Supplemental 403(b) Plan
Plan History and Purpose
The Supplemental 403(b) Plan was adopted by NSHE to provide employees with the opportunity to save more for retirement than they would otherwise be able to accumulate by participation in the mandatory plan alone (RPA for faculty and professional staff, PERS for classified staff, and the Medical Resident/Postdoctoral Scholar plan for medical residents and postdoctoral scholars). Participation in the Supplemental 403(b) is open to all classes of employees, except students, and is strictly voluntary. NSHE does not match your contributions to the Plan.
How You Participate
The Supplemental 403(b) is a voluntary plan that provides you with an opportunity to supplement your mandatory contributions to the RPA, the Medical Resident/Postdoctoral Scholar Plan or PERS and to build a larger retirement nest egg than you would otherwise be able to build. You can contribute a percentage of your salary up to the maximum amount allowed by law. In 2017, the maximum allowable contribution is $18,000. Participants over the age of 50 can contribute an additional $6,000. NSHE does not match your contributions in this plan.
You can contribute to the plan on a pre-tax or a post-tax basis. Your pre-tax contributions will be taxed when you take the money out of the plan. Post-tax contributions will come back to you untaxed when you take the money out of the plan.
You can begin, resume, change, or discontinue your contributions to the Supplemental 403(b) through Workday.
You choose how to invest your contributions. The amount of money available to you when you leave NSHE or retire will depend upon the performance of the investments you choose. TIAA, NSHE’s Retirement Program record keeper has professional investment counselors available to assist you in your investment deliberations.
If you are considering participation in this voluntary plan, you may want to visit the TIAA micro site for more information.
When You are Eligible to Receive Your Retirement Benefits
You are eligible to receive the benefits you accumulate in this plan when you:
Terminate your employment with NSHE,
Become disabled,
Turn age 59 ½ even if still employed,
Die
How Your Benefits Are Paid to You
Your retirement benefits in this plan may be distributed to you in any of the ways described below at your discretion:
A single lump sum,
A partial distribution of your account,
Installment payments over a period not to exceed your life expectancy or, alternatively, the life expectancy of yourself and that of your designated beneficiary,
Used to purchase an annuity contract (if assets are held in a custodial contract) or converted to an income contract (if assets are held in an annuity contract).
Additionally, while you are employed you may take a hardship withdrawal subject to IRS rules and the terms of your individual agreement with your record keeper.
Borrowing from the Plan
Personal loans and home purchase loans are available from your pre-tax contributions and earnings. The minimum amount you may borrow is $1,000. The maximum amount you may borrow is the lesser of:
$50,000 reduced by any previous loans you have outstanding and the amount by which your highest outstanding loan balance from all retirement plans during the prior 12 months exceeds your outstanding loan balance from all retirement plans on the date your loan application is approved, and
50% of your vested interest in all your retirement plan accounts.
You may have no more than 1 home purchase and 2 personal loans at any time.
Please note that effective October 1, 2017 new loans are only available from TIAA. Please contact TIAA to initiate the loan process.