If you administer a 403(b) plan you should be familiar with the term “universal availability”. This concept means that, as a general rule, all employees must be allowed to make elective deferrals into the plan immediately upon hire.
Limit on employee elective salary deferrals The limit on elective salary deferrals - the most an employee can contribute to a 403(b) account out of salary - is $23,000 in 2024, ($22,500 in 2023; $20,500 in 2022; $19,500 in 2021 and 2020).
ERISA restricts certain actions related to how benefit plans are designed and administered. For example, it limits the types of investments that retirement plans can make, imposes fiduciary duties on plan administrators, and mandates specific reporting and disclosure requirements.
403(b) plans sponsored by 501(c)(3) organizations (such as tax-exempt hospitals and charitable organizations) are generally subject to ERISA but may choose non-ERISA if they meet specific requirements. In other words, they do not automatically qualify to be non-ERISA.
All 403(b) plans are subject to Title I of ERISA unless an exemption applies.
First, a 403(b) plan may potentially offer a plan participant more flexibility: You can opt out of participating or change your contributions with each paycheck if you like, whereas a 401(a) may have mandatory contributions set by your employer. On the other hand, a 401(a) plan has a much higher contribution limit.
403(b) plans and 401(k) plans are very similar but with one key difference: whom they're offered to. While 401(k) plans are primarily offered to employees in for-profit companies, 403(b) plans are offered to not-for-profit organizations and government employees.
Sub section 403(b)(1) describes annuity contracts that may be made available to employees under a Section 403(b) plan. Sub section 403(b)(7) describes custodial accounts (mutual funds) that may be made available to employees under a Section 403(b) plan.
A 403(b) plan (tax-sheltered annuity plan or TSA) is a retirement plan offered by public schools and certain charities. It's similar to a 401(k) plan maintained by a for-profit entity. Just as with a 401(k) plan, a 403(b) plan lets employees defer some of their salary into individual accounts.