GBOPHB Educational Programs on Planning for Retirement

The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits website now features two online educational programs designed to explain important financial concepts—“Clergy: Looking Ahead to Retirement” and “Saving for Retirement: United Methodist Personal Investment Plan.” These interactive programs help participants learn at their own pace—pausing, repeating, fast forwarding or reviewing previous slides. A third presentation, “Investing,” will be available in the coming months.

Track Your Pension and Personal Investment Funds Online

The General Board of Pension and Health Benefits’ Online Account Services Information System, known as OASIS, has been replaced by a new account management tool enabling participants to track their pension accounts and investments.  Benefits Access offers improved retirement projection tools, electronic delivery options for statements and newsletters, educational resources and much more!  All users, including those who used OASIS, must register for this new site.   Visit the site and click on “New User Registration” to follow the easy steps.  For OASIS users, the same PIN for that system will carry over to Benefits Access.  If you do not know or have your PIN, then select the button corresponding to that option and the GBOPHB will send it to you in 5-7 business days via U.S. Mail.  To learn more about upgrades to this online system, visit the GBOPHB’s website.

Ministers’ Transition Fund

Any ministerial member of the NC Annual Conference who is serving full time in an Episcopal appointment (including NC Annual Conference Institutions) is eligible to enroll in the MTF.  Eligible members can enroll anytime by completing the Enrollment and Beneficiary Designation Form and submitting them to JoAnna C. Ezuka, Pension Program Administrator & Educator.  For more information refer to the Board Of Pension Report D, pages 192-197 of the 2010 Conference Journal or contact JoAnna C.Ezuka, ext. 225.

How does MTF work?  Each year members make an annual contribution equal to 1% of their salary plus utilities allowance (regardless of whether it’s paid by vouchered or non-vouchered system).  The first 10 years of making contributions is considered the vesting period.  In the 11th year dividends begin to accrue.  Upon retirement, members can choose to have their balances paid to them directly or rolled over to another qualifying plan, such as the United Methodist Personal Investment Plan (UMPIP).  There are no restrictions on how the balance may be used.

There are a variety of payment methods available to MTF members. These methods include:

• Monthly Billing Option – the annual contribution is divided into equal monthly payments, withheld from the member’s salary on an after-tax basis, and included on the monthly pension bill sent from the NC Conference to the local church. To sign up for this billing option, complete the MTF Billing Enrollment form and return it to the address at the bottom of the form.
• Monthly Automatic Bank Draft – the annual contribution is divided into equal monthly payments and drafted from the member’s personal bank account. To sign up for this billing option, complete the Authorization Agreement for Automatic Debits form and return it to the address at the bottom of the form.
• Annual Billing for a lump-sum payment – the member will receive a contribution letter each October/November which details the payment due for that year. The lump-sum payment is due no later than January 31st of the following year. For example, the letter detailing the 2011 contribution is received by November 2011 and the payment is due by January 31, 2012. If the lump-sum payment is not received by January 31st, the member will lose either the year’s credit towards the dividend or the dividend declared for that year, depending on the member’s time in the plan.

For questions or help in determing which payment method may be best for you, please contact JoAnna C. Ezuka, ext. 225.

Local Church Pension Bills

Please review your church’s bill carefully and contact JoAnna C. Ezuka , ext. 225 or Kelly Young, ext. 316 IMMEDIATELY if you have any questions concerning the amount, billing address, or pastor information.

Option for Multi-station Charges  -  Churches on multi-station charges now have the option to split their monthly NC Conference pension bill among each church on the charge.  The monthly charges will be split according to the compensation package (ex: salary, travel allowance, utilities allowance, housing) each church provides for the pastor.  This will provide easier remittance of payments and more convenient internal accounting for the local church.  Churches interested in having their monthly billings split should contact JoAnna C. Ezuka , ext. 225 in the Treasurer’s Office.

Payment by Automatic Draft  -  Church Treasurers, are you looking for an easier way to make your monthly pension payment?  Consider having the payments deducted automatically from the church’s checking account.  To enroll in this easy payment method, complete the Pension EFT Enrollment Form (PDF format) and return it to the address at the bottom of the form

Payment by Mail  -  Please send pension payments by mail to:

NC Conference/Pension Payments

PO Box 60342

Charlotte, NC 28260-0342

Pension-Related Downloads

Visit the Downloads page for documents such as the Pension Worksheet, Housing Exclusion, enrollment forms, etc.

 For  More Information

For additional information please contact JoAnna C. Ezuka, ext. 225.