Joining the Plan

Accessing Your Account

Contributing to the Plan

Participants who are age 50 and older, and contributing the maximum amount allowable to the Plan, may contribute an additional amount up to the IRS catch-up limit.

To review the current IRS contribution limits please see Contributing to the Plan.

Your employer may choose to match a percentage of the amount you contribute to the plan (not to exceed a yearly IRS total contribution maximum of the lesser of the IRS DC 415 Plan Limit or 100 percent of compensation). Any matching employer contributions are always made on a pre-tax basis, regardless of whether you are making pre-tax or Roth contributions. Contact your employer for more information.

To review the current IRS Contribution Limits please see Contributing to the Plan.

Your employer may make discretionary contributions on your behalf. Any employer contributions are always made on a pre-tax basis, regardless of whether you are making pre-tax or Roth contributions. Contact your employer for more information.

On re-employment, participants who have been on a military leave of absence may have increased 401(k) contributions deducted from their paychecks to make up for contributions missed while on leave. You may take up to three times the period you were absent for duty up to five years to make up missed contributions due to military leave. If you are making Roth contributions upon re-employment, they are treated as made in the taxable year of qualified military service that you designate as the year to which the contributions relate.

For additional information contact PERA.

You may roll over money to the pre-tax or Roth accounts in the Plan.

You may roll over pre-tax funds from 401(a), 401(k), 403(b), governmental 457(b), and IRAs to your PERAPlus 401(k) pre-tax account.

You may roll over Roth funds from 401(k), 403(b), and governmental 457(b) accounts to your PERAPlus 401(k) Roth account.

For rollover instructions and to print a 401(k) Plan Rollover form visit the Forms section of this website.

You can return forms by fax, regular mail or overnight mail.

By fax:
1-888-310-6019

By regular mail:
Voya
Attn: Colorado PERA
P.O. Box 389
Hartford, CT 06141

Overnight mail:
Voya
Attn: Colorado PERA
One Orange Way
Windsor, CT 06095

You’re always 100 percent vested in your own contributions, your employer matching contributions, any rollover contributions, and the investment earnings on those contributions.

In the PERAPlus 401(k) Plan you have access to the PERAdvantage line of investments. Consider choosing your investments based on one of the two paths below that best describe your investment knowledge:

1. I am not sure how to invest.
   
   Choose a Target Retirement Date Fund based on your expected retirement date:
• PERAdvantage Income Fund
• PERAdvantage 2025 Fund
• PERAdvantage 2030 Fund
• PERAdvantage 2035 Fund
• PERAdvantage 2040 Fund
• PERAdvantage 2045 Fund
• PERAdvantage 2050 Fund
• PERAdvantage 2055 Fund
• PERAdvantage 2060 Fund
2. I am comfortable making my own investment decisions.
   
   Choose a mix of the following primary investments:
• PERAdvantage Capital Preservation Fund
• PERAdvantage Fixed Income Fund
• PERAdvantage Real Return Fund
• PERAdvantage U.S. Large Cap Stock Fund
• PERAdvantage International Stock Fund
• PERAdvantage U.S. Small and Mid Cap Stock Fund
Choose from additional investment options:
• PERAdvantage SRI Fund (screens for various social causes)
• Self-Directed Brokerage Option

You may change your fund elections at any time by logging on through PERA's website:

• Click "Back to Login"
• Enter your User ID and password then click on "PERAPlus 401(k) Account Access"

You may also call 1-800-759-7372 and select the PERAPlus option. Please see the Investments & Research section for more information on the funds.

If you need help choosing your investments, you have access to professional investment advice at no additional charge through Voya Retirement Advisors (VRA). For more information, review the Voya Retirement Advisors section or call 1-800-759-7372, select the PERAPlus option, and ask to speak with a VRA Investment Advisor Representative.

Transactions completed before 2:00 p.m. (Mountain time) will be processed the same business day. Transactions completed after 2:00 p.m. (Mountain time) will be processed the next business day. You may cancel a transaction if you do so before 2:00 p.m. (Mountain time) on the same day the transaction is scheduled to be made.

You may move money between investment options any time by logging on through PERA's website:

• Click "Back to Login"
• Enter your User ID and password then click on PERAPlus 401(k) Account Access”

You may also select "Fund to Transfer" in the "Manage Investments" area (for transfers into and out of specific funds) or by calling 1-800-759-7372 and selecting the PERAPlus option.

Transfers must be made in 1 percent increments, and you cannot transfer money from one investment option to another and back to the original option in the same day.

Transfers to a self-directed brokerage account must be at least $1,000 and you must keep at least $500 invested in the PERAdvantage funds.

