Table of Contents PROGRAM FEATURES .................................................................................................................................. 2 Eligibility ........................................................................................................................................................... 2 Contributions.................................................................................................................................................... 6 Vesting ........................................................................................................................................................... 10 ADMINISTRATION ........................................................................................................................................ 12 Remittance..................................................................................................................................................... 12 Data File Submission ..................................................................................................................................... 14 Enrollment...................................................................................................................................................... 16 Escrow ........................................................................................................................................................... 21 Loans ............................................................................................................................................................. 22 Taxes ............................................................................................................................................................. 23 Additional Points ............................................................................................................................................ 26 To go to desired page, please click on the page number. 1 PROGRAM FEATURES Eligibility Category Question Answer Eligibility What is a newly eligible employee? An employee hired July 1, 2013 or later, who will earn at the salary rate* of at least $75,000 and is unrepresented (not associated with a union), and whose immediately preceding employment was not with another state agency/employer. Definition *Salary rate will be considered in reaching the $75,000 threshold. For example, if a part-time employee makes $45,000 working 60% of a full-time schedule, then the salary rate would be $75,000, and would qualify the employee to enroll in the VDC. Eligibility Determination Who determines eligibility? The employer/agency determines eligibility (including vesting) based on the rules of the plan and the information provided by the employee in Retirement Plan History (entered into the Retirement Plan Election Will TIAA-CREF establish System by the employee). what documents/proofs are needed for an eligible NOTE: If an employee is unable to utilize the Retirement Plan Election employee System for any reason, please contact Retirement@Work by calling to establish that they 866 271-0960 for assistance. participated in an agency/employer retirement plan through prior employers? Is an ERS member from a local municipality who Defined Benefit transfers to a state Participant agency/employer eligible Moves to a NYS to join the VDC? agency/ employer Eligibility Yes, as long as the immediate prior employment was not with a “state agency,” the employee is able to join (assuming they meet requirements). If an employee goes from one state agency to another state agency and is enrolled in or a member of any defined benefit program, they are not eligible for VDC. If they move from one non-state, local municipality to another, they are eligible to enroll in the VDC. If an employee was in the defined benefit plan at one Switching Jobs organization and then starts a new job in a different organization, can they switch to the VDC Program? Eligibility Yes, as long as the employee switch is not moving from one state agency to another state agency, the employee is able to join the VDC Program (assuming they meet the eligibility requirements). If an employee goes from one state agency to another state agency and is in any defined benefit plan, they are not eligible for VDC. If they move from a non-state to non-state, they are eligible. 2 Eligibility Temporary Employee Hired before July 1, 2013 Will temporary employees No. They will not be eligible to participate. NYS Legislation defines hired before July 1, 2013, eligibility as hired ON or AFTER July 1, 2013. and who chose not to participate in ERS be qualified to participate in the VDC on or after July 1, 2013? What if they move from a temporary to a permanent position on or after July 1, 2013? What about employees who move from an Move from unrepresented to a Unrepresented represented position one to Represented or more times? Position Eligibility Will a current Tier 6 employee hired prior to Existing July 1, 2013, whose Employee Prior salary is greater than to $75,000 be allowed to July 1, 2013 participate in VDC? Eligibility Once the employer/ agency approves the Next Step After employee’s participation Approval in the NYS VDC Program, what’s next? Eligibility They will not be eligible. Moving from a part-time to a full-time position does not change the original hire date. Represented = Covered by a union. Non-represented = Not covered by a union. If an employee is in an unrepresented position and in the VDC, then moves to a represented position, the employee would be allowed to remain in VDC (because the employee had elected to be in that plan). Once in the program, the employee can’t be forced out of the program. An employee cannot change plans during employment. No. Only employees hired on or after July 1, 2013, who have a subsequent qualifying status change would be eligible to switch to the VDC. The employee must have a qualifying change (e.g., moving from one ineligible position to an eligible position and hired on or after 7/1/2013) and they have a one-time opportunity to change plans within 30 days of qualifying change. If an employee is vested, his/her contributions must be submitted on the Census Remittance File as soon as administratively feasible. If there is any delay, both employer and employee contributions should be recordkept by the employer/agency until they can be added to the Census Remittance file and then remit all retroactive contributions. Contributions for employees who have not met the 366-day vesting period should be recordkept in a separate account. Required employer contributions and employee salary reduction must begin and be held by the employer in escrow. The employer must also begin to accrue the 8% employer contribution amount. For state agencies whose payroll is administered by OSC, please see Payroll Bulletin 1256. Eligibility Qualifying Employment Change If an employee has a qualifying change (e.g., moving from an ineligible position to an unrepresented one earning at the annual rate of at least $75,000), will the employee have a one-time opportunity to change? Yes, if hired on or after July 1, 2013. The legislation is intended to cover employees newly hired on or after July 1, 2013. So, an existing employee hired prior to July 1, 2013, is not eligible unless he or she has a qualifying change (i.e., leave employment and return to public employment under qualifying circumstances on or after 7/1/2013). Otherwise, the employee must maintain membership with their current retirement program with no option to switch. Non-represented = Not covered by a union. 