die while you are employed by a Y, the total benefit paid to your beneficiaries will be the greater of $10,000 or the sum of the amounts in your Personal and YMCA Accounts. Your beneficiaries will also be entitled to the amounts in your voluntary accounts. But if you ve left the Y, the benefit paid to your beneficiaries will be the sum of your vested accounts. Each of your beneficiaries may choose between a withdrawal or a single life annuity. However, if the balance due the beneficiary is $5,000 or less, he or she must take a withdrawal. LEAVING THE Y While some people spend their entire careers at the Y, others may leave before retirement age for a variety of reasons. If you leave, you ll need to make some decisions about what to do with your savings. If the total of your accounts in either the Retirement Plan or the Savings Plan is more than $5,000, you can leave your balances in that plan until you are ready to start receiving an annuity, which you can do as early as age 55. Whether you withdraw your accounts or start an annuity with the money in either the Retirement Plan or Savings Plan, you can leave your money in the other plan to continue to earn interest. You can make these decisions for each plan at different times. While you can leave the money in your accounts until you are ready to start an annuity, you must begin receiving your benefits by April 1 of the year following the year you reach age 70½ or leave Y employment, whichever is later. WITHDRAWAL RULES There are some rules regarding withdrawals from your accounts. Once your Y has notified the Fund that you have left employment, you will receive a letter from the Fund outlining your options. WITHDRAWALS & ROLLOVERS If you decide to take a withdrawal, we encourage you to roll over your savings to another eligible employer plan that accepts rollovers or an IRA. By doing this, you will not pay taxes until you take a withdrawal from the new retirement account. If you don t roll over your savings to another eligible employer plan or IRA, it will be taxed as ordinary income in the year you withdraw it. The Fund is required to withhold 20% for federal income taxes. Note that state tax laws may vary. If you are under 59½, an additional 10% penalty for early withdrawal may apply. If the total of your accounts in either the Savings Plan or Retirement Plan is more than $5,000, and you are married, you will need to obtain notarized spousal consent. We will send you IRS Form 1099R to report the withdrawal. RETIRE REHIRE? Federal tax law generally prohibits a pre-arranged strategy to collect retirement benefits while still employed. It is also a violation of the Retirement Plan s rules. 9

12 Choosing an Annuity ANNUITY OPTIONS If you are no longer working for a Y, and have more than $5,000 in a plan, you can start a lifetime annuity as early as age 55. You can start an annuity with the monies saved in either the Retirement Plan or Savings Plan, while leaving your money in the other plan to continue to earn interest. These decisions can be made for each plan at different times. This chart summarizes the key features of the available options. It is important to make a selection that best suits you, as after your annuity has started, the option you select cannot be changed or modified in any way. When you decide to begin receiving your annuity, notify the Fund at least 60 days in advance so that we can send you forms to complete. RETIRED DEATH BENEFIT In addition to your monthly annuity, the Fund provides a Retired Death Benefit. At the time you retire, you can use up to 90% of this benefit to increase your monthly annuity the remaining amount will be paid to your beneficiary. You must make your decision about this option when you start an annuity, and once you have made an election, it cannot be changed. If you don t choose this option, your beneficiary will receive 100% of the Retired Death Benefit at your death. PAYMENTS TO BENEFICIARIES If you die after you start an annuity, the Fund will pay your beneficiary: Any payments based on the annuity option you had selected, and Any amounts that you did not use from your Retired Death Benefit If the remaining amount from the Retired Death Benefit paid to your beneficiary is more than $5,000, they will have a choice of a withdrawal or a Maximum Single Life annuity. SINGLE LIFE Provides monthly income as long as you live. MAXIMUM PRINCIPAL GUARANTEE JOINT & SURVIVOR Provides monthly income as long as you or your survivor live. Your survivor may be entitled to 100%, 75% or 50% of your income depending on your annuity choice. JOINT & SURVIVOR JOINT & SURVIVOR POP-UP SOCIAL SECURITY LEVELING Provides an increase to your annuity before age 62, based on your estimated age 62 benefit from Social Security and the number of months you will receive the additional benefit. 10

13 ADVANTAGES Provides the greatest amount of monthly income Guarantees recovery of your account balances; any amount remaining at your death will be paid to your beneficiary(ies) CONDITIONS Does not provide income for a survivor Does not guarantee recovery of your account balances Payments end at your death Payments end at your death Monthly payments smaller than Maximum annuity ADVANTAGES Provides guaranteed income for your survivor following your death Provides guaranteed income for your survivor following your death If your survivor dies, your income will increase to the level of Maximum Single Life annuity income CONDITIONS Survivor cannot be changed once you have started receiving benefits Monthly payments to participant smaller than Single Life annuities Provides slightly less income while you are both alive Survivor cannot be changed once you have started receiving benefits Monthly payments to participant smaller than Single Life annuities ADVANTAGES You receive more income before age 62 Can be combined with any annuity option HOW AN ANNUITY IS CALCULATED The income that you receive as your annuity will be based on: Your account balances at retirement The interest rate that is used to convert your account balances The annuity option you select Your age at retirement The age of your survivor (for Joint & Survivor Annuities only) CONDITIONS Only for those retiring before age 62 Payments from the Fund will decrease after age 62 To offset the decrease in your annuity, you may need to start Social Security benefits at age 62 Adjustments do not affect benefits to a survivor Requires a copy of your Social Security Statement 11

