Saving for retirement
Saving for retirement
When it comes to money management and personal security, perhaps there’s nothing more important than saving. A great reason to save is to make sure you have more choices in the future – not just for your retirement but for all your goals.
Depending on your life stage, you may be saving to purchase a home, start a family or pay for your child’s education. The ideal savings plan should allow you to save for your short- and long-term goals – especially retirement.
The My Financial Wellness Hub, provided by Vanguard, is a tool to help you take control of your finances. This personalized experience gives you tools, education, and services to build toward tomorrow’s goals while handling today’s needs. It starts with a quick assessment to discover what matters most for you. As you move through the hub, you will also find:
Whether your focus is dealing with debt, building your emergency fund, or navigating the road to retirement, the My Financial Wellness Hub can answer some of your toughest financial questions. Go to vanguard.com/retirementplans. After logging into your account, select My financial wellness in the navigation bar to get started.
Vanguard’s My Financial Wellness Hub is a financial education platform that is not affiliated with FedEx and is not an employee benefit plan offering sponsored by FedEx. FedEx is not responsible for any content found on My Financial Wellness Hub or any action taken in connection with the content.
If you have an employer-sponsored pension plan, you are automatically enrolled once you meet the eligibility requirements. There is no cost to you, and the employer manages every aspect of the plan. So there is no need to make contributions or manage investments. All you need to do is designate your beneficiaries and factor your projected pension income into your retirement savings plan.
If you believe you may be eligible for a FedEx pension plan, check the Your Retirement Benefits (YRB) book for your operating company to learn more.
On your overview page, you can also find a tool to project your pension income.
With your 401(k) plan, you can set aside a percentage of your pre-tax income through payroll deductions – that means before you get your paycheck, you’ve already pulled out a portion for your savings and reduced your current taxable income as well. But that’s not all. If eligible, you may be able to also take advantage of catch-up contributions, after-tax contributions and Employer Matching contributions (Company match) to grow your retirement savings.
ROLL OVER OTHER 401(k)s
If you have a 401(k) from a previous employer, simplify and save by rolling that money into your 401(k) with FedEx.
View your 401(k) account at vanguard.com/retirementplans.
Note: Puerto Rico participants have different limits. Please refer to the Your Retirement Benefits (YRB) book for information.
*Depending on your plan, you may be able to make Roth and Roth catch-up contributions. If eligible, you may make any combination of pre-tax and/or catch-up and Roth and/or Roth catch-up contributions, but total contributions may not exceed the IRS limits.
When you make contributions to your 401(k) plan, you can choose for your contributions to be deducted from your pay on a pre-tax basis. This means your contributions are not subject to federal income tax or most state and local taxes. As a result, it doesn't actually cost a dollar to save a dollar, because your take-home pay is reduced by less than the amount of your contribution.
You can see the benefits of making pre-tax contributions in the chart below.
Pre-tax savings
| Jennifer's paycheck when she does not make contributions to the 401(k) plan |
Jennifer's paycheck when she makes pre-tax contributions to the 401(k) plan |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly earnings | $2,000 | Monthly earnings | $2,000 | ||
| Monthly savings | $0 | Monthly savings | $100 | ||
| Federal withholding | $560 | Federal withholding | $532 | ||
| FICA | $153 | FICA | $153 | ||
| Net take-home pay | $1,287 | Net take-home pay | $1,215 | ||
| Savings | $0 | Savings | $100 | Cost | $72 |
You may contribute up to 50% of your eligible earnings per year, up to the annual maximum. Plus, your 401(k) plan assets grow tax-deferred; so you pay taxes only when you receive withdrawals or distributions from the plan.
The FedEx Corporation Retirement Savings Plans (RSP I and RSP II) gives team members the option to make Roth contributions and Roth conversions.
Roth contributions allow you to make after-tax contributions. Your contributions will grow tax-free and you can potentially receive your money tax-free in retirement.
Roth in-plan conversions and automatic Roth conversions allow you to convert pre-tax or traditional after-tax money to Roth savings.
Learn more about the Roth features available for your RSP, including answers to the following FAQs, by downloading the newsletter below.
Newsletter: Introducing Roth contributions in your FedEx Retirement Savings Plan
If your plan allows, team members who are not highly-compensated employees, as defined by the IRS, can also contribute 1 to 20% after tax or 1 to 10% in Puerto Rico.
NOTE: After-tax contributions are not available in the FedEx Office 401(k) Plan or the SCA Plan.
A 401(k) rollover is when you direct the transfer of the money in your retirement account to a new plan or IRA. The IRS gives you 60 days to roll over your payment by depositing it in another retirement plan or IRA.
