{"id":20115,"date":"2026-04-16T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=20115"},"modified":"2026-04-15T16:03:41","modified_gmt":"2026-04-15T20:03:41","slug":"guidance-from-fidelity-and-tiaa-financial-goals-to-strengthen-your-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=20115","title":{"rendered":"Guidance from Fidelity and TIAA: Financial Goals to Strengthen Your Future"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As a benefits-eligible employee, you may know about the generous\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=18846\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">retirement savings programs and resources MSU offers<\/a>\u202fto help set you up for a successful retirement. However, MSU\u2019s retirement plan vendors, Fidelity and TIAA, can help you with more than just retirement planning. Whatever your financial goals \u2013 such as funding a big purchase, paying down debt, or creating a sustainable budget \u2013 Fidelity and TIAA can help you create a plan to achieve them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fidelity and TIAA are financial professionals who can provide strategies and advice to help you take charge of your finances. Review the goals below and then contact your vendor using the following information.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Fidelity<\/strong>: Call 800-642-7131 or\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/nb.fidelity.com\/public\/nbpreloginnav\/msu\/microsite\/#\/tem\/meet-with-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">make an appointment with Fidelity online<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>TIAA<\/strong>: Call 800-732-8353 or\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/shared.tiaa.org\/public\/publictools\/events\/meetinglocaloffice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">make an appointment with TIAA online<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Create a Budget<\/strong>: Many people only have a vague understanding of their spending habits or financial situation. Between trying to comprehend financial jargon, figuring out your goals, and understanding how to balance debt, saving, and investing, it\u2019s no wonder people often bury their heads in the sand. Luckily, Fidelity and TIAA have tools, resources, and advice to help us make a plan and stay on track.\u00a0<em>Learn More<\/em>:\u00a0\n<ul>\n<li>Fidelity (Activity Sheet):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/nb.fidelity.com\/bin-public\/070_NB_PreLogin_Pages\/documents\/email\/CreateYourBudget_ActivitySheet.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Understanding Your Spending<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fidelity (Article):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fidelity.com\/learning-center\/smart-money\/how-to-budget\" target=\"_blank\">7 steps to learn how to budget<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TIAA (Activity Sheet):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiaa.org\/public\/pdf\/a\/A125820_budgeting_worksheet.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Create your spending plan<\/a>\u00a0<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Build an Emergency Fund:<\/strong>\u00a0Setting aside money for an emergency \u2013 such as unemployment, surprise medical or vet bills, or unplanned home repairs \u2013 is a key element of basic financial planning and often the first step advisors will recommend. According to TIAA, \u201cyou should aim to have enough to cover 6 months of expenses in a readily accessible account.\u201d (TIAA, 2026). These living expenses include the things you absolutely must pay for each month, such as food, housing, utilities, child care, health care, transportation, debt payments, or similar.\u00a0<br><br>The latest report released by the Federal Reserve found that 37% of adults would not be able to afford a $400 emergency expense (2025, Federal Reserve), which means they would have to use credit cards, personal loans, early retirement withdrawals, or ask family\/friends for assistance. Saving towards an emergency fund \u2013 even if it\u2019s only a small amount each month \u2013 can help you build a safety net to keep you out of debt.\u00a0<em>Learn more:<\/em>\u00a0\n<ul>\n<li>Fidelity (video):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fidelity.com\/about-fidelity\/emergency-savings\" target=\"_blank\">What is Emergency Savings, and what is Fidelity doing about it?<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TIAA (article):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiaa.org\/public\/learn\/personal-finance-101\/building-an-emergency-fund\" target=\"_blank\">Building an Emergency Fund \u2013 How Much Should I Save?<\/a>\u00a0<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pay Down Debt<\/strong>: The average American owes more than $105,000 in debt across mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, student loans, auto loans, credit cards, and personal loans (Fidelity, 2025). While having debt isn\u2019t necessarily bad \u2013 a mortgage loan, for instance, can help you build wealth and eventually own a home \u2013 having too much debt or high-interest debt can lead to financial stress. Fidelity clarifies, \u201cGood debt is generally considered any debt that may help you increase your net worth or generate future income. Importantly, it typically has a low interest or annual percentage rate (APR), which experts say is normally under 6%\u201d (Fidelity, 2025).\u00a0<br><br>TIAA and Fidelity offer actionable steps to help you move in the right direction. Review the resources below for advice on managing debt and contact your vendor directly to receive personal financial advice.<em> Learn more<\/em>:\u00a0\n<ul>\n<li>Fidelity (article): <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fidelity.com\/viewpoints\/personal-finance\/how-to-pay-off-debt\">How to balance debt, saving, and investing<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fidelity (article):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fidelity.com\/learning-center\/personal-finance\/pay-down-debt-vs-invest\" target=\"_blank\">Should you pay down debt or invest?<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TIAA (article):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiaa.org\/public\/learn\/financial-essentials\/6-debt-myths-to-avoid\" target=\"_blank\">6 Debt Myths to Avoid<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TIAA (tool):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/my.tiaa.org\/private\/robo\/engage\/v2\/debtTool\" target=\"_blank\">Debt illustrator<\/a>\u00a0<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Maximize Your Retirement Investment<\/strong>: Most benefit-eligible employees<sup>1<\/sup>\u202fare enrolled in the 403(b) Base Retirement Program, which consists of a 5% employee contribution of your eligible compensation and a generous university matching contribution of 10%. That\u2019s an immediate two-for-one match of your investment for a total contribution of 15%. While this provides a great foundation for your retirement savings, you may eventually want to consider additional options. It\u2019s important to note that the\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=18668\" target=\"_blank\">IRS places limits on how much employees can contribute to their retirement savings accounts<\/a>\u202feach year. However, many people may discover there is a lot of room before their current contributions reach that limit. Fidelity and TIAA can help you determine what your retirement contributions should be to help you reach your personal retirement goals \u2013 whether that date is 30 years in the future or just around the corner.