IU Retirement Savings Plan
On this page: Plan Highlights | Eligibility | Enrollment | Contributions | Investments | Distributions & Withdrawals | Questions or Comments
IU retirement savings plan (Plan) Highlights
- IRS code Section 457(b) defined contribution plan
- Employees make all contributions to the Plan
- Plan contributions are always 100% vested and nonforfeitable
- Participant directed investment – daily valuation plan
- Distributions upon termination of employment with Indiana University
Eligibility
To be eligible to participate in the Plan, an employee must be:
- An academic or staff employee appointed at 50% or more full-time equivalent (FTE); or
- An hourly employee who is expected to work at least 1000 hours of service or more in a 12-month period and is appointed as "PERF Hourly."
The following individuals are prohibited from participating in the Plan:
- Students with non-FICA status;
- Interns;
- Non-resident aliens; and
- Independent contractors.
An employee is not required to satisfy any age or service condition (e.g., complete a year of service) in order to be eligible to participate in the Plan.
Enrollment
An employee may enroll in the Plan immediately upon satisfying the eligibility requirements described above. An eligible employee does not have to wait until the general open enrollment period to enroll in the Plan.
To enroll in the Plan and begin making salary deferrals and catch-up contributions to the Plan, an eligible employee must:
- Complete a salary deferral agreement;
- Establish a Plan account at an authorized investment company by completing an account application; and
- Return a completed salary deferral agreement and account application to the campus human resources office no later than 30 days prior to the next pay date. If an eligible employee does not return both documents to the campus human resources office, salary deferrals cannot be made to the Plan.
Salary deferrals and catch-up contributions will begin being made to the Plan as soon as administratively feasible following receipt of fully completed forms by the campus human resources office.
Salary Deferral Contributions
A participant may elect to defer from one to 100 percent of his or her compensation to the Plan each calendar year up to the maximum percentage allowable by law not to exceed the limits of federal tax code section 457. Elections must be made at the time, in the manner, and on such forms as established by Indiana University.
Please note that employment taxes (i.e., Social Security taxes) and premiums for employer-provided benefits will be deducted from a participant's compensation prior to salary deferrals and catch-up contributions.
Federal law limits the amount of salary deferrals that can be contributed to the Plan and to all 457(b) plans in which an individual participates in any calendar year. The annual dollar limit is the lesser of 100 percent of compensation for the calendar year or the applicable dollar amount.
Salary deferrals made to the IU Tax Deferred Account are not limited by this salary deferral contribution limit.
Age 50 or Older Catch-Up Contributions
For participants who are at least age 50 before the end of the calendar year, the current dollar limit on salary deferrals is increased. The additional amount of salary deferrals that are permitted to be made by an eligible participant is the lesser of (i) the participant's compensation for the year reduced by any other salary deferrals of the participant for the year or (ii) the "applicable dollar amount."
Catch-up contributions will not be taken into account when applying the salary deferral contribution limit described above.
Age 62, 63, or 64 Catch-Up Contributions
For one or more of the participant's last three taxable years ending before he or she attains age 65, the participant may increase the salary deferral contribution limit to an amount not exceeding the lesser of:
- Twice the salary deferral contribution limit described above; or
- The underutilized limitation.
The "underutilized limitation" is equal to the sum of:
- The salary deferral contribution limit for the taxable year; plus
- The salary deferral contribution limit (disregarding any catch-up contributions) for any prior taxable years less the salary deferrals made for such years.
In determining the underutilized limitation for prior years, the Plan disregards any age 50 or older catch-up contributions, both for the calculation of the salary deferral contribution limit in a prior year and in establishing the amount of salary deferrals made in the prior year.
Use of Multiple Catch-Up Contribution Provisions Restricted
A participant may not make both age 50 or older catch-up contributions and age 62, 63, or 64 catch-up contributions to the Plan in the same year.
Maximum Contribution Amount (415 Limit)
The 415 Limit does not apply to the Plan. Therefore, contributions to the Plan are not aggregated with contributions made to any other retirement plan sponsored by Indiana University for purposes of the 415 Limit.
Vesting
A participant is always 100 percent vested in his or her Plan account. This means that the participant's Plan account may never be forfeited.
Taxes on Contributions
Salary deferrals and catch-up contributions will not be included in a participant's income reported to the federal government for income tax purposes. However, the participant and Indiana University must pay employment taxes (i.e., Social Security taxes) on salary deferrals and catch-up contributions when they are made to the Plan.
Contributions Will Not Reduce Social Security Benefits
Employment taxes are deducted from a participant's compensation before salary deferrals and catch-up contributions are contributed to the Plan. Therefore, making salary deferrals and catch-up contributions to the Plan will not reduce a participant's compensation for purposes for calculating Social Security benefits.