You may wish to use another transfer method that allows you to move money across all investment options. Using the Investments & Research section "Reallocate Balances" option in the "Manage Investments" area, you may change the way your current balance is invested across all funds. The "Reallocate Balances" transfer transaction must be in increments of 1 percent or more.

Transactions completed before 2:00 p.m. (Mountain time) will be processed the same business day. Transactions completed after 2:00 p.m. (Mountain time) will be processed the next business day. You may cancel a transaction if you do so before 2:00 p.m. (Mountain time) on the same day the transaction is scheduled.

Through the PERAPlus 401(k) Plan you have access to Voya Retirement Advisors. This service offers you objective, professional financial advice and planning to help you set and meet your retirement goals. Voya Retirement Advisors use information on file about your retirement plan balance and PERA benefit, and allow you to include a Social Security estimate to develop a retirement income projection for you. You are encouraged to add more data to the analysis, such as your other retirement resources like savings or investment accounts, in order to look at the entire picture. The service helps you consider whether your savings will be adequate and explores changes designed to improve the chance of meeting your retirement goals.

Voya Retirement Advisors offer you two ways to get the support you need:

1. Use Online Advice, an interactive service, accessible through this website. This service is available at no additional cost.



2. Enroll in Professional Management if you prefer to delegate management of your account to a professional advisor. Call for a no-obligation retirement assessment. If you decide to enroll, a monthly fee will apply.

Compare the two service options

You do the work with Online Advice.	We do the work for you with Professional Management.
You use our online tools to build your strategy.	We design a personalized plan for you.
You get specific fund recommendations.	We rebalance your account.
You can login at any time to see if you’re on track.	We regularly monitor your account.
You request the transactions for your account.	We make adjustments as needed.
You get online help/technical support or by phone.	We have VRA Investment Advisor Representatives you can to talk to.
You can sign up for email updates.	We keep you informed with regular updates.
Available at no additional cost.	Low fee through the PERAPlus 401(k) Plan.

For more information about the Voya Retirement Advisors, please review the Service Overview which details the fees associated with Professional Management.

** Advisory Services provided by Voya Retirement Advisors, LLC (VRA). Voya Retirement Advisors does not give tax or legal advice. If you need tax advice, consult your accountant or if you need legal advice consult your lawyer. For more information, please read the Voya Retirement Advisors Disclosure Statement. A Disclosure Statement may be viewed online by accessing the Voya Retirement Advisors link through this website. You may also request a Disclosure Statement from a VRA Investment Advisor Representative by calling 1-800-759-7372 and selecting the PERAPlus option. Edelman Financial Engines® is a registered trademark of Edelman Financial Engines, LLC.

This website offers you the most convenient and efficient way to manage your account. Check back as often as you'd like for the most current information available.

To get a summary of your account status, log on through PERA's website:

• Click "Back to Login"
• Enter your User ID and password then click on "PERAPlus 401(k) Account Access”

Also, your account statement is available online to give you timely and easy access to your retirement plan information. To access your account statement, log in to your account, then Plan Overview section click the "Statements & Documents" link.

An account statement will be mailed to your home address generally within 15 business days after the end of each calendar quarter. Also, you have the ability online to select whether or not you would like to receive a quarterly or annual statement.

Anytime you complete a transaction a confirmation statement will be mailed to you, generally within two or three business days after the transaction is processed.

Plan participants pay a Plan administration flat fee of $1.00 per month. If you also participate in the PERAPlus 457 and/or PERA DC Plan, you will pay an additional $1.00 per month for each plan. Plan participants also pay a Plan administration asset-based fee of 0.03 percent on each PERAdvantage fund. That fee is built into the total asset-based fee, which is automatically deducted from the investment option’s return.

Fee Schedule

Plan participants pay a Plan administration flat fee of $1.00 per month and a total asset-based fee, which includes a 0.03 percent annual Plan administration asset-based fee. Review the fee schedule to determine the total-asset based fee for each of the investment options. (The schedule is may change at any time.)

There is no Plan administration asset-based fee for the Self-Directed Brokerage Account because PERA receives revenue sharing from TD Ameritrade.

The loan feature allows you to borrow from your pre-tax and Roth account balances and pay back the loan, plus interest, through automatic checking or savings account deductions. Your account balance will be reduced by the amount of your loan. Earnings do not accrue on the amount borrowed until loan proceeds are paid back to your account. Your loan repayments, including interest, go directly into your Plan account, using your current investment fund election percentages. The interest rate for loans is the prime rate as quoted in the Wall Street Journal plus 1 percent.

There are two types of loans:

1. General loans, with a repayment period of 1 month up to 5 years.
2. Residential loans, with a repayment period of 1 month up to 15 years.