3 Eligibility Salary Decreases If an employee was part of VDC, (because his/her salary rate was greater than $75,000) but later has a salary decrease to below $75,000, can he/she still be in VDC? Once you’ve established membership in the VDC Program, you retain membership in the VDC. Contribution Table: $45,000 or less = 3% $45,000.01 to $55,000 = 3.5% $55,000.01 to $75,000 = 4.5% $75,000.01 to $100,000 = 5.75% Greater than $100,000 = 6% *While eligibility determination is based on salary rate (see page two), contribution rate is based on actual wages. All amounts are subject to the 415 limit set by law each year. For additional information, please visit vdc.ny.gov. Please refer to the SUNY Salary Bulletin; regarding Tier 6 Employer Contribution Rate & Look Back section located at https://www.tiaa-cref.org/public/pdf/SUNY_Bulletin_January_2015.pdf. Eligibility 30-Day Requirement Eligibility Current Tier 6 Eligibility Rehired with No Retirement Plan History If it is optional for an employee to join either NY State sponsored retirement plan or the VDC (i.e., due to part-time/ temporary employment) and the employee chooses not to join either plan, but is mandated to join a retirement plan at a later time (i.e., after switching to full-time/permanent employment), can the employee still enroll in the VDC? Anyone hired after July 1, 2013, can participate in VDC, but what about the other Tier 6 employees hired previously? Aren’t they allowed to participate in the program? For an employee hired before July 1, 2013, and who was not required to join a Retirement System, but then separated and was rehired after July 1, 2013, is he/she eligible to participate in the VDC? Yes, as long as the election is made within 30 days of the appointment in which enrolling in a retirement system becomes mandatory. The 30-day enrollment requirement applies to part-time/temporary and full-time employees. Legislation dictates specifically that the VDC is only available to employees that are newly hired on/after July 1, 2013. An existing employee is not eligible unless he/she has a qualifying change (i.e., leave employment and return to public employment under qualifying circumstances). Otherwise, the employee must maintain their membership with the defined benefit retirement plan that they are currently enrolled in. If an employee was hired by a public agency before July 1, 2013, and separated from service, and then returned to an eligible position—as long as his/her immediate preceding employment was not with the same agency/employer and he/she had not elected a retirement plan—he/she is eligible for enrollment in the VDC assuming he/she meets all other eligibility requirements. 4 Is a retiree from NYC Pension System (like a Retired Rehired retired NYC Police Officer) who comes to work for the State in a VDC-eligible position eligible to participate in the program? Eligibility Eligibility Mandatory Contributions Eligibility Transfers between NY State Entities Can an employee enroll in the VDC and a 457, 403(b) or 401(k) plan at the same time? If an employee is actively receiving a public pension benefit, he/she is not eligible for the VDC Program unless he/she elects to suspend that previous public benefit and otherwise meet eligibility requirements and had not previously been offered the VDC as a retirement plan option (i.e., through NYS employment prior to retirement while concurrently employed by NYPD). Example: A retiree is collecting a pension from TRS/ERS is rehired. He/she is not eligible for the VDC Program unless he/she elects to suspend that previous public retirement benefit and otherwise meets eligibility requirements, and had not previously been offered the VDC Program as a retirement plan option (i.e., through NYS employment prior to retirement. Yes. The VDC Program is a pension plan and an employee can enroll in the VDC as well as a voluntary tax deferred program such as a 457, 401k, 403b, etc. Also, because employee contributions to the VDC Program are mandatory, they do not offset the 402(g) limits. Does a person moving A person moving from one NY State agency to another NY State from one New York State agency that is currently enrolled in a state/city sponsored Retirement Authority to another State Plan does not qualify to enroll in the VDC Program. Authority qualify to enroll in the VDC Program? Scenario: Are they eligible for VDC Program? 1. Moving from one NY Authority (non-state agency) to another NY Authority Yes 2. If a person is moving between NY Authority and a NY State Agency Yes 3. If a person is moving from one state agency to another state agency No, unless they were already participating in the VDC with their previous employer. 5 Contributions Category Question Answer Contributions Are employers/ agencies responsible for tracking the employee and employer contributions, or will the Office of the State Comptroller do this? If you have a centralized payroll administrator, the census remittance file, including indicative data, contribution amounts, management of the escrow contributions and funding, will be managed by that service provider. Tracking Contributions Impact of Family Medical Leave of Absence (FMLA) What happens if the employee comes off payroll, i.e., FMLA? Would they have to make catch-up contributions? NOTE: Centralized Payroll Administrators will calculate contributions for vested and non-vested employees enrolled in the VDC Program and remit vested contributions. If your payroll is not administered by a centralized payroll administrator, you will calculate contributions and recordkeep escrow contributions of non-vested employees. FMLA is a non-paid benefit; meaning that there are no contributions (employee or employer) during the period when an employee is not on payroll. It is important to note that vesting credit will not be accumulated while on unpaid leave or when an employee is not on an employer's payroll. Generally, no contributions would be made for a period during which an employee is on leave, with the exception of military leave. Employees who return to work and become active on their employer's payroll will be permitted to resume making contributions upon their return within applicable timelines and guidelines. If an employee is not being paid or active on the employer's payroll, you will not accrue time toward the 366-day vesting requirement. EXCEPTION: Employees on Disability 6 Contributions Rates What are the contribution rates for employees participating in the NYS VDC Program? Employer contribution is 8% of annual wages and the employee contributions are based on salary in accordance with the following schedule:* $45,000 or less = 3% $45,000.01 to $55,000 = 3.5% $55,000.01 to $75,000 = 4.5% $75,000.01 to $100,000 = 5.75% Greater than $100,000 = 6% NOTE: These employee contributions are based on the rate of pay. For example, if an employee was hired at a salary rate of $75,000, but works part-time and actually earned $45,000, they would still be eligible to participate. However, the employee contribution would be less than 4.5% as noted above. *While eligibility determination is based on salary rate (see page two), contribution rate is based on actual wages. Please refer to the section called "You must use a two-year look back salary” for the calculation that can be found on the VDC website in the Salary Summary Guide or at www.tiaa-cref.org/public/pdf/VDC_Salary_Summary_Guide_FINAL.pdf. All amounts are subject to the 415 limit set by law each year. For additional information, please visit vdc.ny.gov. Contributions Impact on other Plans Contribution Rates Does the contribution to the VDC Program affect the employee's ability to contribute to a 457, 403(b) or 401(k) plan? No. Employees can participate in the VDC Program and are encouraged to save additional funds for retirement in their 457b, 403(b) or 40l(k) plan. Additionally, because the employee contributions to the VDC Program are mandatory (under 414(h)), they do not offset the maximum amount the employee can tax defer to their employer's 457b, 403(b) or 401(k) plan. Is there a cap on the employee contribution percentage? Can the employee contribute more than the percentage required? The cap on the employee contribution percentage is 6% for employees at an annual wage of over $100,000.00. The employee is not permitted to contribute more than the percentage that is based on their salary. Additional employee contribution can be made into the voluntary tax deferred saving program such as a 457b, 403(b) or 401(k), up to the tax deferral limit under 402(g) and 415. 