Faculty and Staff Retirement Plan

PLAN INFORMATION

Carnegie Mellon University offers this plan as part of workplace benefits. Now is a great time to understand what is offered - think about taking advantage of any opportunities to save and invest for the future.

Learn what plans allow eligible employees to do.

What contribution options are available?

All employees can elect to contribute their own contributions. Carnegie Mellon University's rate of contribution is equal to 8% of base salary for participants with a 12-month appointment. For participants with nine-month appointments from September to May, the rate of contribution is 9.78% of academic-year salary; no contributions are made with respect to summer salary.

Who can participate in this plan?

All employees who are US Citizens or US permanent residents and have attained age 21 are eligible for the plan. Only participants who are employed either full-time at Carnegie Mellon University or part-time at Carnegie Mellon University for at least 1,000 hours per employment year are eligible for Employer contributions. All employees can elect to contribute at any time.

When are new employees vested?

Contributions from the University are vested if you complete at least three years of service with the University. You are also vested if you experience a severance from employment at or after normal retirement age or on account of death or permanent and total disability. Your voluntary salary reduction contributions are always fully vested.

When can you take money out?

LOANS

Loans are available from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $50,000 from each employer. How much you can borrow may depend on the amount you currently have in the plan that is eligible for loans and whether you have other outstanding loans. If you have money in other employer's plans, you may be able to transfer or roll it over to the Carnegie Mellon University retirement plan to increase your maximum loan amount. This is only if the Carnegie Mellon University retirement plan accepts rollovers.

Prior to rolling over, consider your other options. You may also be able to leave money in your current plan, withdraw cash or roll over the money to an IRA. Compare the differences in investment options, services, fees and expenses, withdrawal options, required minimum distributions, other plan features, and tax treatment.

DISTRIBUTIONS

Age based distribution

Your employer will typically allow you to withdraw funds once you've reached 59.50.

Lump-sum distribution

You can withdraw all or part of your account in a single cash payment, depending on your plan rules and the terms of your contracts.

Your right to a lump-sum distribution from your TIAA Traditional Account may be restricted to taking periodic payments under the terms of the contract. Please refer to your contract or certificate for full details or contact us at 800-842-2252.

Systematic withdrawals

If your plan allows, you can choose to receive regular income payments (minimum $100) on a semimonthly, monthly, quarterly, semiannual or annual basis. You can increase, decrease or suspend the payments at any time.

These withdrawals are not available from TIAA Traditional Account balances.

Small-sum distribution

When you leave your employer, you may be eligible to withdraw your retirement savings. Your plan may distribute your entire balance if the value does not exceed $2,000. Even if your plan doesn't allow cash distributions, you can withdraw your entire retirement savings if your TIAA Traditional Account value does not exceed $2,000 and your overall account balance is below a limit set by your employer's plan (either $1,000 or $5,000).

Lifetime retirement income

One-life annuity - provides income for as long as you live.
Two-life annuity - provides lifetime income for you and an annuity partner (your spouse or someone else you name) for as long as either of you live.
One- or two-life annuity with guaranteed period - guarantees income for up to 20 years, as long as the period you choose does not exceed your life expectancy. It ensures that income continues to go to your beneficiaries for the remainder of the guaranteed period if you (one-life annuity) or both you and your annuity partner (two-life annuity) die before the end of that period.

Other in service

If your plan permits, you can withdraw cash from your account while still employed by your institution, but you generally must meet an IRS-defined "triggering event" to qualify.

Single-sum death benefit

A set amount your beneficiary(ies) will receive from your retirement account if you die before taking income.

Fixed period

You can choose to receive income for a set period of two to 30 years, depending on the terms of our contract and your plan's rules (and not to exceed your life expectancy).

Payments stop at the end of the period, during which you will have received all your principal and earnings.

Interest only

You can receive the current interest earned on your TIAA Traditional Account in monthly payments. Your principal remains intact while you receive the interest.

These payments generally are available to individuals between ages 55 and 71 and must begin at least one year prior to reaching age 72.

Retirement transition benefit

In order to more easily transition into retirement, you may be able to withdraw up to 10%, in cash, of your lifetime annuity income. The amount you withdraw will reduce your lifetime annuity income accordingly.

TPA to cash

If you need some of your retirement savings in cash, you can withdraw your TIAA Traditional Account balance through a Transfer Payout Annuity (TPA) under the terms of the contract. A lump-sum payment, subject to a surrender fee, may be available depending on your plan rules and the terms of your contract.

