Additional Contributions Tax Sheltered Program Overview

Below are the important features about your employer's plan. This website is intended to be a summary of the plan provisions.  In the event that a conflict exists between the information contained within this website and the plan document, the plan document provisions prevail.

Whether you are in the New Jersey ABP or the State Defined Benefit Pension Plan, you can enjoy the benefits of setting aside additional pretax dollars (above your employee contribution to the New Jersey ABP or State Defined Benefit Plan). By participating in the Additional Contributions Tax Sheltered Program (ACTS), you can contribute to a 403(b) Tax Deferred Annuity (TDA) that will also help to reduce your taxable income. Participants can direct voluntary contributions among six authorized investment carriers. Each carrier provides a selection of investment choices to meet the needs and goals of retirement planning. The ACTS Program is separate from, and in addition to your basic pension benefit, the Supplemental Annuity Collective Trust (SACT) Fund and the Deferred Compensation Plan.

• The ability to choose among the plan’s investment options
• Tax-deferred investing – under the Internal Revenue Code(IRS), with this program your contributions and any earnings on those contributions are taxed only when you begin to take distributions, at which time you may be in a lower tax bracket.
• Portability of your account to other eligible retirement plans.
• A variety of payout options at retirement
• Unlimited transfers between variable options via Internet or phone, subject to Voya’s policy on market timing and excessive trading(link is external) .
• No surrender/withdrawal charges (investment management fees and a 0.45% mortality and expense risk charge will apply)
• Loans. Please note: Loans will reduce account balances, may impact your withdrawal value and limit participation in future growth potential. Other restrictions may apply.

Please refer to the disclosure materials in your Enrollment Kit (in the “Enrollment” section of this website) and/or the “Performance Report”( in the “Investment Performance” section of this website) for specifics regarding charges, expenses, fees, transfer restrictions, etc.

The Additional Contributions Tax Sheltered (ACTS) Program is a 403(b) tax deferred annuity plan. Eligibility is limited to employees of county colleges, state universities and colleges, and eligible employees of The Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf. Through salary reduction agreements, employees are able to contribute on a tax-deferred basis.

Under the Plan, the maximum annual contribution amount is set by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) guidelines on a yearly basis. You may view the current limits here(link is external). 

• ACTS is a defined contribution plan intended for long-term investing. Any contributions made to the plan after December 31, 1988, and any earnings on your total account value accrued after that date, may only be withdrawn under the following circumstances:
• Attainment of age 59½ (withdrawals prior to age 59½ may be subject to an IRS 10% premature distribution penalty tax);
• Severance from employment;
• Your death or disability; or
• Financial hardship (hardship withdrawals may be made from salary reduction contributions only, not from earnings on those contributions).

Please Note: Participants who had assets in a 403(b) Tax Deferred Annuity before January 1, 1989 can take withdrawals from their annuity contract’s cash value (as of December 31, 1988) without meeting the above restrictions. However, the restrictions will apply to salary reduction contributions or any cash value increases made after December 31, 1988.