Contact your benefits office to learn more.

Contributions to this account will be 100% vested immediately.

LOANS

Loans are available from a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $50,000 from each employer that you are eligible to take a loan from. 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 Northwood University retirement plan to increase your maximum loan amount. This is only if the Northwood 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. Contact TIAA or your HR Office to verify details of your plan(s) in regards to loan availability and transfer/rollover loan eligibility.

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.

Disability

You can withdraw elective deferrals and earnings from your retirement plan while employed by your institution but not working due to a disability.

• To qualify you must be totally and permanently disabled, and the deferrals and earnings must have been credited to your plan on or after January 1, 1989.
• Disability withdrawals are not subject to the 10% IRS penalty on withdrawals prior to age 59½.

Hardship

If your plan permits, you can withdraw some of the money you've put in over the years (but not earnings) due to financial hardship, such as medical or funeral expenses, while still employed.

• Generally, you must show an immediate, significant need that cannot be met with other resources, including loans from your retirement plan.

Rollover

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

If you have had an IRS-defined "triggering event," and your plan allows withdrawals, you can roll over your accumulations to another retirement plan that will accept them or to an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).

• Direct rollovers - from one account to another - are nontaxable and not reported as income to the federal government. Your plan's rules specify when you are eligible for a distribution.

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

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.

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.

A TIAA Plan Services Fee, an annual service fee of .085%, is charged based upon your account balance and deducted on a Quarterly basis.

A Non-TIAA Plan Services Fee, an annual service fee of .02%, is charged based upon your account balance and deducted on a Quarterly basis.

A Non-TIAA Plan Services Fee, an annual service fee of $130, is charged based upon your account balance and deducted on a Quarterly basis.

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 UpdateOpens in a new window.

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 general purpose
$125.00 per loan initiated for a residential loan

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

TIAA RetirePlus Pro^® model service

The TIAA RetirePlus Pro^® model service program can help you simplify your decisions by investing your contributions in a pre-determined mix of the plan’s options and/or other Investment vehicles.

There may be annual fees (assessed quarterly) associated with participation in this service.

For more information, please refer to the TIAA RetirePlus Pro Program Model Service Participant Disclosure DocumentOpens in new window.

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 UpdateOpens in a new window.

In addition, for more information on fees and investments, refer to "Mutual Funds and In-Plan Annuities" via TIAA.org/performanceOpens in a new window 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.