7 Contributions Taxation Are these contributions through payroll deductions taxable? Employee mandatory contributions are pretax, deducted from the employee’s gross includable salary (annual salary plus pensionable factors [such as location/stipends], excluding non-pensionable items (uniform allowance, etc.). These contributions will be reported in the employee’s W-2 as a separate item. The employee must include this amount on their NYS Tax Return IT201. Please refer to the salary summary guide and employer NOTE ON DISTRIBUTIONS: Distributions will not be subject to New resources located on York State taxation. vdc.ny.gov/employer. New York State tax law allows an annual state income tax exemption for employees who are members of New York State public retirement plans. The VDC Program is a NYS public retirement plan and the income paid from this plan to New York State or city employees who reside in New York is exempt from New York state taxes. In order to claim this tax exemption, employees who receive income from the VDC Program must be able to itemize the amounts received from SUNY, differentiated from any other plan from which they may be receiving income. We cannot offer tax or legal advice. Employees must seek the advice of their own tax, legal or finance counsel. Contributions Salary Base Contributions Employer/ agency Employer/ agency Contribution Management Contributions Interest on Contributions Are the employee contributions calculated on gross minus the nontaxable deductions, or on the full gross amount? Employee contributions are calculated based on employee’s gross includable salary (annual salary plus pensionable factors [location/stipends], excluding non-pensionable items (uniform allowance, etc. are excluded). Please refer to salary summary located at vdc.ny.gov. What is the employer's cost of contribution? The employer/agency contributes 8%. How often does the employer/agency submit the 8% contribution? Are we billed or do we calculate ourselves? Employer and employee contributions for vested employees are remitted to the third-party program administrator (TIAA-CREF) on a payroll schedule provided to TIAA-CREF by the employer/agency. Does the 4% interest accrue to both the employer and employee contribution? Yes. The 4% interest accrues on both the employer and employee contributions for the 366-day vesting period. It is calculated as 4% simple interest at the end of the 366-day vesting period and remitted to TIAA-CREF along with the retroactive employer and employee premiums plus the first employer and employee premiums. The interest rate, in addition to the simple interest formula is dictated in Education Law Article 8B section 392. If the employee terminates service prior to vesting (e.g. after six months), the escrowed employee contribution plus 4% simple interest up to the point of termination should be refunded to the employee. They are not owed employer premiums or interest on the employer premiums. Please visit the VDC website at vdc.ny.gov/employer. Simple interest is paid on contributions at the completion of the 366-day vesting period. 8 Contributions 414(h) contributions Contributions Refund of Employee Contributions During the vesting period, are employee contributions treated as 414(h) contributions? Yes. During the vesting period, the employee contributions are treated as 414(h) contributions in the same manner as they would during the vesting period for the Defined Benefit ERS, TRS, etc. plans. The treatment is the same during and after vesting and the total employee contributions are recordkept together at TIAA-CREF as remitted under 414(h). This is important to note during employee tax filings. If the employee does not complete the vesting period, how are the contributions handled after they leave? The contributions should not be remitted to TIAA-CREF as an employee who has terminated or separated from employment before meeting the vesting period is not considered to be a plan participant. The refund to the employee will include only the employee contributions along with 4% simple interest up to the date of termination. The Employee unvested pretax contributions should be refunded to the employee and returned on their final separation check (along with simple interest), so that it may be reported correctly on their wage and tax statement at year-end. – The refunded EE contributions would be reported as gross income on the W2 and the 4% interest would be reported on a 1099INT. Keep in mind that this is a 414h(2) plan and is treated similar to the ERS DB plan in regards to tax reporting, if you would like additional tax reporting advice on how to report the contributions/distributions we advise you to consult with your legal department and/or internal tax advisor. Contributions VDC Refund Application How should an employee request a contribution refund? Refunds can be requested by the employee completing the APPLICATION FOR REFUND OF VOLUNTARY DEFINED CONTRIBUTION PROGRAM found on the VDC website, which must be notarized, and returned to the employing institution. A refund will be made only after the employee has been off the payroll for two full payroll periods. – The refunded employee contributions would be reported on the W-2 and the 4% interest would be reported on a 1099INT. The link to the Refund Application Form is https://www.tiaa-cref.org/public/pdf/VDCRefundApp.pdf. 9 Vesting Category Question Answer Vesting How will the employer/ agency know if an employee has already met the vesting period from a previous employer (public or private)? Employees are required to complete the Retirement Plan Election (RPE) form as part of the enrollment process. The RPE will ask the employee to provide prior plan participation in a specific retirement system and with specific plan providers. The Employer's/Agency’s Benefits Administrators should track each EE’s Plan Entry Date provided so the 366-day period can be appropriately calculated. If the employee notes he or she has an existing contract with one of the investment providers under the VDC Program, you will contact that investment provider. In addition, the employee may provide a statement from the approved investment provider that should show vesting percentage equal to 100%. Validation When the employees enroll, they’ll be asked a series of questions, e.g.: 1. Have you ever worked for a public employer in New York? Note: If transferring from another NYS public employer with past ERS/TRS history, this service can be counted toward the 366-day vesting period. 2. Are you presently receiving a retirement benefit from any public Retirement System of New York State? 