Save for Retirement

1. Read the General Information page to learn the basics of the ACC plan. Next, read the Fidelity Enrollment Guide.
2. Sign-up for an ACC 403(b)9 Retirement Plan account with Fidelity by following the instructions on page #1 in the Enrollment Guide. Visit the online enrollment site here.
3. Once you have created a Retirement Plan account, alert the Retirement Plan Administrator. If you are new to the ACC Retirement Plan, be sure to advise the administrator of this, as there is a two-year administrative fee holiday for all new Retirement Plan participants.
4. Work with your employer to complete the Contribution Calculation Form and the Elective Deferral Form for salary deferrals. Once signed, return the forms to the ACC Office.

Access and monitor your Fidelity account through NetBenefits. You can update your beneficiaries, alter your investments, and take advantage of the wide variety of financial planning tools Fidelity offers!

You can reach your account through NetBenefits http://www.netbenefits.com/atwork or call the Fidelity Participant Benefits Line at 1-800-343-0860. 

For One-on-One Financial and Retirement Planning Consultations with Stephen Maloney, Workplace Financial Consultant, contact the ACC Retirement Plan Administrator for an introduction.

An elective (salary) deferral is the amount you have withheld from your paycheck and contributed to your retirement account. Currently, most participants are using the pre-tax contribution method for these deferrals. The amount can be calculated as a percentage of your salary or a flat dollar amount. Elective or Salary deferrals are calculated on a calendar year basis and can't be more than your annual salary or the IRS annual elective deferral limits, whichever is less. 

Any plan participant who has an elective (salary) deferral is required to complete the Workplace Savings Plan Contribution form. The form authorizes your employer to establish, change, or cancel the amount you wish to have withheld from your paycheck and contributed to your ACC Retirement Plan account. This form should be turned into your employer with a copy sent to the ACC office.

Salary Deferral Contributions:

Your salary deferral contributions must be made to the plan after each payroll.

Employee salary deferral can't be pre-paid or to post-pay salary deferrals as “hold for monthly/quarterly payment.” They must be transmitted to your retirement plan account by your congregation in a “timely manner” which the IRS has defined as “by the 15th of the month following the payroll from which the salary deferral was withheld.” By your congregation using the SCP system for all of your contributions, your money is invested in a far more timely and secure manner. 

Salary deferrals are made on a calendar year basis and must not exceed the IRS yearly limits, which also include temple contributions.

ACH is presently the most efficient way available to make these contributions. It remains your responsibility to verify each deposit. Your contribution is usually posted to your account three (3) business days following the submission. 

Log into www.netbenefits.com/atwork to verify your deposit has been completed.

Employer contributions are the contributions the temple makes to the benefit of the participant for their retirement. Employer contributions are calculated on a fiscal or contract year and can be paid as yearly, quarterly, monthly, or by paycheck. They must be deposited by the end of the fiscal year. If you receive an employer contribution, you must complete the Annual Contribution Calculation form and return it to the ACC office.  

NOTE: If you are taking an elective deferral and your congregation makes your employer contribution on a yearly, quarterly, monthly, or per-paycheck basis, regardless of your salary deferral status, your employer contribution will need to be tracked on a calendar year basis. Also please note, if you are taking an elective deferral and an employer contribution, both the Workplace Savings Plan Contribution form and the Annual Contribution Calculation form must be completed and returned to the ACC.

Whether your employer retirement contribution is being made in a lump sum payment, quarterly, monthly, or bi-monthly, the contributions should be made by the end of the fiscal year. Employer contributions need to be received and processed no later than November 30th to ensure proper crediting to the account before the end of the year. 

The two main factors to consider are: 

• Make sure that the entire employer contribution is made over the course of the calendar or fiscal year, pick one and stick to it!
• The IRS annual contribution limits are adhered to on a calendar year basis.

Log into www.netbenefits.com/atwork to verify your deposit has been completed.

Section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code provides for dollar limitations on benefits and contributions under qualified retirement plans and are adjusted annually for cost‑of‑living increases. 

For 2026:

The yearly contribution on salary deferrals is $24,500 per calendar year. 

Catch-up contributions are additional salary deferral contributions above the stated IRS limit.  

• If you are fifty years (50) or older, you can make an additional salary deferral contribution of $8,000 above the yearly limit.
• Further, if you are between sixty (60) and sixty-three (63) years of age, you can contribution an additional $11,250 over the yearly limit. 

 The below chart explains the contribution limits for salary deferrals and total contribution limits for the 2026 calendar year.  

Please note, should you choose to exceed the limits, the excess will be deposited into your non-qualified Supplemental Plan account.

• ACC Elective Deferral Form - Fill out this form for each calendar year for salary deferrals you want deducted from your paycheck and deposited into your ACC Retirement Plan Account. The amount listed should be the PER PAYCHECK amount, not the annual amount.
• Contribution Calculation Form - Download the Excel Spreadsheet to have your calculations made automatically. Fill out and submit this form (don't forget to include your executive director's and your names) at least once per calendar year, and anytime you change jobs or salary. To send back an electronic version, save with your NAME in the file's title. Email to Sheryl. If you prefer the PDF version, click here to download.
• New Enrollee Guide to Getting Started - Everything you need to sign up for the ACC Retirement Plans
• Beneficiary Designation Form - Complete this form and return it to Fidelity when adding or updating your beneficiaries.
• Transfer/Rollover/Exchange Form - Complete and submit this form to Fidelity when processing a rollover of funds from another eligible retirement plan into the ACC Retirement Plan.
• Supplemental Distribution Election Form - If you have funds in the Supplemental Plan, use this form to declare a deferral of distributions past one's retirement date (or change of employers after age 59 1/2 years of age). Make sure to submit it one (1) full year prior to your retirement date.
• IRS Publication 517 - Information on clergy tax status.

Looking to learn more? For the Fidelity Workshops and Webinars brochure, click here, 

To sign up for any of the Fidelity Workshops and Webinars go to https://netbenefits.fidelity.com/ondemandmeetings.

Please note: The link will take you to NetBenefits and you will need to sign in. Once signed in, you will be taken to the learning site. If you have any questions, please contact the ACC office. 

Questions regarding Deposits and Withdrawals, Loans, Retirement (Distributions and Parsonage), Contribution Forms and other administration questions: Contact the Retirement Plan Administrator at 847-781-7800 or email at retirement@accantors.org.

Questions regarding your account balance, Contribution and Investment Allocation, and Planning resources may be found on Fidelity’s NetBenefits website: www.netbenefits.com/atwork or call 800-917-4369.

For personalized help and advice beyond standard practice and models, contact a qualified advisor whom you trust.

Questions or concerns about the plan or its administration: call ACC Retirement Plan Chair, Vicky Glikin.