All members working in Colorado PERA-covered positions, as well as retirees who have returned to work for PERA-affiliated employers, are immediately eligible to join the Plan. Retirees and inactive members may also roll money into the Plan to begin participation.

Employees who work for a PERA-affiliated employer, but do not work in a PERA-covered position, may also participate in the PERAPlus 401(k) Plan. These employees should complete all the steps outlined in “Enrolling in the Plan.” and submit the 401(k) Participant Information Form. There are no minimum service requirements to fulfill.

Joining the PERAPlus 401(k) Plan is a four-step process. Begin by going to www.copera.org and clicking on the "PERAPlus 401(k)/457 Plan Information" link under the “Members” menu. Then click "Enroll in the 401(k) Plan online" on the left side of the page. This web page will walk you through the steps of Plan enrollment.

Step 1: Review Plan Information: Access important information from the 401(k) Plan Enrollment web page to help you understand the PERAPlus 401(k) Plan. You may view an online copy of the 401(k) Enrollment Kit, fund fact sheets for the Plan’s investment options, latest rates of return, and other pertinent materials.

Step 2: Authorize Contributions to the Plan: Complete the 401(k) Contribution Authorization Form and give it to your employer’s payroll office. This form allows your employer to send your contributions to the PERAPlus 401(k) Plan.

Step 3: Make Investment Elections: Complete the requested personal information and specify how you want your contributions to be invested. Your elections must total 100 percent in whole percentages only.

Step 4: Designate a Beneficiary: It is important that you designate a beneficiary to receive your account balance in the event of your death. You may designate a beneficiary from the Voya Financial™ website by clicking on ”Personal Information,” choosing “Beneficiary Information,” and then "Add/edit Beneficiary” or you can complete a Beneficiary Designation Form.

If you do not make an investment election, your first contribution will automatically be invested in the PERAdvantage Target Retirement Date Fund according to the table below:

Fund	Date of Birth Begin	Date of Birth End
PERAdvantage Income Fund		12/31/1957 or before
PERAdvantage 2025 Fund	1/1/1958	12/31/1962
PERAdvantage 2030 Fund	1/1/1963	12/31/1967
PERAdvantage 2035 Fund	1/1/1968	12/31/1972
PERAdvantage 2040 Fund	1/1/1973	12/31/1977
PERAdvantage 2045 Fund	1/1/1978	12/31/1982
PERAdvantage 2050 Fund	1/1/1983	12/31/1987
PERAdvantage 2055 Fund	1/1/1988	12/31/1992
PERAdvantage 2060 Fund	1/1/1993 or after

If there is no date of birth on file, the contribution will automatically be invested in the PERAdvantage Income Fund until PERA receives notification of your birthday. Future contributions will then be invested according to the table above.

If you do not have a PERA PIN, PERA will mail you a PIN shortly after your first contribution is received. Use your PERA PIN to create a User security profile including your User ID and password. You will use your User ID and password to access your PERAPlus 401(k) Plan account and to change your future investment elections at any time. Retain your PERA PIN to access account information over the phone.