3. Do you currently own a vested employer-sponsored retirement contract with: TIAA-CREF, Voya, MetLife, VALIC or Fidelity? You will use the responses to these questions to validate the employee’s eligibility and vesting. Vesting Verification How can we be expected to validate what a new staff member presents as their history for verifying vesting? Employees will provide their employee history when they elect to join the VDC Program. If the employee indicates participation in any of the public pension plans offered in New York State, you will contact the retirement plan to confirm their membership status. State agencies can contact their payroll processors (e.g., the Office of the State Comptroller for New York State or the Office of Labor Relations for New York City). If the employee notes he or she has an existing contract with one of the investment providers under the VDC Program, you will contact that investment provider to verify contract information provided by the employee. Alternately, the employee may provide a statement from the approved investment provider that should show vesting percentage equal to 100%. Visit vdc.ny.gov website for contact information of each investment provider. 10 Vesting Date Vesting Vested Employee Contributions Vesting Nonvested Employee Contributions Is the vesting date based on the date the employee applied for enrollment? The vesting date for full-time employees is based on hire date, not election date. Where are employee contributions located once the first year of vesting is achieved? Employee/employer contributions are held in escrow (a segregated account) by the employer until the employee becomes vested, upon achieving 366 days participation in the program. If the employee does not complete the vesting period, is the employer/agency required to refund the employee contributions directly to the employee? No two circumstances will be identical. NO, an employer/agency is not required to refund employee contributions. The employee has the option to leave their funds in escrow if the employer approves. Employee contributions should not be remitted to TIAA-CREF, since an employee who has terminated before meeting the vesting period is not considered to be a plan participant. Refunds requested by an employee will include only the employee contributions along with 4% simple interest up to the date of termination. The Employee unvested pretax contributions should be refunded to the employee and returned on their final separation check (along with simple interest), so that it may be reported correctly on their wage and tax statement at year-end. – The refunded EE contributions would be reported on the W-2 and the 4% interest would be reported on a 1099INT. If the employee does not complete the vesting period, the employer/agency will refund (if requested by the employee and approved by the employer) the employee contributions directly to the employee plus 4% simple interest. How does vesting affect the funds that have been During the accumulated during Escrow Phase the escrow phase? Vesting Prior to vesting, employee/employer contributions are held in escrow by the employer until the employee becomes vested, upon achieving 366 days. Upon becoming vested, funds are then transmitted (plus 4% simple interest) to the investment provider(s). 11 ADMINISTRATION Remittance Category Question Answer Remittance The Payroll Administrator for my institution is centralized (Office of the State Comptroller (OSC), Office of Payroll Administration (OPA) or the Office of Labor relations (OLR)). No. Census Remittance File Requirement Do I have to submit a file for my institution? Your Payroll Administrator will submit the Census Remittance File (indicative data and contribution information file). If you work with the OSC, refer to Payroll Bulletin 1256. REMINDER: Once the employer/agency approves the employee’s plan election, the employer/agency must ensure that the employee is added to the Census Remittance File. Each employer is responsible for coordinating this action step with their centralized payroll administrator, third-party service providers, or within your own institution when payroll is administered within the institution. If an employee is vested, his/her contributions must be submitted on the Census Remittance File as soon as administratively feasible. If there is any delay, both employer and employee contributions should be recordkept by the employer/agency until they can be added to the Census Remittance File then retroactively remit all appropriate contributions. Contributions for employees who must meet the 366-day vesting period should be recordkept in a separate account. Remittance Timing of the Census Remittance File Can the Census Remittance File be submitted less than three days before a payroll date? The standard and recommended time frame is three days in order to have the best processing experience and time to review the files. Day 1 – Employer/agency submits the Census Remittance File. If the data is received and is deemed to be in good order, it will be disbursed to the investment providers. Otherwise, the employer/agency will receive notification that the file cannot be processed. If the data is received after 4 p.m. (ET), it will be processed and disbursed to providers the following business day. NOTE: Adjustments received after the data has been disbursed will be processed with the next remittance file cycle. Day 2 – Employer/agency will receive a Funding Request and/or Confirmation of Good Order. Day 3 – Employer/agency will remit funding as applicable to each investment provider. For agencies remitting funding to the third-party administrator (TIAA-CREF), the funds must be received before 12 p.m. (ET). The trade date for the contributions will be determined by the good order assessment of each investment provider. 12 Remittance Compliance Are contributions to NYS VDC subject to limits monitoring? Yes, depending on the characterization of the contributions and the IRC Code. Employee mandatory contributions to the NYS VDC Program are not considered to be elective deferrals and are not subject to 402(g) limits. Employer contributions to the NYS VDC Program are not subject to the Governor’s Cap. Employer contributions to the NYS VDC Program are subject to the 401(a)(17) limit on compensation that may be counted for benefits under the plan. All contributions are subject to the IRC Section 415 annual limit. For 2015, the 415(c) limit is 100% of compensation or $53,000 (index), whichever is less. All contributions and forfeiture allocations are included in the limit. Whether your payroll is administered by a centralized payroll administrator or directly by your agency, limits monitoring is the role and responsibility of the employer. You should work with the centralized payroll administrator and TIAA-CREF, the Program recordkeeper, as needed. Remittance Remitting Contributions Remittance Remittance for Vested Employee Contributions Is the 8% contribution monthly or can we remit at the end of the year? Contributions should be made based on an employer’s payroll schedule. Should I include both Yes. the employee and Employer and employee contributions that are associated with an employee employer contributions that has not vested are held in escrow (a separate account) and recordkept of a vested employee? by the employer until the vesting period has been completed. The employer and employee contributions and interest on those contributions (simple interest calculated at 4%) are remitted in the pay cycle following employee vesting. 