For more information about the terms of your individual contract, contact your plan sponsor or financial advisor.

Phased retirement

Phased retirement has been introduced for the baby boom generation nearing retirement. Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re interested in a phased retirement:

Under most phased retirement plans, the employee resigns their full-time position in return for the right to work half-time at half-salary for a given number of years.
Many phased retirement plans benefit both the institution and the employee, giving you a way to work and still draw salary.
Every institution may have different rules around phased retirement, so research all your options.

For more information, contact your plan sponsor or financial advisor.

Forced distributions

A forced distribution allows your former employer to close retirement benefit accounts with a balance of less than $1,000 after you leave service. If your balance is higher than $1,000, you cannot be forced from the plan and you can leave your balance in it.

Additionally, retirement benefit accounts with a balance from $1,000 to $5,000 may be automatically rolled over to an IRA, unless you choose to take cash or make a different direct rollover.

Minimum distribution option

Generally, you must begin taking minimum withdrawals from your account by April 1 following the year in which you turn age 72 or retire, whichever is later.

If you are married, you may be required to get spousal consent to receive any distribution option other than a qualified joint and survivor annuity.

This plan is designed to provide you with income throughout your retirement. Leaving money in your account may allow the funds to grow on a tax-deferred basis.

This plan allows you to receive a cash withdrawal. This may be restricted by the terms of your TIAA contracts. Taxes and penalties may apply.

What are the fees?

Understanding investment fees

Your financial well-being is TIAA's top priority and we are committed to helping you make informed decisions. Fees should be just one factor in your decision-making process since the lowest cost option may not be the best one for you.

Cost of plan services

Fees and expenses have always been part of a retirement savings plan–some fees are associated with the administration of the plan and may be covered by your employer, while others are paid by you based on the specific investments and services you choose. The following three categories of services are provided to your plan:

1. General record keeping and other plan services

Over the course of a year you pay for services like record keeping.

Many services are necessary for the day-to-day operation of your employer’s retirement plan. General administrative services include recordkeeping, legal, accounting, consulting, investment advisory and other plan administration services. Some of these expenses are fixed and other expenses may vary from year to year. These costs are allocated to each participant in a uniform way.

An annual TIAA Plan Servicing Fee of $48 is assessed if you maintain a Retirement Choice and/or Retirement Choice Plus account. This fee will be deducted proportionally from each investment in your account Quarterly and identified as “TIAA Plan Servicing Fee” on your statements.

In some cases, an investment provider may pay a portion of an investment’s expense ratio to TIAA, the recordkeeper, to help offset the cost of plan administration. This practice is called “revenue sharing”. If you have investments that revenue share, you’ll receive a credit based on your average daily balance. This will be identified as “TIAA Plan Servicing Credit” on your statements.

If you do not maintain a Retirement Choice and/or Retirement Choice Plus account and therefore no TIAA Plan Servicing Fee was assessed, your investment revenue share credit will be reduced by the amount of the fee in order to cover plan administrative services expenses. For more information on fees and investments, refer to “Mutual Funds and In-Plan Annuities” via TIAA.org/performance.

2. Specific investment services

You pay only for what you use.

Each investment offered within the plan charges a fee for managing the investment and for associated services. But you pay only for the investments you actually use and in proportion to the amount of your investment. These fees are not deducted directly from your account; they are paid indirectly through the investment’s “expense ratio”. The specific expense ratio for each plan designated investment option is listed in your Quarterly Investment Update.

3. Personalized services

You can opt for extra features, like loan services.

Personalized services provide access to a number of plan features and investments that you pay for, only if you use them. The personalized services used most often are:

Retirement plan loans

$75.00 per loan initiated for a general purpose

$125.00 per loan initiated for a residential loan

$25 annual loan maintenance fee per active loan, assessed Annually

Brokerage account

To learn more about the brokerage service including fees call 800-927-3059 or Get the Basics.

Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (QDRO)

No additional charge

Sales charges, purchase, withdrawal and redemption fees for certain investments

Certain charges may apply. For additional information, see Quarterly Investment Update.

In addition, for more information on fees and investments, refer to "Mutual Funds and In-Plan Annuities" via TIAA.org/performance which is a good source for additional plan and investment-related information.

More information about retirement plan fees and expenses is available at TIAA.org/fees.

EXPLORE OPTIONS

Learn which mutual funds and other investments are available

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