This is a quarterly reminder to take advantage of Open Enrollment at your company, which usually happens in November. This is a good time to make sure you are maximizing your retirement account contributions, adjusting tax withholdings for the upcoming years, and checking your overall benefits such as life insurance, health savings accounts (HSAs) or flexible spending accounts (FSAs).
When it comes to investing for retirement, it’s up to you to decide how to manage your plan.
Your company offers a major benefit through its retirement plan — a powerful vehicle that helps you save. It’s up to you to decide how to make the most of its many features, including deciding on your investments. But you don’t have to go it alone… whether you want to “do it yourself,” have a professional “do it for you” or “get some help doing it,” most plans offer a wealth of resources to get you started and keep you on track.
Drive the “car” yourself.
If you’re interested in learning about the investment markets and comfortable making the choices that are right for you, you may want to be more involved in managing your plan.
When you choose to “do it yourself,” you:
• Mix and match individual funds from your plan’s investment menu.
• Select an asset allocation fund that invests in accordance with your tolerance for risk, and then decide when you want to change to another fund when your risk tolerance or new financial circumstances warrant.
• May want to consider a target-date fund if you are interested in an “all-in-one” type of investment that automatically invests according to your time horizon to retirement and beyond.
Uber your future!
Would you rather focus your time on interests outside of investing, taking more of a hands-off approach to managing money? Maybe you’re a “do it for me” investor. This option may be appealing to you if your finances are complex. Say your financial goals include buying a first home, having children or caring for parents. As a “do it for me” investor, you can have an investment professional select and manage the funds in your account for an annual cost and provide financial planning to help you pursue your goals.
Maybe ridesharing is more your speed.
Maybe you’d like to keep control over the funds you select in your account but would like someone to talk to about your decision. This describes the “get some help doing it” investor. Most retirement plans offer access to online advice tools, or a toll-free Call Center that you can call for guidance about the investments offered under your plan, how to allocate them, and when it may make sense for you to rebalance.
September Checklist:
• Begin preparing the applicable safe harbor notices to employees, and plan for distribution of the notices between October 2 and December 2 (calendar-year plans).
• Distribute the plan’s Summary Annual Report by September 30 to participants and beneficiaries, unless an extension of time to file Form 5500 applies (calendar- year plans).
• Send a reminder memo or email to all employees to encourage them to review and update, if necessary, their beneficiary designations for all benefit plans.
