Fidelity is Purdue’s official provider of retirement plan education, guidance, assistance

Faculty and staff interested in receiving help to review their retirement accounts have retirement planning experts available at no cost through Fidelity as part of Purdue’s retirement program. 

“The university partners with Fidelity to offer a full range of retirement planning services,” said Candace Shaffer, senior director of benefits in Human Resources. “From analyzing employees’ retirement portfolios to building an income strategy in retirement, Fidelity retirement planning experts are able to meet faculty and staff where they are in the process and help create a plan to achieve their retirement planning and savings goals.”

In 2011 Fidelity became Purdue’s official provider of education, guidance and assistance related to retirement plan investments and decisions.

Note: For those with pre-2011 retirement funds in a TIAA account, or other tax-deferred account vendors in place prior to the 2011 transition, similar services for those plans remain available from those vendors. Employees hired prior to 2013 with PERF retirement may also continue to receive assistance from the Indiana Public Retirement System (INPRS).

Other organizations may reach out to Purdue employees by phone or email to advertise their retirement services and imply they serve Purdue’s retirement programs in an official capacity; however, the university does not have business relationships with, nor does it endorse, other financial advisors, including those who state they are “associated with” Fidelity.

Fidelity is the only retirement planning provider endorsed by Purdue.

Employees who receive unsolicited communications from other organizations are advised to clearly inform the callers that they wish to be removed from the call list. Faculty and staff should also remain vigilant of targeted spam email they might receive from unknown or unfamiliar organizations offering retirement planning services.

“Planning for retirement can be an intimidating task, and it can be difficult to know who to turn to for help,” Shaffer said. “We encourage our faculty and staff to take advantage of Fidelity’s expertise with Purdue’s plan offerings and investments before they consider paying additional fees for outside assistance.”

Fidelity’s guidance is objective, according to Shaffer, who points out that there are no Fidelity funds included in the first three investment tiers of Purdue’s retirement plan platform, therefore removing the possibility of conflicts of interest within the investment offerings.

Fidelity offers free, confidential consultations to all interested faculty and staff. Employees are welcome to bring a spouse or anyone involved in their financial planning to the virtual or in-person appointment. 

During an appointment, Fidelity representatives can guide participants in a variety of ways, including:

• Steps to start saving for retirement.
• Reviewing investment options.
• Assessing if the participant is on track with his or her retirement goals.
• Creating a retirement income plan.
• Assisting with account rollovers and consolidating retirement accounts from multiple financial investment sources. 

See the “Retirement Planning – How You Benefit from a Fidelity Consultation” video for more information on what to expect from a consultation with a Fidelity retirement planner supporting Purdue’s retirement plans.

To make an appointment, call 800-642-7131 or schedule online. Employees at regional campuses also can schedule for their respective campuses via the same number and link.