Illinois TRS SSP: A Good (but not great) 457 Plan

The Teachers' Retirement System of Illinois (TRS) is rolling out a new 457b plan in January of 2022 called the Supplemental Savings Plan (SSP). This does not change anything with the TRS pension, but is simply an optional additional tax-advantaged savings vehicle. This post will look at the pros - and cons - of this … Continue reading Illinois TRS SSP: A Good (but not great) 457 Plan →

I Bonds: A Safe Short-Term Investment with Some Yield

There's been increased interest in I Bonds lately, due to a combination of low interest rates on savings and CDs and a recent increase in inflation. Physician on Fire has an excellent article on the ins-and-outs of I Bonds, including great step-by-step instructions on how to purchase them. Since he's done such a nice job, … Continue reading I Bonds: A Safe Short-Term Investment with Some Yield →

PERAPlus 401k/457/DC: New Recordkeeper, Same Fees (almost)

On December 3, 2021, the recordkeeper for PERA's 401k, 457 and DC plans will change from Voya to Empower. This is a result of a request for proposals and PERA staff and the Board looking at the submissions. Your investing choices will remain the same, you'll simply login to Empower's website which should hopefully provide … Continue reading PERAPlus 401k/457/DC: New Recordkeeper, Same Fees (almost) →

Health Insurance and Using Your HSA as a Stealth Retirement Account

I’ve written a bit about health insurance before, going through the options for Littleton Public Schools (LPS) and Douglas County School District (DCSD). I was recently helping someone and thought I would update the numbers given LPS’s current insurance offerings, and also spend a bit more time talking about possibly using your HSA as an … Continue reading Health Insurance and Using Your HSA as a Stealth Retirement Account →

Fees Matter: Vanguard, PERA, TIAA and MetLife Comparison

Inspired by some of the work Ben Johnson has been doing, I decided to revisit two posts I've previously done on the retirement plans (401k/403b/457) available through Littleton Public Schools and Douglas County Public Schools. (Note that the expense ratios are slightly lower now than when I wrote those posts.) It's probably worth reading at … Continue reading Fees Matter: Vanguard, PERA, TIAA and MetLife Comparison →

PERA Votes to Switch from Voya to Empower

The PERA Board voted, pending final contract negotiations, to switch record keepers for the Defined Contribution plans (which includes the 401k/457b plans) from Voya to Empower. Voya came in second place in the RFP process, and it would've been "fine" to continue with them, but staff, the consultant, and the Board all thought Empower would … Continue reading PERA Votes to Switch from Voya to Empower →