Understanding 403(b) plans and Pension Plans

Question

A company that I worked for long ago stopped mailing retirement savings statements or any info about my account. It took about a year for me to notice. They first switched from quarterly to bi-annual statements, then yearly, and then nothing.

When I realized I hadn't seen a new statement in a while I started making calls. After several weeks of attempts and hours on the phone, I finally found someone who helped me and regained access to their new system and/or management company. Anyhow, that experience had me nervous about the money I'd just let sit for years after I left the company.

While I was with the company I contributed as much as possible to the retirement account. As I recall it was just one withholding and the company matched some percentage. Also, when I left I'd served enough time to be "fully vested". Anyhow, the new online overviews, statements and terminology are a little confusing.

• I want to understand the terms here and know if all of the money in the accounts is mine (and why are they listed as "employER assets")?
• Can I move all of the money from both the pension (discretionary) and tax sheltered 403(b) (matching and deferral) to my current employer plans or my own IRA?

Screen shots of the questionable account overview and detail sub accounts are attached:

Overview:

Details:

Answer 1

Everything here is yours and can be rolled into your new plan or IRA.

• The "employer" assets are actually all the assets in your 403(b) plan. You own these assets, but they are in the plan managed by your employer. If you also had a personal IRA with that management company, it would presumably show up under "personal" assets.
• The "elective deferral" assets are what you contributed out of your paycheck.
• The "matching" assets are what your employer contributed. Normally these are not separately listed unless they have not vested yet, but I don't know how this management company likes to do things.

You can generally move your 403(b) assets into your traditional IRA or into your new employer's plans, assuming your new employer's plan allowing incoming roll overs. You can probably roll your pension out as well.

Actually, the right person to ask about this is the company with whom you have your IRA. The easiest and best way to get assets from one tax-sheltered account to another is by contacting the company you want to roll INTO and having them take care of everything for you.