Benefits Portal

CSU 403(b) Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA) Program -

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions Regarding the TSA Special Enrollment and Fund Sponsors (November 6, 2008)

  1. What is the Unique Identifier that Retirement Manager requires in order to log-in?

  2. On November 3 or 4, I tried to make a total contribution of $2,000 on Retirement Manager. Retirement Manager would not allow me to contribute more than $1,375.00 per month. Why couldn't I contribute more of my salary?

  3. I will be teaching in Spring 2009, and decided to enroll in Retirement Manager during November 2008, but I was not recognized. Why?

  4. If I am a current participant of Fidelity, do I need to complete a new application to open an account?

  5. A customer service representative at Fidelity indicated that the U.S. Spartan Index Fund is one of the fund investment choices effective January 1, 2009, but it is not listed on Fidelity’s fund sponsor insert that is included in the Enrollment kit. Is this fund available?

  6. I am a current participant of TIAA-Cref and want to know if I need to complete a new application to open an account.

  7. Which of the five fund sponsors require both new and existing participants to complete an application to open an account?

  8. The MetLife website will not allow me to open a new account online. Why?

  9. Will a fee be charged to participants by the Master Administrator?

  10. When can I select the fund investment choices of the fund sponsor(s) that I set up contributions for in Retirement Manager?

  11. If I do not choose my fund investment choices prior to the fund sponsor(s) posting my contributions in January, what will happen?

  12. The Enrollment kit states that I need to enroll by November 28, 2008, if I want a contribution to be deducted from my December pay period (January 1, 2009) pay warrant. Will I be able to enroll between November 29-December 31, 2008?

  13. What is the minimum amount I can contribute to a TSA?

  14. I was hired on November 3, 2008. Will I be able to participate in the special TSA enrollment?






  1. What is the Unique Identifier that Retirement Manager requires in order to log-in?
    The Unique Identifier in Retirement Manager is the employee’s Social Security Number (SSN). When the employee logs on for the first time, the employee will have to provide his/her Social Security Number (SSN), last name and date of birth. Retirement Manager will prompt the employee to create a password. Thereafter, each time the employee logs into Retirement Manager, the employee’s SSN and a password that the employee created will need to be used to gain access.

  2. On November 3 or 4, I tried to make a total contribution of $2000 on Retirement Manager. Retirement Manager would not allow me to contribute more than $1,375.00 per month. Why couldn't I contribute more of my salary?
    As of November 5, 2008, the $1,375.00 per month limitation has been removed from Retirement Manager. Employees may defer up to the 402(g) limit of $16,500 and the 414(v) age 50 catch-up allowance of $5,500, if applicable. Employees may contribute up to their current monthly salary, but once contributions reach the applicable limits, Retirement Manager will not submit future deductions for processing on an employee’s behalf to the State Controller’s Office.

  3. I will be teaching in spring 2009, and decided to enroll in Retirement Manager during November 2008, but I was not recognized. Why?
    For purposes of the special TSA enrollment period, CSU provided AIG Retirement with a monthly eligibility file of active, eligible employees as of October 31, 2008. If you were not an active employee by that date, you will not be reflected in Retirement Manager during the open enrollment period. Retirement Manager will be updated each month with eligibility data of the prior business month.

  4. If I am a current participant of Fidelity, do I need to complete a new application to open an account? No. Existing Fidelity participants are not required to complete a new application.

  5. A customer service representative at Fidelity indicated that the U.S. Spartan Index Fund is one of the fund investment choices effective January 1, 2009, but it is not listed on Fidelity’s fund sponsor insert that is included in the Enrollment kit. Is this fund available?
    Yes, the U.S. Spartan Index fund is an available fund investment choice as of January 1, 2009. Fidelity has confirmed that the U.S. Spartan Index fund was inadvertently omitted from the fund sponsor insert.

  6. I am a current participant of TIAA-Cref and want to know if I need to complete a new application to open an account.
     No. Current TIAA-Cref participants are not required to complete a new application.

  7. Which of the five fund sponsors require both new and existing participants to complete an application to open an account?
    AIG Retirement, ING and MetLife.

  8. The MetLife website will not allow me to open a new account online. Why?
    In the next few days, MetLife plans to add information on its website for enrollees regarding online and paper enrollment. In the interim, participants can locate a MetLife representative by calling 866-796-4104 (Northern CA) or 866-294-0807 (Southern CA), to get assistance with opening an account.

  9. Will a fee be charged to participants by the Master Administrator?
    No, the Master Administrator is not charging a fee to participants, or to the CSU for its recordkeeping services.

  10. When can I select the fund investment choices of the fund sponsor(s) that I set up contributions for in Retirement Manager?
    AIG Retirement and ING both have the ability to allow you to designate your fund investment choices now for January 2009. The ability to designate Fidelity, MetLife and/or TIAA-Cref fund investment choices will be available as of January 1, 2009.

  11. If I do not choose my fund investment choices prior to the fund sponsor(s) posting my contributions in January, what will happen?
    Your contributions will be invested in a default fund disclosed by each fund sponsor. You can opt to make an exchange to a different fund investment choice(s) at a later date.

  12. The Enrollment kit states that I need to enroll by November 28, 2008, if I want a contribution to be deducted from my December pay period (January 1, 2009) pay warrant. Will I be able to enroll between November 29-December 31?
    No. Once the special enrollment period ends, access to Retirement Manager will be temporarily disabled until January 1, 2009 in order to process enrollments. As of January 1, 2009, and thereafter, enrollments, and contribution changes will need to be submitted in Retirement Manager by a certain cutoff date each month. Click here to see the cutoff dates for the monthly pay periods in 2009.

  13. What is the minimum amount I can contribute to a TSA?
    The CSU Tax Sheltered Annuity Program requires a $15.00 minimum monthly contribution (per fund sponsor). During the open enrollment period, Retirement Manager is unable to restrict contributions under $15.00. Please note, effective January 1, 2009, Retirement Manager will be reconfigured to prohibit an employee from contributing less than $15.00.

  14. I was hired on November 3, 2008. Will I be able to participate in the special TSA enrollment?
    No. If you were not an active employee by October 31, 2008, you will not be reflected in Retirement Manager during the open enrollment period. Employees hired after October 31, 2008, are encouraged to enroll in Retirement Manager on or after January 1, 2009, and will be able to select a monthly contribution amount that will still allow them to exhaust the 2009 limits that are applicable.