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403(b) & 457(b) Payroll Deductions

With the final few paydates for 2011 approaching, now is the time to maximize your pre-tax contributions to the UC Retirement Savings Program’s 403(b) and 457(b) plans for this calendar (taxable) year, or to make changes. It is important to remember that changes you make now will continue in 2012, unless you readjust your contributions at the beginning of the new year.

How to Determine How Much You Have Contributed So Far This Year

To determine your contributions in 20111, go to At Your Service in Related Information. After you sign-in, click on “Earnings Statement” in the “Income and Taxes” section. Select the most recent paydate and click on “View Statement” in the right-hand column and scroll down to see Year-to-Date Totals.

2011 Maximum Annual Contribution (MAC) for Each Plan

The MAC for each plan is $16,500, or $22,000 if you are age 50 by 12-31-11. Payroll deductions automatically stop when these limits are reached. (If you have 15 years of service with UC as of 12-31-2010, you may be eligible to contribute an additional $3,000 in 2011 under the Lifetime Catch-up provision; contact Fidelity for details.)

 

Processing Windows for Final Paydate(s) of 2011

Plan

  Monthly Payroll

  Bi-weekly Payroll

 

9-30-2011

10-12-2011

10-26-2011

457(b)

8-1 thru 8-31

8-1 thru 8-31

8-1 thru 8-31

403(b)

8-27 thru 9-16

9-24 thru 10-1

10-6 thru 10-15

 

11-1-2011

11-9-2011*
benefits holiday*

11-23-2011

457(b)

9-1 thru 9-30

9-1 thru 9-30

9-1 thru 9-30

403(b)

9-24 thru 10-18

10-23 thru 10-28

11-5 thru 11-12

 

12-1-2011
(final paydate)

12-7-2011

12-22-2011
(final paydate)

457(b)

10-1 thru 10-31

10-1 thru 10-31

10-1 thru 10-31

403(b)

10-26 thru 11-15

11-19 thru 11-26

12-3 thru 12-10

*Benefits Holiday means that only percentage (%) deductions will be taken from this paycheck and flat dollar deductions such as for medical, parking and credit union will not be taken, including flat-dollar deductions for 403(b) and 457(b) plans.

How to Make Changes

  • Call Fidelity Retirement Services at 1-866-682-7787, Monday - Friday, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. (Pacific Time). After the prompts, enter your Social Security Number and PIN, or your User ID and PIN. When you hear “Main Menu,” say “Representative” 

OR

  • Go to the Fidelity website in Related Information. Login, select the applicable Plan, select “Contribution Amount” under “Act” in the left-hand column and follow the prompts. Online transactions can be processed 24 hours a day, 7 days per week.

Payroll Deduction Methods

You may select either the “percentage” or “flat-dollar” payroll deduction method for the 403(b) and 457(b) deductions. There is one important frequency difference between these methods as outlined below.

  • Percentage (%) Payroll Deduction Method
    If you use this method, a payroll deduction will be made from all paychecks, including special payments such as, Staff Achievement Awards, Health Sciences Special Compensation Plan payments (commonly known as “Z” payments), terminal vacation pay, etc.
  • Flat-Dollar Payroll Deduction Method
    If you use this method, a deduction will be made from paychecks you receive on your “primary” pay cycle only. This means that if you receive a special paycheck other than the one for your “primary” pay cycle, or other special payment (such as Staff Achievement Awards, “Z” payments, terminal vacation pay), a 403(b)/457(b) deduction is not taken from any special payments.

*For monthly paid employees, typically paid on the first of the month, a “flat-dollar” deduction is one monthly deduction. For bi-weekly paid employees, the “flat-dollar” monthly amount is evenly divided between two bi-weekly pay periods ending in the month, excluding any third bi-weekly pay period in the month which is typically a Benefits Holiday.

Are you enrolled in BOTH the 403(b) and 457(b) Plans?

If you use the “percentage” payroll deduction method for the 403(b) and 457(b) plan and the overall total to be deducted from both plans is 100% or more, the payroll system will not take either one. For example, no deduction will occur for either plan if you elect a 70% deduction for each plan, 50% for each plan, 70% for one plan and 30% for the other plan, or any other combination where the overall total of the “percentage” to be deducted for both plans equals 100% or more.

Solution

Be sure that the overall total to both plans combined is less than 100% and is a percentage that will leave sufficient earnings to cover any required tax deductions such as OASDI and Medicare and after-tax benefit premiums (see next paragraph). For example, deduct 40% to one plan and 45% to the other (85% total), or 25% to one plan and 50% to the other plan (75% total). Or, elect the “flat-dollar” method to one plan and the “percentage” method to the other. Or, if you have reached your 403(b) maximum for the year, you may want to reduce or cancel the percentage for that plan and increase your 457(b) percentage to 70%, or vice versa.

Affect on After-Tax Benefit Plan Payments

If you have other “pre-tax” payroll deductions such as for medical, parking, flexible spending account(s), etc., these deductions will come out of your pay before the 403(b)/457(b) contributions are applied. However, any “after-tax” payroll deductions such as for disability, life insurance, legal, etc. are deducted after 403(b)/457(b) plan contributions are applied, so you should be sure sufficient funds remain for those payments. While missed insurance payments are held in suspense for a short period of time, if your payment is missed for two months or more, your insurance plan will be cancelled. Monitor your paychecks to be sure that all after-tax benefit deductions have been taken and if not, make arrangements for direct payment of those premiums with your benefits office.

What about 2012?

As of publication date, the Internal Revenue Service has not announced what next year’s Maximum Annual Contribution limits will be. As soon as the 2012 limits are known, they will be announced.

If you want to change your payroll deductions for the first paydate in 2012, mark your calendar as follows:

 

Processing Windows for First Paydate of 2012

 

  Monthly Payroll

  Bi-weekly Payroll

First 2012 Paydate

1-3-2012

1-4-2012

1-18-2012

457(b)

11-1 thru 11-30

11-1 thru 11-30

11-1 thru 11-30

403(b)

11-23 thru 12-14

12-17 thru 12-23
(short window due to holidays)

12-31-11 thru 1-6-12

If you want to make any changes, call Fidelity at 1-866-682-7787, or go online as outlined above. If you have any other questions or don’t know what your “primary pay cycle” is, contact the person in your department who handles benefits/personnel issues or call Campus Human Resources, Benefit Services at extension 4-0830, or Health System Human Resources at extension 4-0500.

 

Campus Human Resources, Policy Services

Phone: (310) 794-3147 | Fax: (310) 794-0865

UCLA Healthcare Human Resources
Phone: (310) 794-0500 | Fax: (310) 794-0620