Harvard University Retirement Center (HURC)
With the HURC, you can easily manage your retirement plan, TDA and 457(b) assets online or by phone, 800-527-1398 (weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST). By contacting HURC, you can open and make changes to your TDA and elect investment providers for your retirement, TDA and 457(b) accounts.
To transfer funds between vendors, or if you are a retiree who wants to access your accounts, please contact your investment company directly.
Educational seminars
To learn more about your retirement benefits, you can attend free, on-campus educational seminars or take advantage of live and prerecorded webinars. View our Financial Education Calendar for upcoming programs and registration information. You can also visit the investment provider(s) websites directly for other programs:
These recorded presentations can help you get started:
- Two minutes to get on track with your retirement savings (from Fidelity Investments)
- Plan de retiro en Espanol (from TIAA)
- Roth TDA Option: Learn about the Roth features, determining if the Roth contribution option in the TDA might be right for you, and how to enroll
Retirewise - free retirement planning workshops
Comprehensive workshop presented by MetLife, free for faculty, staff and spouses/partners, over two half days. Next sessions: July 20 & 27, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. and October 19 & 26, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Register here.
In-person appointments
Want personalized retirement planning assistance? To schedule an appointment, contact the investment provider(s) directly (note that you may make an appointment with either company, you do not have to have an account with that vendor):
TIAA: Call 800-732-8353 to schedule an appointment at 97 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, or make appointments online at www.tiaa.org/schedulenow
Vanguard: Visit www.meetvanguard.com or call 800-662-0106, x14500 to schedule an appointment.
See our Financial Education Calendar to learn more.
Developing a Plan
Get help developing a sound retirement plan by accessing retirement resources and expert help online. To learn more, click on the link for your investment provider(s). You will have to create an account to login, which will also give you access to your account balance and let you change investment choices.
Important Note: New federal regulations have recently gone into effect that apply to the advice provided by financial advisors to retirement plan participants. In response, Harvard’s retirement plan vendors have been reevaluating their participant education and investment advice programs based on their analysis of how the regulations affect their particular business.
As a result of this reevaluation and until further notice, Fidelity’s investor guidance services, including one-on-one onsite and phone consultations, are not available to Harvard retirement plan participants with respect to Harvard retirement programs. We will provide updated information if this situation changes. (Learn more in this FAQ.)
No other aspect of Harvard’s plans are affected.
Fidelity NetBenefits® web site (www.netbenefits.com/atwork) continues to have educational articles, videos and online tools and interactive resources available to you. You can also call Fidelity service representatives at 800-343-0860 to assist with transactions.
Steps for Those Close to Retirement
When you're getting closer to retirement and considering your options, Harvard provides additional guidance.
- Review our Retirement Checklist and the Benefits publication "What Happens to Your Benefits When You Retire".
- If you were hired before July 1, 2001 (July 1, 2002 if you are in the HUCTW) or if you are a service/trades union employee, call the Harvard University Retirement Center (HURC) at 800-527-1398 to request a pension estimate, which takes about two weeks to receive.
- If you and/or your spouse will be age 65 or older as of your retirement date, contact Benefits (617-496-4001) three months prior to get the forms you will need to enroll in Medicare A & B and discuss the over-age-65 medical plan choices. You can get additional information at www.Medicare.gov.
- Whether you plan to start taking Social Security when you retire or in the future, you can learn more and create an online account at www.ssa.gov.
- Make an appointment with the Benefits office at least three months before your planned retirement date.
- The Harvard University Retirees Association (HURA) is a source of information about life in retirement and an opportunity to remain connected to the University. Membership is free in your first year of retirement. You can learn more on the HURA website.