UTSaver TSA
Office hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The HR Team is available to assist you via phone, MS Teams, and email.
Walk-in hours are Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The UTSaver Tax-Sheltered Annuity (TSA) is a 403(b) voluntary retirement program that allows you to save additional income for retirement through Traditional (pre-tax) and/or Roth (post-tax) contributions.
Eligibility
All University employees are eligible to contribute to a UTSaver TSA.
Enrollment & Making Changes
- Review and select a provider(s) from the list of approved providers. All approved retirement providers offer free consultations.
- Log onto UT Retirement Manager (UTRM) and click “I’m a New User”. You can then set your UTSaver TSA payroll contribution amounts. Contributions can be increased, decreased, or stopped anytime in the year. To discontinue your contributions, log onto UTRM and select “Stop Contributions.” For assistance with logging on or to view a user guide and video, visit the Enroll – Retirement Manager page.
- Contact your selected financial provider to open an account with your approved provider(s).
- To transfer existing funds between approved providers, please complete a Transfer Verification Form. This form must be signed by the receiving provider before submitting it to the HR benefits office. In addition, you must have a signature from the receiving provider as well as the HR benefits office before the funds transfer can be processed.
- If you submit your enrollment elections by the 10th of the current month, the changes will be reflected on your next paycheck. Otherwise it will be reflected on the second paycheck following the change entered on UTRM.
Contributions
Contributing to the UTSaver TSA can significantly reduce your current taxes and help you save for retirement. All contributions are employee funded, conveniently taken by payroll deduction (setup in UTRM) and may be invested in fixed or variable annuities or mutual funds. You may contribute as little as $15 per pay period or as much as 100% of your eligible compensation. Here are the IRS limits for TSA 403(b) participation:
| Year | General Contribution Limit for Traditional and Roth Combined | Age 50+ Catch-Up | 15 Years of Service Catch-Up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $22,500 | $7,500 | $3,000 |
General Contribution Limit
IRS tax year limit that includes TSA Traditional and TSA Roth contributions. If enrolled in both, then the combined total of both the TSA Traditional Pre-Tax and TSA Roth Post-Tax contributions cannot exceed $22,500* or $30,000 (for age 50+). UTSaver contributions limits are based on calendar year, and determined by check date. The paycheck issued in January will account for the first contributions for the new calendar year, and the paycheck issued in December will account for the final contributions for the calendar year.
*TSA contribution limit may vary for those enrolled in both ORP and TSA.
You may contribute to the UTSaver TSA with pre-tax (“Traditional”) or post-tax (“Roth”) payroll deductions. Depending on your personal financial situation, it may be beneficial for you to choose one contribution strategy over the other. View a comparison between Traditional, Roth 403(b), and Roth IRA contributions (pdf). For additional information, please consult your investment or financial advisor.
Age 50+ Catch up
If you are age 50 or older, you may contribute an additional amount per year to the general contribution limit. You must be 50 years old or older during the calendar year of your participation.
15 Years of Service Catch-Up
You must have 15 years or more of UT System service credit, and your previous deferrals in the UTSaver TSA must have averaged less than $5,000 per year, in order to defer up to an additional $3,000. The additional deferral may not exceed a lifetime maximum of $15,000.
UTSaver TSA 403(b) and Optional Retirement Program (ORP), 403(b) contributions do not affect the total amount you are able to defer under the UTSaver Deferred Compensation Program (DCP) 457(b).
Employment Separation and UTSaver Participation
You have the option to leave your funds in the existing account or roll your account into a qualified plan, such as another 403(b) plan, a governmental 457 plan, a 401(a) plan, or an IRA. Please consult your investment or financial advisor for additional information.
Distributions are available for participants who separate from state employment (or due to financial hardship or death), but a 10% tax penalty applies to distributions made before age 59 1/2. Income tax must also be paid on the distribution amount. Please consult your investment or financial advisor for additional information.