Investments
The Plan is a participant directed plan. This means that each participant is responsible for directing the investment of his or her Plan account. A participant may direct the investment of his or her Plan account among any investment funds provided under the Plan. A participant may also transfer monies from one investment fund to another.
TIAA-CREF and Fidelity both offer a self-directed brokerage window option. The brokerage window gives plan participants access to thousands of mutual funds outside of TIAA-CREF and Fidelity in which to invest. The initial minimum investment is $5,000 and subsequent minimum investments are $1,000. Annual account fees may apply.
A participant's election to invest his or her Plan account, to change the investment direction of future contributions, or to transfer amounts from one investment fund to another must be made in accordance with the rules established by Indiana University.
Indiana University has approved of the following investment companies under the Plan:
| Company | Address | Telephone Numbers | Web site |
| TIAA-CREF | 730 Third Avenue New York, NY 10017 |
Service: 800-842-2776 Appointment Scheduling: 800-732-8353 Overseas: www.att.com/esupport/ traveler.jsp?iso2=BE |
www.tiaa-cref.org/indiana |
| Fidelity Investments | 82 Devonshire Street Boston, MA 02109 |
Service: 800-343-0860 Appointment Scheduling: 800-642-7131 Overseas: 877-343-0860 |
plan.fidelity.com/indiana |
TIAA-CREF and Fidelity Investments do not generally charge participants the following types of fees: front end / sales load fees, account maintenance fees, cash-out or transfer fees. However, each individual fund will have minimum management fees as specified in the fund's prospectus.
Each investment company reports net investment return figures, which reflect investment performance after administrative expenses are deducted.
Participants should contact the investment company for more information about fees before investing with that company.
Distributions and Withdrawals
A participant may only withdraw funds from his or her Plan account upon termination of employment with Indiana University.
Hardship Distributions
Hardship distributions are not allowed to be made to a participant from the Plan.
Loans
A participant may receive a loan from his or her Plan account by contacting the investment company. Loans are subject to both federal tax code and investment company rules and regulations.
Minimum Required Distributions
Federal law requires that distribution of a participant's Plan account, regardless of the form, must begin on or before April 1st of the calendar year following the calendar year in which he or she attains age 70 1/2 or the calendar year in which the participant retires, whichever is later.
Forms of Distribution
A participant may choose to receive a distribution of his or her Plan account in any one of the following forms or combination of forms:
- Single sum distribution of cash
- Annuity
- Installment
- Any legally permissible form of distribution permitted by an authorized investment company
Taxes on Distributions
Plan distributions are generally subject to a 20% mandatory federal income tax withholding rate. This mandatory withholding will reduce the amount a participant actually receives upon withdrawing funds from the Plan. However, the amount withheld will be credited against any taxes the participant owes for the year when the participant files his or her annual tax return.
There are exceptions to the mandatory federal income tax withholding rule, including receiving the Plan distribution as a life-time annuity payment or directly rolling over the Plan distribution to an eligible retirement plan (e.g., an IRA).
Direct Rollover Distributions
A direct rollover of an eligible rollover distribution may be made at the participant's election. A direct rollover is a payment of an eligible rollover distribution from the Plan directly to another eligible retirement plan, such as a 401(a) plan, 403(b) plan, 401(k) plan, governmental 457(b) plan, or IRA. However, certain types of distributions, such as life-time annuity payments, are not eligible for direct rollover treatment.
Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDROs)
Indiana University may be required by law to recognize obligations a participant incurs as a result of a qualified domestic relations order (QDRO). A QDRO is a decree or order issued by a court that obligates the participant to pay child support or alimony, or otherwise allocates a portion of the participant's assets in the Plan to his or her spouse, former spouse, child, or other dependent (collectively known as "alternate payees").
A distribution authorized by a QDRO to an alternate payee will be permitted under the Plan, even if the affected participant is not currently eligible for a Plan distribution.
Questions or Comments
The IU Retirement Savings Plan – Summary of Plan Provisions booklet (coming soon) contains a detailed description of the terms and conditions of the Plan. A copy of the booklet may be obtained from this website or by contacting the campus human resource office.
Please contact University Human Resource Services with any questions or comments regarding the Plan at:
University Human Resource Services
Attn: IU Retirement Savings Plan
400 East 7 th Street, Poplars E165
Bloomington, Indiana 47405-3085Contact Fidelity:
Service: 800-343-0860
Appointment Scheduling: 800-642-7131
Overseas: 877-343-0860Contact TIAA-CREF:
Service: 800-842-2776
Appointment Scheduling: 800-732-8353
Overseas: www.att.com/esupport/traveler.jsp?iso2=BE
