Retirement and Savings Plans

RETIREMENT PLANS
Retirement plan eligible employees are employees working in positions that are at least 50% FTE (half-time) and expected to last 4.5 months or longer. All employees who fall in this category are required to participate the Teacher Retirement System (TRS), unless an exception to TRS membership applies, for exceptions refer to the TRS Handbook. TWU employees participate in both Social Security and TRS.  For information on whether or not your TRS pension will effect your Social Security benefit please log on to the social security site for Government Pension Offset and Windfall Elimination.

An Optional Retirement Program (ORP) is available for full-time faculty and certain administrative employees in lieu of the Teacher Retirement System (TRS). Eligible employees have 90 days from the date of employment to make a one-time choice to relinquish membership in TRS become a participant in the ORP. The decision to participate in TRS or ORP is extremely important because this is a one time irrevocable election. The ORP is a personal retirement plan purchased by the member to which the State makes contributions. Benefits are based on the accumulated contributions and interest in the member's account. Vesting occurs after one year and one day of participation. You can choose from any authorized provider for TWU 403(b).

COMPARE THE ORP AND TRS

COMPARE AFTER-TAX AND PRE-TAX CONTRIBUTIONS

TAX DEFERRED 403(b), 457 DEFERRED COMPENSATION AND ROTH 403(b) ACCOUNTS
Whether you participate in retirement or not, you are eligible to contribute pre-tax contributions into a Tax Deferred Account (TDA), a Roth 403(b) and/or a Deferred Compensation Program (457). Each of these types of plans are supplemental retirement savings plans that you can contribute to in order to supplement your regular retirement through TRS/ORP. Neither plan receives a state contribution.  The benefit of the TDA and 457 plan is the tax sheltering of your contributions until retirement age (or withdrawal of your account after termination of employment, if prior to retirement). Roth accounts are after tax contributions with the benefit of deferring taxes on earnings and tax-free withdrawals during retirement.  You must choose an authorized provider to participate in the 403b plan.  For enrollment in the 457 program, contact Great West to review their investment options and other important information. For more information concerning the 457 Program, call Great West at 800-634-5091 or visit Texasaver.

Universal Eligibility Notification -- Voluntary 403b Savings Plans

Eligibility
All employees are eligible to contribute to a 403b. 

Contributions
Minimum contributuion $20/month
 2012 403(b) and 457(b) annual maximum contributions are as follows:
General Limit: $17,500
Age 50 Catch-up $5,500 (for those 50 or older)
 Aggregate cap $50,000 (maximum for all combinations of 403(b), including Roth, ORP, and voluntary TSA)
Compensation Maximum $255,000.

COMPARE THE 403(b) and 457 PLANS

TWU Retiree –To be considered a TWU Retiree and be honored at TWU’s Service Awards and Retirement Recognition Program, employees must have a minimum of 10 years of unwithdrawn State or Texas ISD service and be at least 65 years of age, OR have a minimum of 10 years of unwithdrawn State or Texas ISD service and meet Rule of 80 (age + years of service).  Please note, employees may be eligible to retire without meeting these conditions but will not be considered a TWU Retiree.  Retirees are honored only once.  Each retiree is honored at time of retirement regardless of any future return to work agreements.  Faculty members who choose to participate in the Retired Teaching Option (RTO) will be honored as a retiree BEFORE beginning RTO employment.