OPSA encourages all postdoctoral scholars to plan and save for retirement and other unexpected life events. To help all scholars with financial planning, OPSA has partnered with Curo Financial Planning to offer the Financial Education Series, which includes advice on saving for retirement.
Because postdocs are in a temporary status, Postdoctoral Scholar-Employees (TC 3252) participate in a Defined Contribution Plan (Safe Harbor) in lieu of contributing to Social Security. Safe Harbor participants automatically contribute, on a pretax basis, 7.5% of their wages beginning the first day of an eligible appointment.
For non US citizens, DCP contribution/withholding is dependent on residency for tax purposes, immigration status, and length of appointment. Glacier gathers the information necessary to determine FICA withholding (which includes DCP).
DCP provides flexibility by allowing you to make voluntary after-tax contributions and to withdraw/roll over the funds when UC appointment is terminated.
Find more information about the Safe Harbor DCP at:
http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/forms/pdf/retirement-savings-program-information-for-safe-harbor-participants.pdf
Postdoctoral Scholar-Employees (TC 3252) are eligible to participate in the UC 403(b) Tax Deferred and 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plans.
Employees who want to voluntarily participate in the 403(b) Plan designate a portion of their gross salary to be contributed on a pretax basis, thus reducing the participant’s taxable income. More information is available at https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/forms/pdf/403b-summary-plan-description.pdf.
Employees who choose to participate in the 457(b) Plan designate a portion of their gross salary to be contributed on a pretax basis, thus reducing the participant’s taxable income. Taxes on contributions and any earnings are deferred (that is, postponed). Find more information at https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/forms/pdf/457b-deferred-compensation-plan.pdf.
Both of these plans are managed by:
Fidelity Investment Services
Retirement Savings Program Accounts
Phone: 1-866-682-7787 or netBenefits.fidelity.com
Postdoctoral Scholar – Fellows (TC 3253) and Postdoctoral Scholar – Paid Direct (TC 3254) have the option to save for retirement through and Annuity or Individual Retirement Account (IRA). More information about these options can be provided by a professional financial planner.
OPSA has partnered with Curo Financial Planning to offer the Financial Education Series for Postdocs to help postdocs plan for retirement. Curo also offers a free individual consultation to any postdocs who attend one of their workshops.
“Save early, save often” is a mantra touted by many financial planning websites and experts. Time is critical when saving for retirement or any financial goal. According to the U.S. Dept. of Labor, every 10 years you delay starting to save for retirement, you will need to save three times as much each month to catch up.
To help you get started and understand how to maximize your financial potential, the Office of Postdoctoral and Visiting Scholar Affairs has teamed up with Curo Financial Planning to offer the “Financial Education Series for Postdocs”.
Each workshop will discuss the ways to set yourself up for financial success for that specific topic. UCSD graduate students and family members of postdocs are welcome to attend. Come join us to learn about the topics listed below and create a strategy for your financial future!
For more information about workshop topics, dates, and how to register: Financial Education for Postdocs.