13 Data File Submission Category Question Answer Data Administration What file format should be used? The SPARK Census Remittance (CR) File must be used for any institution with more than 250 plan participants. File Format If you anticipate that your eligible population will be 50 or more within the next two to five years, you must submit your data using the SPARK CR Format. For employers/agencies whose number of plan participants will not exceed 250 within the next two to five years, you may use the PlanFocus Online Contribution List. Data Administration File Format Data Administration Reporting Can we choose Yes. to use the SPARK Census Remittance File format even if we have less than 250 enrollees? Should I include employees who do not meet the 366-day vesting requirement on the data administration file when they elect to participate in the VDC Program? No. The employer/agency must recordkeep the escrow contributions on a per-pay period basis. Once the employee vests, you must add the employee to your remittance file and report the escrowed employer and employee contributions (including the 4% simple interest and the first contribution). If your payroll is performed by a central payroll administration, please contact them regarding this function (see OSC payroll bulletin No. 1256 at http://www.osc.state.ny.us/agencies/pbull/agencies/2013_2014/bulet1256.htm). Example: Employee must meet the 366-day vesting period if hired on August 1, 2013. Vesting Date: August 1, 2014. Date Added to Data Administration file: Not before August 1, 2014. My institution has other plans with TIAA-CREF; can we use the Consolidating same file to report Files participation in the VDC Program? Data Administration No. If your Centralized Payroll Administrator (e.g., OSC or OLR/OPA) currently submits a data file to TIAA-CREF for other plans, TIAA-CREF will work directly with the Centralized Payroll Administrator to determine if that file meets format/layout specifications. However, different Plans may have differing data elements and layouts that may not support the VDC Program requirements. 14 Continued Consolidating Files If your payroll is not administered by a Centralized Payroll Administrator and your institution participates in other TIAA-CREF plans, TIAA-CREF will work with you to establish a separate file in support of remittances specifically for the VDC Program. If you are using the SPARK Census Remittance Format, you must create a new file for the NYS VDC Program. The NYS VDC Program has a different Plan number and follows a different naming convention. If you are not using the SPARK Census Remittance Format and the participation in the NYS VDC Program will exceed 250 participants in the next two to five years, you must implement the SPARK CR Format. Otherwise, you have the option to submit your data using the remittance module within PlanFocus, the Online Contribution List (OCL). TIAA-CREF will work with you to establish the proper protocols that will enable you to establish remittance files using the SPARK file process. Larger institutions may benefit by using the SPARK format even if they have less than 250 participants. Data Administration Submitting Your File Data Administration Distributions When do I submit my file? Each employer/agency or payroll administrator will submit a schedule to TIAA-CREF, the third-party administrator based on your payroll schedule and the three-business-day Common Remitter Cycle. What is the difference between a payroll date and a check date? The data is submitted three days prior to your pay period ending date or your check date. If an employee terminates from employment, how are escrow funds disbursed? If an employee terminates and has not met the vesting requirement, the employee contributions plus 4% simple interest up to the point of termination only would be refunded through a final pay check. The employee may elect to keep the contributions in escrow with employer approval. The date that you submit your file is based on the schedule that you provide to TIAA-CREF, the third-party administrator. Employer/agency contributions and corresponding interest are not included in the refund. For further information please consult with your legal counsel and/or tax advisor. Administration Distributions* What are the types of distribution options available? Distribution* options available, once vested, include: Options available at separation of service: • Single and joint life lifetime retirement income • Single and/or systematic lump-sum withdrawals • Minimum Distribution payments • Interest payments • Rollovers Options available in-service: • Loans • Death Benefits Distributions At what age are employees able to take lump sum or periodic payments (distributions)? The VDC is designed to allow retirement at any age. Distributions from VDC contracts are permitted any time after separation from services, subject to an IRS 10% penalty for distributions prior to age 59½, unless separating from service after reaching the normal retirement age of 55. 15 Enrollment Category Question Answer Enrollment What is the enrollment process for employees who are not able to access or utilize the Retirement Plan Election (RPE) System? If an employee is unable to access or utilize the Retirement Plan Election System (RPE), you can take them through the process online or they should contact TIAA-CREF Retirement@Work consultants by calling 866 271-0960 for guidance. Will the employer/ agency enter employees into the Retirement Plan Election System or will the employees enter themselves, and we will receive notification? Employees must enroll online themselves through the RPE website located at vdc.ny.gov. Once the employee completes his/her election (including Retirement Plan History), the employer/agency will receive a message to review a new item on his/her work list in PlanFocus. The employer/agency may contact TIAA-CREF to verify prior retirement plan participation, for TIAA-CREF contracts. All other retirement plan contract/service history verifications must be completed by the employer/agency with each individual investment provider and/or state retirement plan. IMPORTANT: The action to review is time sensitive because any delay in approving the employee delays the downstream process to pass the contributions to the recordkeeping system. The employer/agency approves or declines the employee’s election. If the employee is not eligible, the employer/agency must notify the employee. An online report will identify who has completed the Retirement Plan Election process. Exception To Online Enrollment Using Retirement Plan Election (RPE) System Enrollment Retirement Plan Election (RPE) For those employers/agencies beginning the onboarding process, your employees will not have immediate access to the site until your institution's onboarding is final. Manual forms will be provided in these situations. For questions on enrolling into the plan, assistance on using Retirement@Work or to complete the investment provider election, employees can contact the TIAA-CREF Retirement@Work consultants at 866 271-0960. 16 Enrollment Retirement Plan Election Will TIAA-CREF, the plan recordkeeper, inform the employer/ agency that the employee has not enrolled in/selected a retirement plan within 30 days of his/her hire date? No. The employer/agency must monitor retirement plan election. Access Retirement Plan System through the TIAA-CREF Secure PlanFocus. Each new hire must be provided with the How to Enroll Card, as well as an additional reminder from the employer/agency to take action within 30 days from his/her hire date; otherwise, the employee will default into the N.Y.S. or N.Y.C. defined benefit plan (e.g. ERS, TRS, etc.). IMPORTANT: The action to review "the Retirement Plan Election" is time sensitive, as any delay in approving the employee delays the downstream process and the employee’s first contribution. NOTE: If the employee elects to participate in the VDC but does not complete the enrollment with an investment provider, the employee will be default enrolled to a provider as determined by the plan sponsor. Enrollment Retirement Plan Election (RPE) Enrollment Notifications Will the election form have an option to decline VDC participation? Are notifications sent from the site to let us know when someone has completed his/her elections in the system, or do we need to manually check the site for alerts? Not at this time. The election form (RPE) currently collects only affirmative participation in the VDC only. The answer is both. Yes, email alerts are sent to you, but as Program administrator, you will need to log on to the TIAA-CREF secure web center, PlanFocus (www.tiaa-cref.org/public/plansponsors) and check for “alerts” in the For Attention Section routinely regarding employee Retirement Plan Election (RPE) submissions. These will show up in your work queue. It’s a good habit to visit the secure Plan Focus Website routinely as an administrator, but not less frequently than each payroll period. 