\u00a0<em>Learn more:<\/em>\u00a0\n<ul>\n<li>Fidelity (article):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fidelity.com\/learning-center\/personal-finance\/retirement\/how-to-plan-for-retirement\" target=\"_blank\">How to plan your retirement<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fidelity (article):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fidelity.com\/viewpoints\/retirement\/how-much-money-should-I-save\" target=\"_blank\">How much should I save for retirement<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TIAA (article):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiaa.org\/public\/learn\/financial-essentials\" target=\"_blank\">Financial Essentials: Saving for Retirement<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TIAA (article): <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiaa.org\/public\/transitioners\/four-common-retirement-risks\">Four Common Retirement Risks<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>SourceLive (article):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=19819\" target=\"_blank\">2026 IRS Retirement Planning Contribution Limits<\/a>\u00a0<br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Plan Your Estate<\/strong>: According to TIAA, \u201cMore than two-thirds of Americans don\u2019t have a will.\u00a0If you die without one, state law determines how your assets are distributed.\u201d (TIAA, 2026). Despite the challenging nature of the topic, creating a solid plan can give you and your family peace of mind and the confidence that your wishes will be carried out as desired.\u00a0<em>Learn more<\/em>:\u00a0\n<ul>\n<li>Fidelity (tool):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fidelity.com\/calculators-tools\/fidelity-estate-planner\" target=\"_blank\">Fidelity Estate Planner<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fidelity (article):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.fidelity.com\/viewpoints\/wealth-management\/estate-planning-made-easy\" target=\"_blank\">5 steps to create an estate plan<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TIAA (article):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiaa.org\/public\/invest\/services\/wealth-management\/perspectives\/estate-planning-pitfalls\" target=\"_blank\">Top Estate Planning Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>TIAA (PDF):\u202f<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tiaa.org\/public\/pdf\/e\/Essential_Estate_Planning_Guide.pdf\" target=\"_blank\">Essential Estate Planning<\/a>\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Questions?<\/strong>&nbsp;We encourage you to reach out to\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/nb.fidelity.com\/public\/nb\/msu\/contactus\/schedule-a-meeting\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fidelity<\/a>&nbsp;\u202f(800-642-7131) or\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/shared.tiaa.org\/public\/publictools\/events\/meetinglocaloffice\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TIAA<\/a>&nbsp;\u202f(800-732-8353) with your financial or retirement planning questions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><sup>1<\/sup><sup>\u202f<\/sup>Certain types of employees are excluded from participating in the 403(b) Retirement Plan.\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/hr.msu.edu\/benefits\/retirement\/documents\/baseretirementeligibility.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Please see the\u202f403(b) Base Retirement Program Eligibility Chart\u202ffor more details<\/a>.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sources:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Building an Emergency Fund<\/em>. TIAA. (n.d.). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiaa.org\/public\/learn\/financial-education\/building-an-emergency-fund\">https:\/\/www.tiaa.org\/public\/learn\/financial-education\/building-an-emergency-fund<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Good debt vs bad debt<\/em>. Fidelity. (2025, October 116). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fidelity.com\/learning-center\/smart-money\/good-debt-vs-bad-debt\">https:\/\/www.fidelity.com\/learning-center\/smart-money\/good-debt-vs-bad-debt<\/a>\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>How to make a financial plan<\/em>. Fidelity. (2024, February 21).\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fidelity.com\/learning-center\/wealth-management-insights\/how-to-make-a-financial-plan-video\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.fidelity.com\/learning-center\/wealth-management-insights\/how-to-make-a-financial-plan-video<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Report on the economic well-being of U.S. households in 2024 \u2013 May 2025<\/em>. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. (2025, May).\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.federalreserve.gov\/publications\/2025-economic-well-being-of-us-households-in-2024-executive-summary.htm\">https:\/\/www.federalreserve.gov\/publications\/2025-economic-well-being-of-us-households-in-2024-executive-summary.htm<\/a> &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Tips for managing and reducing your debt<\/em>. TIAA. (n.d.).\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiaa.org\/public\/learn\/personal-finance-101\/debt-consolidation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.tiaa.org\/public\/learn\/personal-finance-101\/debt-consolidation<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Top Estate Planning Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them.<\/em> TIAA. (n.d.). <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tiaa.org\/public\/invest\/services\/wealth-management\/perspectives\/estate-planning-pitfalls\">https:\/\/www.tiaa.org\/public\/invest\/services\/wealth-management\/perspectives\/estate-planning-pitfalls<\/a> \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As a benefits-eligible employee, you may know about the generous\u202fretirement savings programs and resources MSU offers\u202fto help set you up for a successful retirement. However, MSU\u2019s retirement plan vendors, Fidelity and TIAA, can help you&hellip; <a class=\"continue\" href=\"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/?p=20115\">Continue Reading&#8230;<span> Guidance from Fidelity and TIAA: Financial Goals to Strengthen Your Future<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":20118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"__cvm_playback_settings":[],"__cvm_video_id":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0},"categories":[2],"tags":[335,817,107],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/financial-goals-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1344&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pb1fcA-5er","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20115"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20115"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20115\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20119,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20115\/revisions\/20119"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20118"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20115"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20115"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sourcelive.hr.msu.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20115"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}