If you don’t roll over your distribution, it will be taxable and you may also be subject to an additional tax unless you’re eligible for one of the exceptions to the 10% additional tax on early distributions. Rolling over a retirement plan distribution generally means you won’t pay tax on it until you withdraw it from the new plan.
If you have money in a former employer’s 401(k) plan, this flyer can help you roll that money over to your FedEx 401(k) Plan.
It's not too late to start saving or to save more in your 401(k) plan, especially when your employer provides a Company match. A Company match means when you contribute to your 401(k) plan, your employer contributes, too.
Most FedEx 401(k) plans offer Company match for team members. This means that when you contribute to your 401(k) plan, FedEx may contribute, too. FedEx typically makes an Employer Matching contribution for eligible employees, up to a certain amount of your eligible pay when you make contributions pre-tax and/or, if eligible, catch-up contributions.
Check the Your Retirement Benefits (YRB) book for your operating company to find out just how much FedEx will contribute to your retirement savings.
If you start saving now, you can take advantage of one of the most important elements of long-term saving: compounding. The sooner you start saving in your 401(k) plan, the faster your savings can add up, thanks to the power of compounding.
When you start saving early, your savings have more time to grow. Consider Person 1 and Person 2 in the following chart. Both worked for 40 years and invested $100 each month in their company’s 401(k) plan. Both earned an annual return of 6%.*
Person 1 started contributing right away.
Person 2 postponed making contributions for 10 years.
It’s rather dramatic to see that Person 1 was able to accumulate $201,241 on her $48,000 investment while Person 2 accumulated only $101,556 on an investment of $36,000. That’s a difference of $100,000 in retirement savings with only $12,000 more in contributions.
*These examples are hypothetical and do not represent the returns from any particular investment.
Go to vanguard.com/retirementplans. Click "Enroll in Your Retirement Plan." Please note you will need your Social Security number and plan number to complete the enrollment process.
FedEx may have made it easier for you to save in your 401(k) plan through a feature called One Step, which includes automatic enrollment and automatic annual increases, as well as a default investment selection. Check the Your Retirement Benefits (YRB) book to see if your plan includes automatic enrollment features.
*Employees who participate in the RSP for Puerto Rico, FedEx 401(k) Plan and SCA Plan are not eligible for One Step.
A fully digital, comprehensive advice service that offers you a personalized financial plan and the peace of mind that comes with having ongoing money management tailored to all your personal needs and goals – not just retirement.
Go to vanguard.com/retirementplans
*Employees in the FedEx Retirement Savings Plan for Puerto Rico and employees who have an address outside of the United States, or a mailing address in Guam or the U.S. Virgin Islands, are not eligible.
If you want the benefits of Digital Advisor combined with a personal touch, Personal Advisor might be for you. You’ll get ongoing access to our advisors, who will manage your money and help you tackle your most complex financial issues.
Go to vanguard.com/retirementplans or call 1.800.310.9228.
*Employees in the FedEx Retirement Savings Plan for Puerto Rico and employees who have an address outside of the United States, or a mailing address in Guam or the U.S. Virgin Islands, are not eligible.
If you want to speak with an advisor about a financial situation that pops up, Situational Advisor has you covered. You can get help with any financial topic, from buying a house to saving for college, and more. Your advisor will give you recommendations that you can put into action.
Go to vanguard.com/retirementplans to schedule an appointment online.
Vanguard’s Investor Questionnaire can provide asset allocation recommendations based on your time horizon and risk tolerance. You may access the Investor Questionnaire online at vanguard.com/assetmix at no cost.
Log in to your account at vanguard.com/retirementplans. Review the Vanguard financial education resources available in “Lessons” under “Financial Help” in the menu of the Employer Plans page for your FedEx Retirement Savings Plan.
You can change the amount you contribute to the 401(k) at any time. Contact Vanguard at 1.800.523.1188 or at vanguard.com/retirementplans to:
Your contribution change will begin as soon as administratively possible.
Call Vanguard at 1.800.523.1188.
Have your Social Security number, plan number and PIN ready. Vanguard's interactive VOICE® Network will guide you through the enrollment process for payroll deductions and investment options. (If you wish to speak with a Vanguard associate at any time during the call, press 0.)
Written confirmation of your payroll deduction and investment choices will be mailed to you within seven business days.
Contact Vanguard online at vanguard.com/retirementplans. You will need to be registered. You will need your Social Security number and plan number to register.
For more information or if you have questions, call Vanguard at 1.800.523.1188.
NOTE: Refer to the following lists to find your plan number.