There is a $75 nonrefundable loan application fee for each loan taken. You may have a maximum of two outstanding loans at one time.

Your account balance needs to be at least $1,132 to accommodate a 5 percent reduction for market fluctuation and the fee.

If your Plan account available balance* is:	You may borrow (combined total for all outstanding loans)
$1,132 to $10,000	The entire balance
$10,001 to $20,000	Up to $10,000
More than $20,000	Up to 50 percent of your account (not to exceed $50,000)

For purposes of calculating loan maximums, the account balance is first reduced by 5 percent for market fluctuations and then reduced by $75 for the loan fee. The remaining balance is the amount used to determine how much you can borrow.

If you have funds invested in the Self-Directed Brokerage Account (SDBA), those funds will be taken into consideration when calculating the maximum amount you may take as a loan. You are required to keep $500 invested outside of the SDBA prior to issuance of your loan. In addition, Voya cannot transfer funds out of the SDBA on your behalf. If you would like to take a loan that includes amounts invested in the SDBA, you must transfer funds out of your SDBA prior to the time that your loan is issued. Voya will not delay processing of your loan, so transfers should be made prior to requesting a loan.

The maximum outstanding loan balance in any 12-month period is $50,000. This limit includes loans you have with a 403(b) tax-sheltered annuity and/or a 457 deferred compensation plan with your current employer.

To access the "Loan" section in the Loans & Withdrawals section and find out how much of your account you may borrow, log on through PERA's website:

• Click "Back to Login"
• Enter your User ID and password then click on “PERAPlus 401(k) Account Access”

All residential loans require a signed purchase contract and any other appropriate documentation.

You can request a loan application by calling 1-800-759-7372 and selecting the PERAPlus option, or through the Forms of this website.

It takes about three business days after your initial loan request to generate a loan note, which is then mailed to you for your signature. Providing the loan is approved, a check will be issued and mailed within three business days after the Plan receives your completed and signed documents. (Completed loan documents must be returned within 30 days.)

There are five types of in-service withdrawals available through the Plan: age 59½, after-tax, rollover, service credit purchase and hardship (see details of each below). You can obtain available amounts for any of these withdrawals by logging on through PERA's website:

• Click "Back to Login"
• Enter your User ID and password then click on "PERAPlus 401(k) Account Access”

You may also call 1-800-759-7372 and select the PERAPlus option.

• Age 59½ withdrawals* can be taken from your account if you are age 59½ or older. You must first withdraw after-tax and rollover account balances. No forms are required.



• After-tax withdrawals* can be taken from your after-tax money (this is different from Roth money). You must speak with a Participant Services Representative to request this type of payment, but no forms are required.



• Rollover withdrawals* can be taken from your rollover account. You must first withdraw after-tax account balances. No forms are required.



• Service credit may be purchased with pre-tax contributions. Contact PERA or refer to PERA’s Purchasing Service Credit brochure for more information.



• Hardship withdrawals** may be available for the following reasons:

  • Purchase of your primary residence.
  • Qualified post-secondary education expenses for the next 12 months.
  • Prevent eviction from or foreclosure on your primary residence.
  • Pay for qualified non-reimbursed medical expenses.
  • Burial or funeral expenses for the employee's deceased parent, spouse, children or dependents.
  • Expenses for repair of damage to the employee's principal residence that would qualify as deductible casualty expenses (without regard to the 10 percent "floor" for deductibility).

  You must first exhaust all other loan and withdrawal possibilities before requesting a hardship withdrawal. Hardship withdrawals can only be processed once every six months. A prefilled form may be created through this website under the Account Loans & Withdrawals section and require supporting documentation or by calling 1-800-759-7372 and selecting the PERAPlus option. Withdrawal checks are mailed to your home address within two business days following the processing of your request.

*Withdrawals from the Plan may be subject to 20 percent federal tax withholding and, if you are less than age 59½, a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty may apply. Ordinary income taxes may apply as well.

**Hardship withdrawals from the PERAPlus 401(k) pre-tax account are subject to voluntary withholding but are not subject to the mandatory 20 percent withholding. State and local taxes and withholding may also apply. Withdrawals from the 401(k) Roth account are tax free as long as they are qualified distributions.

When you leave PERA-covered employment, you have several choices regarding the money in your Plan account*:

1. Leave the money in the Plan (you must start taking distributions by April 1 of the year following the year you turn age 72).
2. Request installment payments.
3. Roll over the pre-tax balance to another qualified plan, 403(b) plan, governmental 457 plan, or an IRA**. Roll over the Roth balance to a Roth IRA, Roth account in a 401(k), Roth account in a 403(b), or a Roth account in a governmental 457(b).**
4. Take the money in cash, called a lump-sum distribution.