14 Your Fund s Website One of your sources for information about the YMCA Retirement Fund is our website at KEEPING TRACK Log on to the Fund s website to keep track of your retirement accounts. Your account balances are posted on the website so you can see how your accounts have grown. PLANNING YOUR FUTURE One of the ways to start planning for your retirement is to do some annuity estimates for yourself using the Fund s online calculators. With the Annuity Estimate Calculator, you can enter different what if scenarios about your plan for retirement. The calculator will then estimate your benefits under different annuity options. About Us The YMCA Retirement Fund was incorporated in New York in As a 501(c)(3) not-forprofit corporation, the Fund is organized and operated for the purpose of providing retirement and other benefits for employees of participating Ys throughout the United States. The Fund sponsors the Retirement Plan, which is a defined contribution, money purchase, church pension plan that elected into certain provisions of the Employee The Retirement Goal Calculator tells you how much you need to be saving each month in order to have the income in retirement that you want. GOT QUESTIONS? If you have questions about the Fund, start with the FAQs section of the website. The topics that are covered range from a description of how the Fund works to specific details about how your account grows, how you can save additional money, and the basics about planning to retire from the Y. SUMMARY PLAN DESCRIPTION To read more details about the plans of the YMCA Retirement Fund, go to the Summary Plan Description and Plan documents at Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ( ERISA ). The Fund also sponsors the Tax-Deferred Savings Plan, which is a church retirement income account plan as defined in Section 403(b)(9) of the Internal Revenue Code. How to Contact the Fund YMCA Retirement Fund 140 Broadway New York, NY Hours: 8:45am 6:00pm Eastern Time Telephone: Toll-free: 800-RET-YMCA ( ) Fax: info@ymcaret.org Website: Live Chat: 8:45am 6:00pm Eastern Time FaceBook: 12

15 3 YMCA RetiR e M ent fund YMCA RetiR e M ent fund Path to Saving for Your Future One of the primary benefits of working for a Y is that you can build your savings with the YMCA Retirement Fund. In the course of your Y career, you might move from one Y to another, but your savings will stay at the YMCA Retirement Fund. The YMCA Retirement Fund sponsors two plans: the Retirement Plan and the Savings Plan. WHEN you START As soon as you start working for a Y, you can begin to save with a 403(b) Smart Account. You can also roll over money from eligible employer pension plans or certain IRAs to a Rollover Account. The Retirement Plan is a 401(a) defined contribution account balance plan. This means that benefits at retirement are determined by the amount in your account during your working career, plus interest credited. The Savings Plan is a 403(b) plan, which offers you a way to save additional money for your future, from your first day of employment at a Y. ELIGIBILITy To be enrolled in the Retirement Plan, you must have completed 1,000 hours of service during each of any two 12-month periods, beginning with your date of hire. The two years do not have to be consecutive. You must also be at least age 21. ENROLLMENT AND vesting When you meet the eligibility requirements, your Y will enroll you in the Retirement Plan. When you re enrolled, you are immediately vested. contributions TO your RETIREMENT PLAN AccOuNTS Contributions are based on your compensation. Some Ys pay the entire amount. Others require that both you and your Y pay. THE SOONER you START SAvING, THE MORE your EARNINGS WILL GROW ADDITIONAL SAvINGS You can add to your retirement nest egg by saving with a 403(b) Smart Account. The account is tax-deferred, so income taxes on contributions and earnings are postponed until you take a withdrawal or start your annuity. You can start, stop, or change the amount you want to save at any time. You can also roll over money to a Rollover Account if you haven t already done so. HOW THE FuND INvESTS The money saved in the plans is invested in a variety of vehicles, including stocks and bonds, to ensure future growth and to assure retirement income to all participants who retire from a Y. The Fund s Board of Trustees declares the interest rate that will be credited to your accounts based on how well the investments perform and other considerations. AccOuNT GROWTH Your savings grow based on the level of contributions being made and interest credited to your accounts. What s more, the earlier you begin to save with a 403(b) Smart Account, the faster your savings will grow. AT RETIREMENT Once you are no longer working for a Y, you can start receiving an annuity from the Retirement Plan and/or the Savings Plan as early as age 55. An annuity pays you a monthly income for life. You ll need to make important decisions about the annuity option that s best for you. Depending on the amount you have saved, you can decide whether to withdraw your savings or start an annuity from each plan, and these decisions can be made for each plan at different times. 2 YOUR GUIDE TO THE YMCA RETIREMENT FUND Inside you ll find clear, easy-to-read explanations to many of the key aspects and intricacies of the Retirement Plan and the Savings Plan, including how to get started, and how to build your savings. Visit the Fund s website at: YMCA Retirement Fund, 140 Broadway, New York, NY 10005