Table of Contents
- It's All in a Day's Work - Correct Employer Errors Now!
- Designating and Updating Beneficiaries Online
- Celebrating National Retirement Security Week October 20-26, 2019
- Ready...Wherever You Are!
- Defining the Terms
- Be Able with ABLE
- State Health Plan Open Enrollment is Coming Soon: November 2-19, 2019
- Kudos!
Correcting Employer Errors for the 2019 myNCRetirement Statement: The Time is Now!
RSD is currently preparing 2019 myNCRetirement Statements (MRS) for active employees who contributed to their retirement system account before December 31, 2019.
To help us generate accurate MRSs for your employees, please respond to your Employer Reporting Team representative promptly when your monthly report has an error so that any issues can be addressed and necessary adjustments can be processed as soon as possible. Otherwise, your affected employees will not receive a 2019 MRS; instead, they will receive a letter notifying them that reporting errors prevented us from creating their MRS.
As a reminder, you can now access monthly ORBIT Error Reports on our website:
- Log in to ORBIT as an employer
- Under the Reporting options, select “Report Viewer”
- Select the “Employer Reporting” report type
- Select the report titled “Detail Records in Error by Agency and Report Month – Self Service”
- Select the “Report Month” and “Report Year”
- The “Exception Type” and “Source of Entry” are auto-populated and cannot be changed
- Select the Export Type you desire, and your report will be exported as either a .pdf file or Excel spreadsheet
You can now check your monthly ORBIT errors as soon as your report has posted. You may save this report and add your responses on how to correct the Error Message, and then email the report to your ORBIT Employer Reporting Team representative. Your representative will correct these records in error status according to your written instructions.
All outstanding ORBIT reporting errors should be submitted no later than December 31, 2019. Failure to provide a timely response may result in either an incorrect or missing myNCRetirement Statement for your employees!
Not sure who your Employer Reporting Team representative is or have other questions? Call 877-627-3287.
We have made improvements to our systems and are continuing to work to make things easier for our members. One of the enhancements we have made is the ability for active employees to designate and update their beneficiary(ies) online. Please encourage your employees to complete their designations online as we will be removing the paper form.
Why is this important?
- It’s easy,
- secure, and
- the designation or change is immediate.
We have removed the tedious task of printing and handwriting the form, the delay in postal service and processing and delays due to missing or errant information.
Designating and maintaining a beneficiary is one of the most important steps your employees can take to ensure the benefits they work so hard for every day go to the right person(s) and to create an easier path for their loved ones.
How to designate and update beneficiaries online:
- Log in to ORBIT
- Click on the 7th tab down on the left – Maintain Beneficiaries
- Designate and/or update beneficiary(ies) for eligible retirement and death benefits
It’s as easy as that. New employees will be able to access ORBIT to make these important updates by their second paycheck.
National Retirement Security Week, held during the third week in October, is a dedicated effort to raising awareness and helping individuals take concrete steps towards a secure retirement. The weeklong observance began 2006. It’s a week encouraging employees to discover what it means to plan and be prepared up to and through retirement.
North Carolina Total Retirement Plans has programs and tools for employers and employees. We have a series of in person employer education seminars and certifications, also available by simulcast, and webinars. Did you know your employees can book a virtual one-on-one with a counselor to make sure they are planning a secure retirement? This can be done by sending an email to nc.retirement@nctreasurer.com. Your employees can also book an educational, virtual one-on-one for your NC 401(k), NC 457 or NC 403(b) Program benefit offerings. Your employees can go to NCPLANS.prudential.com, click “Find Your Counselor,” and make an appointment.
It’s that easy to be ready for retirement, wherever you are!
Defining the Terms
Retirement: Retirement for North Carolina public servants is defined and governed by the North Carolina General Statutes and federal law requirements. Retirement is defined as the commencement of monthly retirement benefits, along with a termination of employment and the complete separation from active service with no intent or agreement, express or implied, to return to service. The NC General Statutes are clear in that there must be a full stop in employment, and a break from work for a specific amount of time with no plans to return to work up to and prior to an employee’s effective retirement date. Details are available online and in the Member Handbooks for each system.
If you have questions leading up to someone’s retirement, please give us a call toll free at 1-877-627-3287.
Returning to Work: After an employee has retired and taken the mandatory break from service, he or she may be eligible to return to work for an employer in the Retirement System from which they retired (certain earnings limitations may apply). Return-to-work laws apply differently to members of the Local Governmental Employees’ Retirement System (LGERS) and the Teachers’ and State Employees’ Retirement System (TSERS). We encourage you to visit our webpage for more information in maintaining compliance with the return-to-work laws for your system.
The NC Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) Act was signed into law five years ago and allows people with disabilities to invest up to $15,000 per year in tax-advantaged savings accounts, without impacting SSI or other support programs. NC ABLE accounts are available for individuals at any stage of life with an onset of disability before turning 26 years of age. Parents of a disabled adult who meets the eligibility requirements (onset of disability prior to age 26) can also open an account for their adult child. North Carolina’s NC ABLE Program is one of a handful of states that allows this feature. NC ABLE accounts are available to all people in the US who qualify, not exclusively to North Carolina residents. Learn more about this special savings resource for your employees and their families who have a loved one with a disability at nc.savewithable.com.
Follow us on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NCABLEProgram
Learn more: nc.savewithable.com
State Health Plan Open Enrollment is Coming Soon: November 2-19, 2019
State Health Plan Open Enrollment for the 2020 benefit year will be held November 2-19, 2019. Please remind State Health Plan employees of the shortened enrollment period this year and encourage them to watch for their Decision Guide in the mail, which should arrive by the end of October. You are encouraged to download, print and post the Open Enrollment poster in your State Health Plan worksites. Click here to download a copy. Tobacco users who want to claim their employee-only premium reduction of $60 will need to visit a CVS MinuteClinic for at least one face-to-face tobacco cessation counseling session by December 31, 2019. Remember, vouchers are not required this year! Employees can go to CVS MinuteClinic now. There is no need to wait until the start of Open Enrollment. Additional information regarding Open Enrollment is available on the State Health Plan website.