Distribution choices and rules are complicated. Voya Financial Advisors' Retirement Consultants*** are available to help you develop a strategy that makes sense for you, including understanding your options, at no cost and with no obligation. Call 1-800-759-7372 and select the PERAPlus option.

Lump-Sum Distributions
For lump-sum distributions, (including in-service withdrawals or periodic payments over a time period of less than 10 years), you can elect to have your pre-tax funds rolled over to a qualified plan, 403(b) plan, 457 plan, or IRA (if the plan accepts rollover money from other plans) and Roth funds rolled over to a Roth IRA, or Roth accounts in 401(k), 403(b), or governmental 457(b) plans (if the plan accepts rollover money from other plans).

If you elect a direct rollover of pre-tax funds to a traditional IRA, you will not owe federal income taxes on your distribution in the year it is paid. If you elect a direct rollover of pre-tax funds to a Roth IRA, the amount of the rollover will be included in your taxable income for that year. PERA will not withhold any amounts for this tax liability. If you do not elect a direct rollover, 20 percent of your distribution will be withheld for federal taxes. Prior to rolling money over, you may want to confirm with the plan receiving the money of any changes that may affect the distribution options of the rolled-in money.

Note: Periodic payments of 10 years or more are not eligible for rollover.

Terminated partial withdrawals can be taken by participants who have terminated PERA-covered employment, retired, or are on a PERA disability retirement. There is no minimum withdrawal amount.

You may transfer pre-tax funds to purchase or reinstate service credit before you terminate employment from a PERA-affiliated employer. Contact PERA for more information.

Note: Distributions from the Plan may be subject to federal tax withholding. Ordinary income taxes may apply. The rules governing distribution provisions in the PERAPlus 401(k) Plan may be different than the distribution provision rules in other plans.

Note: There is a 30-day waiting period following your date of termination/retirement before you may elect to withdraw funds from your account. To update your date of termination/retirement, please refer to the Participant Termination Notification Form located under the “Forms” section.

* Pre-tax distributions from the Plan will be subject to 20 percent federal tax withholding and, if you are less than age 59½, a 10 percent early withdrawal penalty will apply. Ordinary income taxes may apply. State and local taxes and withholding may also apply. Distributions from the 401(k) Roth account are tax free as long as they are qualified distributions.

** If the plan receiving the money allows rollover money into the plan.

*** Retirement Consultants are registered representatives of Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. (Member SIPC).

Retirement Consultants for Transition Counseling
You've worked hard to accumulate your savings and keeping it invested for retirement should be one of your key goals. But if you're moving on to a new job or retirement, you will need to make a decision about what to do with your Plan account. You typically have four choices:

Leave the money in this Plan.
Leave your retirement savings in this Plan, where you can continue taking advantage of the Plan's features and investments, and your savings can continue to grow. Keep in mind that you won't be able to make contributions to this Plan once you've terminated employment.

Roll your savings into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).
If you want to keep all your retirement savings in one account, consider rolling your Plan savings into an IRA. An IRA can offer additional flexibility and investment choices, and allows you to consolidate retirement savings from former employer plans and other IRAs. Having a single account to manage makes investment allocation and rebalancing easier. Note that Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. Retirement Consultants (Retirement Consultants)* can provide guidance on your IRA options.

Roll your savings into your new employer-sponsored plan.
If you're planning on or have completed a job change, you may be able to roll your savings into your new employer-sponsored plan. Be sure to check the features, investments, services, and fees of your new plan before deciding to move your savings.

Take your savings out in cash.
Cashing out should only be considered an option if you need access to your money immediately and have no alternative resource. If possible, only withdraw the money you immediately need. By cashing out, you will lose the opportunity to continue growing your money AND the amount you withdraw may be subject to income taxes as well as early withdrawal penalties. More information can be found under Withdrawals.

Speak with the Retirement Consultants
Not sure what to do? Voya Financial Advisors, Inc. Retirement Consultants can help. They will take a look at your existing Plan, any other retirement accounts you may have, the money you're making and the money you're saving, then help you come up with a strategy that makes sense for you. Plus, you can continue to work with the same Retirement Consultant down the road. More importantly, they can help you better understand your options.

• Retirement Consultants are knowledgeable about the benefits and features of your Plan and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).


• There is no additional fee for working with a Retirement Consultant.


• You can build an ongoing, one-on-one relationship with your Retirement Consultant. They will get to know you and your personal situation.


• You have direct access to your Retirement Consultant via phone and email.

Ready to get started?
Call 1-800-759-7372, select the PERAPlus option, and ask to speak to a Voya Retirement Consultant.

* Retirement Consultants are registered representatives of Voya Financial Advisors, Inc.