If you were hired/rehired on or after January 1, 2020 or elected the “all 401(k) plan” retirement benefit structure during the 2021 Retirement Choice period, you participate in the FedEx Corporation Retirement Savings Plan II (RSP II) and use the following plan number: 090381.
To supplement your 401(k) plan, pension plan and Social Security benefits, you might consider adding to your total retirement package with personal savings. These options might include individual retirement accounts (IRAs), money market accounts or certificates of deposit (CDs). And if you’re married and have spousal benefits, don’t forget about those, too. Finally, consider consulting a financial expert who can guide you in your decision-making.
When it comes to retiring and other important milestones, like getting married or starting a family, perhaps nothing is more important than being financially prepared. You should start saving early – and continue saving – so you are ready to take on life events without tapping into your long-term savings. In other words, early on, try to develop a strategy for juggling multiple financial goals and separate your savings accordingly.
RETIREMENT PLANNERS SUGGEST SAVING
of your preretirement income.
RETIREMENT INCOME CALCULATOR
Determine the retirement income more appropriate for you personally.*
*Go to vanguard.com/retirementplans and navigate to the "Plan my retirement" menu to access the Retirement Income Calculator.
Planning for your retirement should be a lifelong financial goal, but what about other long-term savings goals along the way? We have some tips to help you navigate important milestones in your financial journey.
College is expensive. So, the sooner you begin saving for your child’s education, the better. If you have the ability to contribute to your child’s college education, here are a few things to consider:
Open a state-sponsored investment account. There are no income limits, and contributions and earnings are tax-free when used to pay qualifying education expenses at any accredited college or university.
Lock in the tuition price charged at the state’s public colleges in the year you enroll in the program. Unused assets are transferable.
Make tax-free contributions to the stock, bond or mutual fund of your choice and use funds for elementary, secondary and higher education. Annual income and contribution limits apply.
Saving for college is much less intimidating when you have a clear plan. This guide can help you navigate the steps you should take throughout your child’s life to save for college.
Health care is another important factor you must consider as you develop and refine your savings plan. Are you aware that health care is one of the biggest expenses you’ll have in retirement?
In recent years, rising retiree health care costs have been a regular topic of our national conversation. The exact costs may be debated, but one thing is not in dispute: It’s becoming more and more expensive every year.
Even if you are eligible for retiree health care coverage provided by an employer, you will have the expense of premiums, deductibles, excluded benefits and copays, along with cost increases that may outpace inflation, unpredictable costs, and maybe even a personal health-related crisis.
Begin to investigate your retiree health care coverage options, which might include:
Also, consider your need for long-term care insurance. It’s more likely your premium costs will be higher the longer you wait to enroll in a program. Basic information is available from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services at longtermcare.acl.gov.
Investigating these options, talking with experts and acting on the information will be critical. Once you explore the options available, you will have a more realistic idea of how much you need to save for health care in retirement.
How much will tuition cost when your child is ready for college? By the time freshman year rolls around, college expenses may have skyrocketed. So it makes sense to start saving for your child’s education as early as possible.
However, you probably have another goal that’s going to require significantly more savings than college: your own retirement. While saving for a retirement that’s far in the future may seem like a lower priority, keep in mind that your child can always borrow money to pay for an education. But no one is going to give you a loan to fund your retirement.
Once you retire, you may receive Social Security benefits. You might even be entitled to pension benefits from a past or current employer. However, these sources alone might not provide enough income for a comfortable lifestyle throughout retirement. Consistently contributing as much as possible in an employer's retirement savings plan [401(k)] or to an individual retirement account (IRA) can potentially help you achieve the savings you'll need for retirement.
And there’s more good news. Assets in IRAs, 401(k)s, and similar plans generally won’t be included when colleges calculate your expected family contribution to education costs. What’s more, if you’re short on cash for college, you can withdraw money from your IRA, penalty-free, to pay qualified education expenses.
You may be able to accumulate substantial savings for college if you have the ability to start saving while your child is young. Section 529 plans allow savings to grow tax-deferred and offer tax-free distributions for qualified education expenses. Funds in Section 529 plans are typically treated as parents’ assets for financial aid purposes. The money must be used for qualified education expenses of the beneficiary (or certain other relatives of the original beneficiary) to qualify for tax-free withdrawal.
With a little planning, you’ll increase the likelihood that you can save for all your goals.
The FedEx benefits described on this website are based on a formal plan document or contract. While this information is intended to be accurate, retirement benefits are subject to the detailed provisions of the applicable plan documents. If there is a conflict between this website and the official plan documents, the plan documents always govern. You are not entitled to retirement plan benefits due to a misstatement on or an omission from this website. FedEx reserves the right to amend or terminate any benefit plan at any time and for any reason.