FAQs

NAEF is made up of organizations just like yours. We leverage our group power to get better financial education and benefits programs for our staffs and we can do the same for you. Most NAEF members are small to mid-size organizations that want the best benefits for their staff members but find that, on their own, "the best" is out of reach. Together, NAEF members have superior buying power. Want more information? We'll have an advisor call you.

NAEF offers members a wide variety of educational content and resources. From learning-on-the-go, to videos & webinars, to in-person events NAEF has educational resources designed to fit any organization and any learner. Take a look at a sample on our Resources page!

The members of the NAEF Board and experienced advisors at Fidelity select a broad range of options for inclusion. Twice a year, meeting with analysts, the Committee carefully reviews the performance of available options, adding new choices and eliminating options that have not performed well.

NAEF has a group Master Plan for 401(a), 401(k), 457(b) and 457(f) plans with Fidelity Investments. Participation requires organizations to be NAEF members. We also have a group of specially-designed, group term life and group disability plans with Unum, as well as business operations and property & casualty protection. At this time, we do not have group healthcare or whole life plans.

NAEF dues are set by the association's Board and billed in February each year. Organizations are required to be members in good standing to use the NAEF Master Plan and to participate in the benefits program. In 2023, retirement plan dues are $350 each for 401(a) and 401(k) plans, and $350 each for 457(b) and $457(f) plans. Additional fees are billed by Preferred Pension Plans (the TPA) for individual plan work, e.g. preparation of Form 5500. Dues for benefits plans, included in monthly fees, are currently $3 per month per association and are included in the monthly billing for those plans (no separate bill is sent for NAEF benefits members).

A Third Party Administrator (TPA) is an organization hired by the plan sponsor to run many day-to-day aspects of a retirement plan. These may include, but are not limited to, amending and restating plan documents; preparing employer and employee benefit statements; assisting in processing distributions from the plan; preparing loan paperwork when requested by a plan participant; testing the plan each year to gauge its compliance with all IRS non-discrimination requirements as well as plan and participant contribution limits; allocation of employer contributions and forfeitures; calculating participant vested percentages; and, perhaps most importantly to HR and finance directors, preparing annual returns and reports such as 5500s required by IRS, DOL or other government agencies. NAEF’s Third Party Administrator is Preferred Pension Planning Corp., headquartered in Bridgewater, NJ. PPPC's highly-trained, personable, retirement plan specialists are available 8AM-5PM ET, Monday-Friday to help NAEF members with any aspect of the NAEF retirement plan.