• 1% Contribution Challenge Communications
• Quarterly UMPIP Webinar Connection Issues
• Save the Date: Automatic Features Webinar—August 8

1% Contribution Challenge Communications

In the coming weeks, Wespath will send a series of e-blasts inviting clergy to join a 3-month, 1% Contribution Challenge. This challenge is aligned with our ongoing efforts to remind clergy about the importance of taking personal responsibility for retirement savings. It aims to encourage clergy to increase their contributions to UMPIP by 1% for the months of September, October and November. We hope that clergy will find the increase easier to accommodate in their budget than expected and maintain it after the challenge ends.

Communications Schedule

Communication	Date	Recipients
Initial Invite	August 6	All
Reminder Invite	August 12	All who have not signed up yet
Sign-Up Survey	At sign-up	Clergy who’ve signed up
Challenge Accepted	August 20	Clergy who’ve signed up
Starts Today	September 3	Clergy who’ve signed up
You Did It!	December 2	Clergy who’ve signed up

The challenge communications will exclude participants who are:

• Subject to a hardship suspension or waiver
• Contributing more than 15% of income or an amount that is close to IRS contribution limits, based on compensation on file

Process for Challenge

We anticipate that a relatively small percentage of participants will join the challenge.

The Challenge Accepted e-mail will be used in lieu of a Contribution Election form to indicate that the participant’s contribution rate should be changed. This e-mail will contain the participant’s current contribution rate and the rate that they will be contributing following the 1% increase. It will be sent to the clergyperson, his or her church or employer, and the annual conference along with a cover letter.

We ask that payroll administrators enter the change as soon as possible so that clergy can participate for the full three months. At the end of the challenge, participants must submit new Contribution Election forms if they would like to change their contribution rate. Information about this requirement will be shared during the sign-up process and in follow-up communications at the end of the challenge.

If you have questions, contact Sue Peterson at speterson@wespath.org or 1-847-866-4229.

Quarterly UMPIP Webinar Connection Issues

Wespath’s Benefits Educators held the first quarterly UMPIP webinar on Wednesday, July 31, as announced in the July 24 issue of On Board Express. More than 500 individuals registered to participate; however, many could not connect due to capacity limits. We sent an e-mail to all registrants explaining the problem and offering an additional opportunity to participate. The make-up webinar will be held Thursday, August 8 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., Central time. Registrants were also provided a link to a recording of the July 31 session.

Save the Date: Automatic Features Webinar—August 8

Wespath will hold two, hour-long webinars to explain how Automatic Features helps increase participant engagement in retirement plans, and discuss elections, communications, reports and the administrative process.

The webinars will be held:

• Thursday, August 8 from 2:30 -3:30 p.m., Central time.
• Tuesday, August 13 from 10:30-11:30 a.m., Central time.

Both webinars will cover the same information, so choose the time that best fits your schedule. Instructions for connecting to the meeting will be provided in an Onboard Express that will be sent in advance of the webinars.

If you have comments or concerns regarding the scheduled webinars, contact Sue Peterson at speterson@wespath.org or 1-847-866-4229.

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