Without a doubt, 2010 was a terrific year for me, 403(b)wise and my financial literacy initiative Pollinate, the Teacher Financial Literacy Project. Quick review: I formally earned my doctorate in May; thanks to the generous support of TIAA-CREF and CalSTRS, I hosted my first Pollinate Workshop in November; and in December I met Vanguard founder and investor advocate John Bogle.
As good as all this was, I think it will only get better in 2011, particularly for participants. We are especially proud of the following site updates and news which should make it even easier for participants and employers to get wise about the 403(b) and the 457(b).
- We recently redesigned the way we present 403(b) content. Instead of a laundry list of FAQs, 403(b) information is now grouped by category: 403(b) Basics, Contribution Limits; Products and Vendors; Cost to Invest in a 403(b); Modifying Contributions; Accessing 403(b) Savings; Making Other Changes to Your 403(b); and Buying Service Credit.
- We have added comprehensive 457(b) information to the Participant section.
- We are building a mobile site that is scheduled for a February launch.
- An updated version of Teach and Retire Rich will be available at the end of January.
- We have been busy developing a plan education Portal for CalSTRS that will allow thousands of school employees to get customized information about their particular 403(b) and 457(b) plan. The Portal will be similar to one we operate for Montgomery County Public Schools but on a much larger scale. We will be releasing screen shots from our work to date shortly.
- I am busy working on a new book with the working title: Financial Literacy. Simplified.
As I have said before, this site is only as good as the thousands of participants and advocates who access it. Which means, it's pretty good. We will continue to work to make it better.