17 What is the average time frame between Administration when an employee Enrollment – enrolls online and the Alert administrator receives notification? Enrollment Once an employee enrolls online, information is fed to the TIAA-CREF Plan Focus website and will be available the next business day if it was input during normal operating business hours. Concurrently, the employer/agency will receive a notification to review the new item on his/her work list each day that there is an action item to complete. IMPORTANT: The action to review is time sensitive as any delay in approving the employee participation can result in the first contribution being delayed. Each new hire must choose his/her retirement plan within thirty (30) days of his/her hire date. For any employee that is not mandatory, participation will begin upon election. For further information, please consult with your benefits administrator. Enrollment Alerts Once the employer/ agency approves the employee’s participation in the NYS VDC Program, what’s next? The employer/agency must ensure that the employee is added to the data Census Remittance File. The employer/agency is responsible for coordinating this action step with centralized payroll administrators, third-party payroll agency administrators such as the OSC or the OLR/OPA, or within their own institution when payroll is administered in-house. If an employee is vested, his/her contributions must be submitted on the Census Remittance File as soon as administratively feasible. If there is any delay, both employer and employee contributions should be recordkept by the employer/agency until they can be added to the Census Remittance File then retroactively remit all appropriate contributions. Contributions for employees who have not met the 366-day vesting period should be recordkept by the employer/agency in escrow. For State Agencies whose payroll is administered by OSC, please refer to Payroll Bulletin 1256 by pasting the following link into your web browser: http://www.osc.state.ny.us/agencies/pbull/agencies/2011_2012/bulet11 56.htm. Enrollment Requirements if No Hiring My institution will not be hiring for the foreseeable future. Is any action required at this time? The NYS VDC Program is effective for new hires as of July 1, 2013. IMPORTANT: Yes, action is required. Please keep in mind that the onboarding process takes time to establish an institution/employer/agency in the program regardless of whether your institution's payroll is handled internally, by a centralized administrator or a third-party payroll administrator. We would advise you to complete the Administrator Access form to at a minimum allow us to communicate with you about any VDC Program changes. The form can be found on the administrator section of the VDC website at vdc.ny.gov. If your institution is eligible for the VDC Program, you are required by law to immediately notify employees of their eligibility to participate in the retirement plan options and also provide the employee with materials to make an election within thirty (30) days of his/her hire date. 18 Enrollment Effective Date Enrollment Plan Election Irrevocable How is the effective date determined if an employee enrolls in the VDC? Is it the day he/she enrolls, or is it retroactive back to their hire date since he/she has 30 days to enroll? What are the consequences of an employee who does not choose a retirement plan within 30 days from his/her date of hire? It is retroactive back to the employee’s hire date for mandatory (full-time employees) membership. If he/she is an optional (part-time) member, then it’s done prospectively from the date the application was received. As of July 1, 2013, new hires who meet the eligibility criteria for the NYS VDC Plan must by law be provided with information about this program and the option to enroll in it. It is the employer's responsibility to give all eligible employees information about the VDC Program upon hire so they may make an informed decision about which plan to select. If the employee has not been provided with VDC information upon hire, the employer must do so as soon as possible and permit the employee to participate retroactively to their original eligibility date. The retirement plan choice is irrevocable during employment. If the employee does not take action within 30 days, he/she will be DEFAULT enrolled in one of the NY State or NYC defined benefit systems (e.g. ERS, TRS, etc.), if in a position that requires retirement plan participation. Can you help the new Employee who New Hire cannot access the Employee Retirement Plan cannot Access Election System? Retirement @Work Enrollment Yes, we can help; however, the employer/agency must ensure that the employee selects a retirement plan. The employee can contact the Retirement@Work help line at 866 271-0960 to speak with a representative who can walk him/her through the process of selecting the VDC Program as their retirement plan. If the employee needs assistance enrolling in the VDC Program, a Retirement@Work representative will provide that assistance. For enrollment with an approved investment provider, a Retirement@Work representative will introduce the employee to the investment provider (TIAA-CREF, VOYA, VALIC, MetLife, Fidelity) or instruct the employee to make direct contact. NOTE: If you have an employee who is limited under ADA and cannot use the automated system to select a retirement plan, they may contact the Retirement R@W telephone center at 866 271-0960 to speak with a representative we can complete the Retirement Program Election Form on their behalf. To select a retirement plan, you may use the Retirement Program Election Form and Investment Provider Election Form that will be located on the Administrator Information Resource Center found at vdc.ny.gov. An alternative for ADA employees only are paper forms that are located on the Administrator Resource center found at vdc.ny.gov. Paper forms cannot be used for non-ADA employees. 19 Enrollment 30 days Enrollment Withdrawal How do we give an employee a 30-day election period between VDC and the default retirement system? An employee is paid on a weekly basis and payroll deductions are started immediately. Many agencies know they are going to hire an employee in advance, and would send the materials to them prior to payroll. This allows the employee to review the materials in advance in order that he/she may make an informed decision in selecting a retirement plan. Can the employee withdraw from the VDC Program? No. While the employee is with their current employer, they cannot withdraw from the VDC Program. However, if they terminate service with their current employer, please refer to the question "switching jobs" located on page two under eligibility. If the employee doesn’t take action, the employer/agency is required to enroll him/her in the Defined Benefit Plan (e.g. ERS, TRS, etc.), depending on title. Should an employee elect to enroll in the VDC Program, after the first payroll cycle, the employer must process retroactive deductions. For full-time employees, deductions should be retroactive to the first date of employment. For part-time employees, deductions should be retroactive to the date of program election. 