Retirement industry experts recommend that workers save at least 15% of their annual salaries throughout their careers in order to comfortably retire.

Although your Y contributes to eligible employees’ accounts in the Retirement Plan, each employee should also save an additional percentage on their own in order to reach the 15% recommendation.

The YMCA Retirement Fund polled Y's with the highest rates of 403(b) Smart Account participation among staff.

We found that the best practices include:

• Teaching every new employee about the 403(b) Smart Account and providing applications

• Posting information about the Fund on the Y’s intranet, including links to the Fund’s website

• Posting printed information about the Fund in the Y’s employee commons area

• Sending periodic email blasts, encouraging staff to open a 403(b) Smart Account

• Highlighting the Fund in the Y’s recruitment materials

• Providing each employee with their own “total compensation statement,” highlighting what the Y has contributed to the Retirement Plan that year on their behalf

• Promoting the Fund at the Y’s annual benefits fair

• Promoting the Fund at any mandatory staff meeting

• Encouraging staff “virtual attendance” at the Fund’s webinars, perhaps setting up a conference room with screen to accommodate everyone