Retirement Forms and Resources

Forms

Plan Documents

Glossary of Retirement Terms

Actively Managed Funds
Funds that seek to perform better than comparable indices, but with greater risk. While actively managed funds seek to outperform the market, they also carry the risk of underperformance.
Annuity
An investment that allows you, at the time of retirement, to receive regular payments for a time period that you select—a fixed number of years or your entire lifetime. Annuities are a means by which you can secure a steady cash flow during your retirement years.
Asset Allocation
The process of dividing investments among different kinds of assets, such as stocks, bonds and cash, to balance risk and reward.
Asset Class
A specific category of investments, such as bonds, U.S. stocks or international stocks, that generally exhibit similar risk and return characteristics.
Capital Preservation Funds
Funds that aim to protect the invested money by choosing insured accounts or fixed-income investments that promise a return of principal.
Default Provider
The provider selected to be the administrator for all plan accounts until the participant makes an ongoing provider election. Fidelity is the default provider.
Diversification
The process of spreading your savings across more than one asset or asset class to reduce risk and minimize the volatility that can result from putting your entire savings in one type of investment (asset class).
Expense Ratio
A measure of what it costs to operate an investment, expressed as a percentage of its assets. These are costs the investor pays through a reduction in the investment’s rate of return.
Index Funds
Funds that are structured to mirror the performance of a particular investment index, like the S&P 500®. Passively managed, index funds typically have lower fees than actively managed funds.
Legacy Provider
A provider that administered one or more of Ohio State’s retirement plans prior to December 31, 2020, but that, going forward, will not be allowed to receive future plan contributions, rollovers or transfers or offer the new tiered investment lineup. They will continue to administer existing accounts using the legacy investment options.
Mutual Fund
A financial vehicle that allows a group of investors to pool their money with a predetermined investment objective. Each mutual fund has a fund manager who is responsible for investing the pooled money into specific securities (usually stocks or bonds), in accordance with a stated guideline. When you invest in a mutual fund, you are buying shares of the mutual fund and you become a shareholder of the fund.
Ongoing Providers
A select group of providers that Ohio State has chosen to continue administrative services to plan participants after January 4, 2021. The ongoing providers will offer the plans’ new tiered investment lineup.
Passively Managed Funds
Funds that are structured to mirror the performance of a particular investment index, like the S&P500®. These funds, also called index funds, typically have lower fees than similar actively managed funds.
Provider
An organization responsible for the day-to-day administrative functions of the plan(s). This includes keeping track of your account and investments, providing education, answering questions and communicating with you about your account.
Share Class
Some investment funds and companies offer more than one type or group of shares, each of which is considered a class (e.g., “Class A,” “Admiral” or “Institutional” shares). For most investment funds, each class has different fees and expenses, but all of the classes invest in the same pool of securities and share the same investment objectives.
Target Date Funds
A set of premixed funds that are diversified and automatically adjust their asset allocation to become more conservative as you near the target retirement age of 65.
Vesting
When an employee has acquired a right to retirement funds, which consist of their own contributions and may also include contributions from their employer.