20 Escrow Category Question Answer Escrow What is an escrow account and who manages it? Escrow is a separate account established for the purpose of holding funds on behalf of the employees. The employee’s contributions are held in escrow until the employee vests with the VDC Program (366 days after hire). Definition If your payroll is managed by a centralized payroll administrator (e.g., OSC and or OLR/OPA), they will recordkeep the per pay period escrow employer and employee contributions. Once the employee vests, the centralized payroll administrator will remit the escrowed contributions and simple interest on both the employer and employee contributions at the rate of 4%. If your payroll is not administered by a centralized payroll, you must create an escrow account. The employer/agency must recordkeep the employer and employee contributions and apply the required interest at the time of vesting. Please check with your Finance Dept. (CFO, Chief Accounting Officer). They can help determine if there’s an existing escrow account to hold VDC Program contributions. Essentially, you’re segregating these funds from creditor accounts. Escrow How Many? Is one escrow account needed for all employees in the vesting wait period or one per each employee? Can the employer/ agency earn interest Interest earned on the funds in the escrow account? Escrow One per employer/agency, as long as the institution tracks the Escrow balance per employee. Your obligation is the 4% interest rate on employer and employee contributions if the employee is required to go through the 366-day vesting period. If an employee is immediately vested, contributions will be submitted as soon as administratively feasible. If your funds are accruing greater than 4%, the excess earnings can simply benefit the overall escrow of the employer/agency. Please see your legal counsel and/or tax advisor for further information. For more information, please copy and paste the following website into your browser: https://www.tiaa-cref.org/public/pdf/Chapter-18_2012-PensionReform.pdf. Escrow Interest Is the 4% interest in escrow in addition to the 8% Employer contribution? Yes. The employer contribution of 8% is in addition to the 4% escrow interest. NOTE: For additional information refer to Education Law Article 8-B section 392 for guidance on crediting interest rate. For more information, please copy and paste the following website into your browser: https://www.tiaacref.org/public/pdf/Chapter-18_2012-Pension-Reform.pdf. 21 Where do we get the legislation information on the 4% interest rate on funds in the escrow account? This is noted in New York Education - Article 8-B - § 392 Rates of Contribution For more information, please copy and paste the following website into your web-browser: https://www.tiaa-cref.org/public/ pdf/Chapter-18_2012-Pension-Reform.pdf. ESCROW Interest Legislation An employee leaves City/State service prior to vesting in VDC and withdraws their contributions. A year later they return to City/State service. Must they participate in VDC or can they elect to join the pension system? The VDC Program and ERS (plus the other Defined Benefit programs) are both pension systems. The distinction is that VDC is a Defined Contribution plan and ERS, TRS, etc. are Defined Benefit plans. The answer to your question depends on their status upon re-hire. If your office is a city agency and not a state agency/employer, employees who are newly hired or employees that are re-hired after a break in service, would be eligible to join the VDC as long as they are in an eligible group at hire (or re-hire). They can be offered either the VDC or the ERS (or appropriate Defined Benefit pension system). There are different rules for employees moving from one state agency/employer immediately preceding another state agency/employer. This does not impact city employees but is mentioned in the event you saw a reference to it in the VDC legislation. For additional details, please refer to the Eligibility section of this FAQ, page 2. ESCROW During the Escrow process, what happens if a person receives a salary increase before the funds are remitted to TIAA-CREF? Does the increased Employer Contribution take affect simultaneously when the increase occurs? Does it take place in the same fiscal year or will the NYSERS process of a two-year delay be utilized? During the Escrow process, if an employee’s salary is increased prior to vesting and before remittance of funds, the employer/agency should make the appropriate adjustments to the contribution amount that should be withheld from the employee. The employer/agency will then place the original withholding amount, plus the additional funds that correspond to the salary increase, into the Escrow account. Escrow Interest Legislation Calculations and Salary Increases Yes, the increased Employer Contribution should take place at the same time the salary increase takes effect. The increase in both Employee and Employer contributions should take place at the same time as the salary increase. NO, the NYSERS two-year delay process does NOT apply. Reference: SUNY Payroll Bulletin: https://www.tiaa-cref.org/public/pdf/SUNY_Bulletin_January_2015.pdf 22 Loans Category Question Answer Loans Can employees take loans from the VDC Program? Yes. Employees are allowed to take loans from the Program once they become vested. If employees can take loans through the VDC, are they eligible during the first 366 days? Employees may NOT take loans during the 366-day escrow period. VDC funds are available for loan once the vesting requirement has been satisfied. Loan availability is subject to the provisions of the plan and IRS guidelines. Employees may borrow up to 50% of the accumulated value of their contracts, subject to Internal Revenue Service regulations and rules promulgated by the investment providers. Current IRS regulations set a maximum aggregate loan balance of $50,000. Employees who wish to request a loan should contact the applicable investment provider(s). For additional information about the program, please review the Summary Plan Description located on vdc.ny.gov. https://www.tiaa-cref.org/public/pdf/Voluntary-DefinedContribution-Plan-SPD.pdf 23 Taxes Category Question Answer Taxes Is the employer contribution reported on a W-2? Because TIAA-CREF is not an institutional tax advisor, we cannot legally advise you on employee tax reporting. However, normally, employer contributions are not reported on a W-2 since there is no impact to the employee’s tax status during the contribution stage. When the employee takes distributions from the VDC, TIAA-CREF or the financial provider that the employee selected, will issue a 1099 that reports the entire distribution which includes employer and employee contributions plus earnings. Are these contributions through payroll deductions taxable? Employee mandatory contributions are pretax, deducted from the employee’s gross includable salary (annual salary plus pensionable factors [location/stipends], excluding non-pensionable items (uniform allowance, etc.). These contributions will be reported in the employee’s W-2 as a separate item. The employee must include this amount on his/her NYS Tax Return. Contribution Reporting Taxes Contributions NOTE ON DISTRIBUTIONS: New York State tax law allows an annual state income tax exemption for employees who are members of New York State public retirement plans. The SUNY Optional Retirement Plans (ORPs) and the VDC Program are New York State public retirement plans; therefore, income paid from these plans to New York State or City employees who reside in New York are exempt from New York State taxes. In order to claim this tax exemption, clients who receive income from the SUNY plan or the VDC Program must be able to itemize the amounts received from SUNY VDC Program, differentiated from any other plan from which they may be receiving income. We cannot offer tax or legal advice. Employees must seek the advice of their own tax, legal and finance counsel. Please refer to salary summary located on vdc.ny.gov/employer. If an employee leaves Because TIAA-CREF is not an institutional tax advisor, we cannot legally before vesting, does advise you on employee tax reporting. 