University of San Francisco Retirement Plans
Enroll in the plans, view your account balances, or update your 403(b) contribution amount and/or investment choices.
Access USFWorks and enter your USF username and password
For help and advice, call us anytime at 800-842-2252. You can also contact us online.
When you enroll online, you create an individual account where you can view your balances, change your investment mix, make transfers and other transactions.
If you're already enrolled, log in to your secure account from the login button at the top of the home page of this site.
There are a number of important differences between mutual funds and annuities when they are offered under a retirement plan.
As for income options, annuities offer you the opportunity for lifetime income with or without guaranteed payments for a fixed time period*. Or you can decide to receive income for a certain number of years or take a cash withdrawal (depending on your plan’s provisions). Mutual funds offer systematic withdrawals. Otherwise, mutual funds and annuities are treated very similarly when offered as part of your employer’s retirement plan.
*Guarantees are subject to the claims-paying capability of the insurer. Payments from variable accounts will fluctuate based on investment performance.
Many participants enjoy the diversity of investing in mutual funds in their retirement plans.
Mutual funds offer diversification, professional management, relatively low investment minimums and fees, and a range of choices among different asset classes.
Owning mutual funds can reduce risk through diversification and professional management, and allow you to potentially invest in a broad range of asset classes – U.S. and non-U.S. stocks, bonds, and real estate – with smaller amounts of assets.
No, there is no tax advantage to owning variable annuities or mutual funds in your TIAA-funded retirement plan. Both options receive favorable tax treatment under the plan.
There are several technology companies that offer end-to-end notarization systems. TIAA has partnered with Notarize.com (www.Notarize.com/TIAAOpens in a new window) to offer a digital and secure way for you to fulfill notarization requirements for your forms.
Enroll in the plans, view your account balances, or update your 403(b) contribution amount and/or investment choices.
Access USFWorks and enter your USF username and password
Call TIAA at 800-842-2252
You can put money away for retirement while saving on taxes.
Learn ways to save and invest to help you prepare for your retirement.
Tell us about your future goals and we’ll help you plan.
Many financial planners estimate that you’ll need 80-90% of your pre-retirement income to maintain your lifestyle in retirement. As you get older, more of that money may need to go toward healthcare and other essential expenses.
Retirement annuities can help replace your salary with monthly income that’s guaranteed for life.
Think how long your retirement savings will need to last. People are living longer than ever. When we turn 65, there’s an 80% probability that we’ll live to 80, and a 27% chance we’ll reach 95.*
Plan to save at least enough to cover the essential and inevitable expenses, like healthcare, long after you retire.
Think about using TIAA’s online Retirement Advisor Tool to help you set goals and create a plan that may help achieve them.
* TIAA Mortality Tables 2013
Contribute the maximum annual amount to your retirement savings. The most you can contribute in 2023 is $22,500 per IRS rules.
Consider contributing to annuities1 that offer growth opportunities while your're saving and monthly income that’s guaranteed for life when you retire.
1Annuities are designed for retirement savings or for other long-term goals. They offer several payment options, including lifetime income. If you make a withdrawal prior to age 59½, you may be subject to a 10% penalty in addition to ordinary income tax. The value of a variable annuity is subject to market fluctuations and investment risk so that, if withdrawn, it may be worth more or less than its original cost.
Contributing even a small amount now can potentially make a big difference by the time you retire. The earlier you start contributing to retirement plan investments, the more you can potentially save.
Thanks to compounding, any earnings on your investments gets reinvested and can potentially earn even more money, and so on.
Take advantage of your job’s retirement benefits. Many employers offer contribution matching. Other benefits may be available, such as pre-tax and tax-deferred contributing, which could help maximize your savings.
Please keep in mind that there are inherent risks in investing. It is possible to lose money by investing in securities.
Please keep in mind that there are inherent risks in investing. It is possible to lose money by investing in securities.
Think about these three easy things you can do to keep your momentum & finish strong:
Taking advantage of any new plans or matches your employer may offer.
Reviewing your current investment mix to see if you need to rebalance your portfolio as you near retirement.
Protecting your retirement savings through guaranteed annuities. These lower risk products offer a guaranteed income that you can’t outlive. You may have access to these products when you choose your options in enrollment.
Annuities are designed for retirement and other long-term goals. They offer several payment options, including lifetime income. Guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuer. However, payments from CREF and TIAA variable annuities are not guaranteed and the payment amounts will rise or fall depending on investment returns. Investment in variable products is subject to the risks associated with investing in securities, including loss of principal. Withdrawals of earnings are subject to ordinary income tax plus a possible federal 10% penalty if made before age 59½.
Any savings have the potential to help in the future, but ideally, you still should aim for 10-15% of your pre-tax income annually.
Social Security will only replace about 40% of your pre-retirement income for the average worker, so you and your employer need to cover the rest.
Please keep in mind that there are inherent risks in investing. It is possible to lose money by investing in securities.
Aim to contribute this much (which can include contributions from your employer, if available) throughout your entire working career.
If your employer offers to match your contribution, make sure you save enough to trigger that match. Most employers require you to save a certain amount before they will match it – when they do, it’s all extra money! Take advantage of it.
Over the course of your career, that's how much it may take to potentially generate the income you need for retirement.
If 10-15% is an amount you can't afford right now, contribute as much as you can comfortably afford. Then strive to increase that amount by putting raises toward it and small annual increases.
For financial guidance, call 800-842-2252 to speak to a TIAA financial consultant.
During enrollment, once you choose your contribution amount, you can direct your contributions to a range of investment options.
View and compare your investment options before you enroll.
First, think about how far off retirement is. Then, determine your comfort level with risk and reward. This will help guide which investments you choose.
Generally speaking, riskier investments should be made when you’re younger, so you have plenty of time to potentially recoup losses. As you get older, you’ll likely want to shift to conservative investments with lower risk. Consider adding annuities1 to your retirement plan so you can create a foundation of guaranteed monthly income for life when you stop working. There are plenty of options and every investor is different.
Think about using the Retirement Advisor ToolOpens in a new window to get more insights or call one of our experienced financial consultants to discuss more options at 800-842-2252.
1Annuities are designed for retirement savings or for other long-term goals. They offer several payment options, including lifetime income. If you make a withdrawal prior to age 59½, you may be subject to a 10% penalty in addition to ordinary income tax. The value of a variable annuity is subject to market fluctuations and investment risk so that, if withdrawn, it may be worth more or less than its original cost.
To recap, here's what you'll want to think about when you enroll:
Enroll in the plans, view your account balances, or update your 403(b) contribution amount and/or investment choices.
Access USFWorks and enter your USF username and password
Call TIAA at 800-842-2252
We realize the enrollment process requires making tough decisions. There are often lots of complex rules and regulations, and it can be hard to figure out what plans & benefits you’re eligible for or which investments are available to you.
You can leave the tool now and go to Insights to read articles, use tools and see videos that will help you step forward.
Get professional advice to help you save and invest for your future.
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