457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan
The Drexel University 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan is a voluntary retirement savings plan for faculty and professional staff members whose salary exceeds $150,000 during a calendar year. The plan is intended as a nonqualified, deferred compensation plan to provide supplemental retirement savings. The 457(b) Plan is another way to save more for retirement if you already contribute the maximum amount allowed under the 403(b) Plan. However, you are not required to do so in order to participate.
Contributions to the 457(b) Plan are made on a pre-tax basis, which allows you to build your retirement savings while reducing your current taxable income. There is no post-tax (Roth) option or employer contributions.
The plan offers a wide range of investment options [PDF] available through TIAA. Once enrolled, you can view and manage your investments through the TIAA website, along with beneficiary assignment.
Unlike the 403(b) Plan, which is a qualified plan, the 457(b) Plan is a nonqualified deferred compensation arrangement. This means that the assets that are held pursuant to the 457(b) Plan will be subject to the claims of all unsecured creditors of the University if the University becomes bankrupt or insolvent.
For more information on the 457(b) Plan, review the resources below:
Drexel University faculty and professional staff whose primary job salary exceeds $150,000 during a calendar year are eligible to participate in the plan.
You may begin participating in the plan to make employee pre-tax contributions as soon as practicable after your date of hire. You may begin this participation by completing an online salary deferral to make pre-tax deductions on TIAA's website.
To enroll in or make any changes to your 457(b) contribution:
- Log in to DrexelOne and select the Employee tab.
- Scroll down to the My Benefits heading on the left-hand side of the screen and select the link for “Retirement Plan management” which will directly connect you to your account on TIAA.org without having to supply additional login credentials.
- Select Manage Contribution Amount under the Actions menu. Update the percentage for your contributions and the date to make your change effective.
- In order to make changes to the 457(b) plan you must first confirm your election(s) on the 403(b) plan.
- Check the payroll schedule for the effective date of your election.
The minimum amount you may contribute to the plan is $25 per pay period.
The maximum contribution limit is established by the IRS each year. In 2025, you can contribute up to $23,500. Additional "special catch-up" contributions may be made in the three years before you turn age 65. Review the section below about the “special 457(b) catch-up contribution” for more information.
The contribution limit for the 457(b) Plan is separate from the 403(b) Plan. Contributions made to the 403(b) Plan do not count towards the 457(b) limit.
Plan participants can make additional contributions to help them “catch-up” for the years they did not contribute the maximum amount permitted under the Internal Revenue Code IRC limits. A participant must make these catch-up contributions during the three consecutive years before the calendar year in which they reach the normal retirement age of sixty-five. These special catch-up contributions cannot be made in the year in which someone reaches age sixty-five.
In this example below, Jim will attain the plan's normal retirement age of 65 in 2026. Jim became eligible to participate in the plan in 2018 but did not make contributions until 2019. Jim's contributions-his and his employer's-were less than the maximum amounts allowed for each year.
Jim can enhance his retirement savings by contributing an additional catch-up amount of $37,000 in the three consecutive years prior to turning age sixty-five.
| Calendar Year |
IRS Annual Contribution ($) |
Employer Contribution ($) |
Employee Contribution ($) |
Total Contribution |
IRS Limit: Total Contribution |
Unused Contribution ($) |
| 2018 |
18,500 |
0 |
+ 0 |
= 0 |
18,500 -
0 = |
18,500 |
| 2019 |
19,000 |
10,000 |
+ 5,000 |
= 15,000 |
19,000 - 15,000 = |
4,000 |
| 2020 |
19,500 |
10,000 |
+ 5,000 |
= 15,000 |
19,500 - 15,000 = |
4,500 |
| 2021 |
19,500 |
10,000 |
+ 5,000 |
= 15,000 |
19,500 - 15,000 =
|
4,500 |
| 2022 |
20,500 |
10,000 |
+ 5,000 |
= 15,000 |
20,500 - 15,000 = |
5,500 |
| Amount available for catch-up |
37,000 |
This illustration is assuming the current calendar year is 2023.
Jim has two options to catch up:
- Option A: The annual IRS contribution limit in 2023 is $22,500. Therefore, Jim can contribute an additional $22,500 in 2023 and the remaining $14,500 in 2024-as long as his total contributions each year don't exceed twice the allowable limit for that year.
- Option B: Jim can spread the total available $37,000 catch-up amount over three years-2023, 2024 and 2025-as long as his total contributions each year don't exceed twice the allowable limit for that year.
Remember, Jim can only take advantage of the catch-up provision at ages 62, 63 and 64. He cannot take advantage of the catch-up provision in the year he turns 65 (the plan's normal retirement age).
Complete the application below to find out if you are eligible for this provision. For more information on the Special 457(b) "catch-up," please contact Danielle McClellan, Sr. Benefits Consultant, at dm3689@drexel.edu.
No, the University does not make contributions to the 457(b) Plan.
You are 100% fully vested in your contributions to the plan.
Yes. To make any changes to your 457(b) contribution:
- Log in to DrexelOne and select the Employee tab.
- Scroll down to the My Benefits heading on the left-hand side of the screen and select the link for "Retirement Plan management" which will directly connect you to your account on TIAA.org without having to supply additional login credentials.
- Select Manage Contribution Amount under the Actions menu. Update the percentage for your contributions and the date to make your change effective.
- In order to make changes to the 457(b) plan you must first confirm your election(s) on the 403(b) plan.
Except in the case of an unforeseeable emergency (as described below), you cannot withdraw or otherwise take distributions from your plan account while you are employed by the University.
Once you leave the University (and all affiliates), you can choose to receive the value of your plan account in a single sum, in installments, as a lifetime annuity, or postpone distribution to a later date.
You must make your election within 60 days of your separation from employment. If you do not make an election within 60 days, your 457(b) Plan account will be automatically paid to you as a single lump-sum payment.
No, loans are not available through the 457(b) Plan.
You may be eligible for a hardship withdrawal if the hardship is caused by an illness, accident, eviction or foreclosure, funeral expenses, property losses, or other unforeseen emergencies. An unforeseeable emergency withdrawal must be limited to an amount sufficient to meet the unforeseeable emergency and cannot be obtained for the purchase of a home, the payment of college tuition or other foreseeable events.
You should consult your personal tax advisor to obtain information regarding the tax consequences before you request a withdrawal or distribution of any portion of your plan account.
In general, your contributions to the plan and the investment earnings on your contributions are income tax-deferred while held in your account under the plan. Taxes become payable when your account is distributed to you. You may not roll over distributions from the plan into an IRA or plan maintained by another employer.
The University is required to withhold income taxes from all plan distributions. But if a distribution substantially increases your annual taxable income, it will be your responsibility to pay the additional taxes that may be due for the year of the distribution.
Visit tiaa.org/drexel to view the Plan’s investment lineup.
TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Index Funds are the default investment option for the Plan. If you do not select specific investments when you enroll, your contributions will be directed to the TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Index Fund that most closely corresponds to the year you turn age 65. You may select a different investment choice for your contributions at any time.