For employees enrolled in the MD State Retirement & Pension system, the schedule of Pre-Retirement seminars and webinars is now available for January – June 2023.

These seminars are a valuable planning tool for all eligible members and their spouses, provided by the MD State Pension Agency via the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC). Employees who attend should be within 8 years of retiring.

Please register for an in-person seminar or webinar using this link: http://www.ccbcmd.edu/ceed-preretirement-state or by calling 443-840-5059. Please provide the course number when registering. 

*NOTE: all in-person seminars and webinars run from 9:00am - 4:00pm.

Webinar Dates:

• January 24 (CRN 37246) 
• February 14 (CRN 37249)
• March 14 (CRN 37278)
• March 30 (CRN 37275)
• April 13 (CRN 37254) 
• April 26 (CRN 37256)  
• May 18 (CRN 37263) 
• June 6 (CRN 37258)  

IN-PERSON seminar dates: 

• February 10 – CCBC Essex Campus (CRN 37161)
• March 15 – Anne Arundel Health Department (CRN 37280)
• April 14 – Salisbury University (CRN 37440)
• April 25 – Salisbury Government (CRN 37455) *Law Enforcement Officers Only (LEOPS)
• April 28 – Harford Community College (CRN 37257)
• May 2 – CCBC Owings Mills Center (CRN 37442)
• May 17 – Maryland School for the Deaf Columbia Campus (CRN 37444) *ASL provided
• June 15 – Hagerstown Community College (CRN 37259)
• June 22 – CCBC Catonsville Campus (CRN 37245)

To register for a seminar or webinar, please go to: http://www.ccbcmd.edu/ceed-preretirement-state

This link includes directions for registering by phone if you encounter difficulties registering online. If you have questions or need assistance, please contact Sarah Moore at scullip@ccbcmd.edu. 

This is a reminder that the paycheck on Friday, January 6, 2023 will have no deductions for the following State of Maryland benefits due to the normally scheduled Health Premium Deduction Holiday Schedule for regular employees. 

• Medical
• Dental
• Prescription
• State of Maryland MetLife Life Insurance
• MetLife AD&D Insurance
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) 

Please note, this does not apply to University System of Maryland (USM) MetLife deductions for Life and/or Long-Term Disability (LTD).  

Benefit Deduction Holidays for regular State of Maryland employees typically occur twice a year.  The next deduction holiday is anticipated to occur on the September 1, 2023 paycheck.

The IRS has announced the contribution limits for supplemental retirement accounts (SRA) will increase for calendar year 2023.  The base maximum deferral amount will increase to $22,500 for calendar year 2023 in the 401(k), 457(b), or 403(b).  Employees' age 50 or older may contribute an additional $7,500 catch-up contribution.

SRA contributions can be changed at any time.  To make changes for the first paycheck in January 2023, SRA change forms (now in DocuSign) must be submitted to Human Resources by Tuesday December 20, 2022.

The following amounts are the maximum bi-weekly SRA contributions for 26 pay periods, starting with the first paycheck, January 6, 2023:

Under Age 50:

401(k)/403(b) Contributions, over 26 pays ($22,500/26):   $865.38

457(b) contributions, over 26 pays ($22,500/26):  $865.38

Age 50 or Older:

401(k)/403(b) Contributions, over 26 pays ($30,000/26):   $1,153.84

457(b) contributions, over 26 pays ($30,000/26):  $1,153.84

Please review the SRA comparison chart and ROTH comparison chart for more information on the maximum deferrals between accounts. 

In addition, retirement vendors offer virtual one-on-one consultations.  To schedule an appointment, visit the HR Website.  

For questions about your SRA, email HRbenefits@umbc.edu.

Good news, Johns Hopkins Medicine and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) have agreed to a new multi year contract.

Click here to view the press release.

We are excited to announce the State Employee Benefits Division will be hosting a series of Virtual Open Enrollment Events over the next 4 weeks.

• 8-9 sessions a day
• Sessions are carrier specific (noted at the end of each link) i.e., w/ United Concordia
• Join as many as you like, no need to register in advance!
• Sessions will provide a quick overview of the program and then take questions

Attached is the flyer with the registration links and more information.

Open Enrollment started on October 11th and will end at 5pm on November 4th.

The University System of Maryland has partnered with TIAA to offer financial planning webinars at no cost to USM employees. These webinars are led by licensed professionals and are designed to help employees find more financial confidence in the face of today's economic challenges by learning more about saving, retirement planning, estate planning, and more.

Webinar topics have been crafted to address the concerns and needs of employees new to investing, mid-career employees, and employees close to retirement.

Sample topics include:

• The Starting Line: Beginning to save for retirement
• Halfway There: A Retirement Checkup
• Paying Yourself: Income Options in Retirement
• And many more!

Reserve your spot today!  Click here to choose from various webinars topics and register or view past recordings. Additional resources are available here.

This is a reminder that the paycheck on Friday, September 2, 2022 will have no deductions for the following State of Maryland benefits due to the normally scheduled Health Premium Deduction Holiday Schedule for regular employees. 

• Medical
• Dental
• Prescription
• State of Maryland MetLife Life Insurance
• MetLife AD&D Insurance
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) 

Please note, this does not apply to University System of Maryland (USM) MetLife deductions for Life and/or Long-Term Disability (LTD).  

Benefit Deduction Holidays for regular State of Maryland employees typically occur once in the spring and fall.  The next deduction holiday is anticipated in spring of 2023.