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Your Plan Highlights – Plan OverviewThe Plan is established under Internal Revenue Code Section 457. Under the Plan, you postpone receiving (defer) a portion of your salary. It works like this: EligibilityThe Plan is a voluntary plan available to all employees of the State, including individuals performing services by appointment or election for which compensation is paid. It is also available to employees of cities, counties, towns and other municipalities that have adopted the State Plan. There are no age or length of service requirements. ContributionsContributions under the Plan are made by participants through a reduction in salary. To participate, you are required to contribute a minimum of $11.54 per pay period. Under the Plan, the maximum annual contribution amount is identified below (or 100% of includible compensation, if less):
You may be eligible for increased contributions: (For additional information on the 457 catch-up provision or the increased contribution limits for participants age 50 and older, please refer to the brochure “457(b)-How Much Can I Contribute?” located in the library section of this web site.) Timing of DistributionsDistributions are allowed only upon severance from employment, attainment of age 70½, death, or the occurrence of an unforeseeable emergency, which are considered to be triggering events. The Plan also includes a provision allowing the in-service distribution of accounts that do not exceed $5,000 if: 1) You have not made any contributions to the Plan during the prior two years; and 2) You have not received this type of in-service distribution in the past. The IRS requires that distributions under a 457 plan begin no later than the April 1st of the calendar year following the calendar year in which you attain age 70½ or separate from service, whichever occurs later. If you fail to receive the minimum required distribution for any tax year, a 50% excise tax is imposed on the required amount that was not timely distributed. These rules are referred to as IRS minimum required distribution requirements (MRD). Payout OptionsWhen you are entitled to a distribution of benefits under the Plan, you have the choice from a variety of payment options. These options are described in the section “Payout Options” on this web site. Death BenefitsUpon your death, benefits would be payable to the beneficiary(ies) that you designated under the Plan. If you have not designated a beneficiary, payment of death benefits will be made to your estate. Your beneficiary will be entitled to select from a variety of payment options, which are generally the same options that would have been available to you (and are described in the “Payment Options” section of this web site). Your beneficiary must notify ING of your death and make a payment election in accordance with the Plan. TaxationAll of the payments you receive from the Plan are subject to federal and state income taxes. Federal income tax withholding will apply to your payments, as described below, based on whether you were eligible to rollover the distribution. Amounts distributed from a 457 plan are not subject to the IRS 10% penalty tax if distributed prior to attaining age 59½. However, if you have previously rolled over amounts from a plan other than a governmental 457 plan, such rollover amounts will be subject to this 10% penalty tax if distributed prior to attaining age 59½, unless an IRS exception applies. IRS exceptions include payments made: Unforeseeable Emergency WithdrawalsIRS guidelines and the Plan document provide that an unforeseeable emergency means a severe financial hardship to the Participant resulting from: The purchase of a home, an auto or the need to pay a child’s college expenses, are not considered unforeseeable emergencies. In addition, withdrawals are permitted only to the extent the hardship cannot be relieved: (1) Through reimbursement or compensation by insurance or otherwise (2) By liquidating your assets (to the extent this would not itself cause severe financial hardship) (3) By borrowing from commercial sources to the extent that this borrowing would not itself cause severe financial hardship (4) By stopping deferrals under the Plan. Only the amount necessary to meet the emergency need is available for withdrawal.
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