UU Organizations Retirement Plan Updates
July 2017
Summertime brings changes to many congregations' operations. You might notice that instead of being offered hot coffee after the service, you are invited to select iced-coffee or tea.

Changes in staff require a bit more attention, planning, and care. When formally on-boarding a new hire, remember:
  1. Individuals who have already enrolled in the UU Retirement Plan do not need to re-enroll.  If in doubt, contact the Retirement Plan Director, lrose@uua.org to determine current enrollment status.
  2. Congregations who offer the Plan are to provide each new hire with a copy of their Employer Participation Agreement. This provides a basis for discussing the Plan's provisions, and how the employee may benefit from the Plan.
  3. Employees are encouraged to enroll in the Plan in order to save for their eventual retirement readiness, even if they have not yet satisfied the plan's Year of Eligibility Service provision.
  4. Use the Elective Contributions Agreement to document each employee's authorization to defer a percentage or dollar amount from their pre-tax earnings into their UU Retirement Plan account.
  • Remember, Elective Contributions must be remitted as soon as administratively practicable and in no case later than 15 days beyond the end of the month during which they were separated from the employee's compensation.
  • Inform your employees that no one is required to make Elective Contributions in order to receive the Employer's Retirement Contribution.
  • Employers who offer an Employer's Matching Contribution in addition to the Retirement Contribution do not make those Matching contributions if the employee has not elected to defer a portion of their earnings.
  • Find out more about contribution types and related information.
In addition, for those people who are transitioning between UU Employers: please complete the  online form to let our office know about your past and future employee benefits, so that we may help ensure a smooth transition.

*Take a look at the onboarding checklist on the Staffing Practices page.
Whatever the transitions, the work of the church office goes on, including calculating and remitting contributions to the denominational retirement plan.

Whoever is responsible for doing that work can look to our dedicated TIAA Client Services Manager for support if questions about remitting arise or if corrections are required. To verify that you are listed as the person responsible for remitting for your location, email assistplan@uua.org with your UUA Member Congregation ID, your name, title, and best contact information.
How Can We Help You?

We welcome your engagement and invite your suggestions  regarding topics for future editions.

For inquiries regarding the Plan:

Plan provisions, Employer Participation, retired clergy tax suppression on distributions:
Employee enrollment, establishing an authorized remitter/Admin, making a withdrawal:
Logistics of remitting contributions to TIAA - the Plan's recordkeeper:
Upcoming Topics
Checklist for proper Plan Administration
Quick Links

Plan Basics
 

Participant Support
Participants call the Unitarian Universalist (UU)-dedicated toll-free line:
(800) 842-2829 at TIAA's National Contact Center. 

Be prepared to identify yourself by providing your social security number or account number so that you will be put in touch with a representative familiar with our plan.


UU Organizations Retirement Plan |  lrose@uua.org | http://www.uua.org/retirement
 24 Farnsworth Street
Boston, MA 02210-1409