1099 Reporting the employer/agency Please consult with your personal tax advisor. issue a 1099R? If yes, are the employee contributions and interest on the same 1099 or separate? Taxes 24 Taxes Handling of nonvested contributions Taxes 1099R reporting If the employee does not complete the vesting period, what is the process that should be followed by the agency/employer and what are the tax implications? If an employee leaves before vesting, does the employer/ agency issue a 1099R? If yes, are the employee contributions and interest on the same 1099 or separate? The contributions should not be remitted to TIAA-CREF as an employee who has terminated before meeting the vesting period is not considered to be a plan participant. Refunds requested by an employee will include only the employee contributions along with interest up to the date of termination. The Employee unvested pretax contributions should be refunded to the employee and returned on their final separation check (along with "4%" simple interest), so that it may be reported correctly on their wage and tax statement at year end. The refunded EE contributions would be reported on the W-2 and the 4% interest would be reported on a 1099INT. Because TIAA-CREF is not an institutional tax advisor, we cannot legally advise you on employee tax reporting. That said, you would follow the same process as followed when you return employee contributions to an employee who terminated prior to vesting in the ERS plan. Note that the employee would report the employee contribution on the IT 201 during annual filing. Because the City of NY holds the VDC funds during the vesting period, and ERS holds the funds during the vesting period for ERS participants, you may wish to speak with an ERS representative to ask how they process the refund. Other employer institutions that participate in the VDC confirmed to us that they will be issuing a 1099 to return employee contributions to employees who terminate prior to vesting. Please confirm with your payroll or tax reporting advisor. For employees for the city of NY, the NY City Office of Labor Relations holds the VDC funds during the 366 days leading to vesting. Taxes W2 reporting Is the employer contribution reported on a W-2? Because TIAA-CREF is not an institutional tax advisor, we cannot legally advise you on employer/agency tax reporting. That said, normally, employer/agency contributions are not reported on a W-2 for a vested employee since there is no impact to the employee’s tax status during the contribution stage. When the employee takes distributions from the VDC, TIAA-CREF, or the investment provider that the employee selected, will issue a 1099 that reports the entire distribution, which includes employer and employee contributions plus earnings. 25 Additional Points of Clarification Category Question Answer Retirement Calculator Is there a retirement calculator that an employee can use to estimate retirement income? Yes, please copy the attached link into your computer’s web-browser. https://www.tiaa-cref.org/public/calcs/retirementgoalevaluator Calculator sourced from TIAA-CREF public website for Retirement Goal Evaluator. The calculator is for illustration purposes only and should not be relied upon to determine actual numbers. Please consult with your financial and or tax advisor for calculations specific to your circumstances. Plan Types What is the difference Governmental plans under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a): Under between a 401(a) Internal Revenue Code Section 414(d), a governmental plan is an IRC Section 401(a) retirement plan established and maintained for the employees of: and 401(k) plan? • the United States or its agency or instrumentality; The United States or • a state or political subdivision, or its agencies or instrumentalities its agencies or • an Indian tribal government or its subdivision, or its agencies or subdivision, or its instrumentalities (participants must substantially perform services agencies or essential to governmental functions rather than commercial activities.) instrumentalities Source: http://www.irs.gov/Retirement-Plans/Governmental-Plans-Under(participants must Internal-Revenue-Code-Section-401-a substantially perform services essential to People often refer to a 401(a) plan as an "employer only" contribution plan, i.e., governmental the plan participants make no elective contributions. Usually when someone functions rather than says 401(a), they mean a profit sharing plan, employee stock ownership plan or commercial activities.) money purchase pension plan. But in reality, any qualified pension plan is a 401(a) plan, including a 401(k) plan. A 401(k) plan is a type of profit sharing plan and is a qualified plan under section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue code. The information provided here is intended to help you understand the general concept and does not constitute any tax, investment or legal advice. Consult your financial, tax or legal advisor regarding your own unique situation and your company's benefits representative for rules specific to your plan. Source: 401Khelpcenter.com Investment Provider Selection Can an employee contribute to multiple investment providers or only one? An employee may choose to allocate his/her employer and employee contributions to one or more of the approved investment providers offered by the VDC Program. 26 Rollover(In) – Employee Transactions Will the employee be able to roll over outside assets (e.g. 401(k), 403(b), etc.) at any time (after the vesting period is complete) into the VDC account? No. The VDC Program does not have a rollover provision at this time. The State University of New York has assembled a list of questions that were asked during webinars introducing the VDC Program to State Agencies. These questions address a variety of areas such as eligibility, vesting and administration. Each question is accompanied by a brief answer. Please watch an online presentation at www.brainshark.com/tiaa-cref_direct/NYSVDC to learn more about the Defined Contribution Program and what is required of you. Also, visit vdc.ny.gov, the retirement plan website for the VDC Program. This is only a general guide and responses are not meant to capture every scenario. The material provided in this booklet is for general information purposes only. Although every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy, the rules of SUNY’s Optional Retirement Program are binding. Specific questions should be directed to the Plan Administrator, The State University of New York or the Plan Recordkeeper, TIAA-CREF. For Institutional Investor Use Only. Not for Use With or Distribution to the Public. Revised September 24, 2015 Job: 141008962 27