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Benefits Bulletin September 2023

Welcome to the Benefits Bulletin!

Our goal with this monthly newsletter is to communicate benefit changes and keep you up-to-date and informed on approaching deadlines.

Money Matters Financial Seminar

Money matters are important to each of us, whether it’s developing a budget for the first time or planning for retirement. On Tuesday, October 17, take advantage of the financial seminar and vendor fair, Money Matters, being offered by JMU’s Human Resources Benefits Team at the Festival Conference and Student Center from 9:00 a.m.– 4:00 p.m. to learn about the following topics:

  • Financial Impact of Long Term Care TD6500
  • Credit Reports and Scores TD6501
  • The Home Buying Process TD6502
  • Understanding your Investment Options TD6503
  • Financial Basics (Ducks in a Row) TD6504
  • Making A Useable Budget TD6505
  • Understanding and Navigating Medicare TD6506
  • Breaking Free: How to Pay Off Debt and Achieve Financial Freedom TD6507
  • Social Security & Your Retirement TD6508
  • Lunch/Key Note TD6509
  • Why Everyone Needs a Will TD6510
  • Making Sense of Life Insurance TD6511
  • Five Money Musts TD6512
  • Supplemental Insurance for Financial Protection TD6513
  • 8 Steps to a Successful Auto Buying Experience TD6514
  • JMU Virginia529 Essentials and Updates: Saving for a better future! TD6515

These seminars are open to all full-time and part-time employees…it’s never too early or too late to realize that Money Matters!

To register, simply visit MyMadison. You must register for each session individually. Please feel free to attend as many sessions as you wish. Morning and afternoon snacks will be provided. You must also register for lunch and the keynote speaker session.

In addition to the sessions, our benefit vendors will be available throughout the day to meet with you to answer any questions you may have concerning your benefits.

We look forward to seeing you on Tuesday, October 17!

Estamos emocionados a ofrecer un seminario de un día en español

  • Comenzando desde cero
  • Alcanzando la independencia financiera
  • Almuerzo y orador principal - Cómo crear un presupuesto y un plan de gastos
  • Las llaves para comprar una casa

Próximamente apertura de inscripciones!

Flexible Spending Account Deadline

If you were enrolled in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) during last plan year (July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023), you have until September 30 to file claims for covered services during that plan year. If there are any remaining funds in your account after September 30, these funds will be lost.

Virginia Retirement System Member Benefit Profiles (MBPs)

The Virginia Retirement System Member Benefit Profile (MBP) is an annual benefit statement based on information reported to VRS as of June 30. The MBP provides you with account balance information, retirement eligibility and eligibility for other benefits such as group life insurance and the health insurance credit. To view your Member Benefit Profile, log in or create a secure myVRS account. Under the My History menu item, select Annual Statements.

The MBP can be a useful tool in determining if you are on target for your desired retirement date and income in retirement. Other tools available through VRS include the myVRS Benefit Estimator, which allows you to run different retirement benefit scenarios. In addition, use the myVRS Retirement Planner to set your income-replacement goal and enter expected income sources in retirement, including your VRS pension, Social Security, 403(b) and 457 contributions, and other savings. The planner also helps you project expenses in retirement, such as health care and taxes, and offers calculators and a budgeting worksheet. Please contact the Benefits Team at benefits@jmu.edu or call 540-568-3593 if you have questions concerning your MBP.

Need to talk with an expert?

September Featured Benefit

This month's featured benefits is...

Balanced Dukes is the work-life balance and integration program for James Madison University. The program offers wellness programs, initiatives, and campaigns that encourage health and wellness throughout campus. Our goal is to support and enhance the overall wellbeing of our faculty and staff.

OUR MISSION

Partnering and engaging with employees to work towards personal satisfaction among the core dimensions of wellness: emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual, in pursuit of a meaningful quality of life.

Check out some of the great programs offered through Balanced Dukes below. For more information, please contact Tara Torkelson, Coordinator of Employee Well-Being, torkeltb@jmu.edu or 8-5533.

DUKE2DUKE

Duke2Duke is our peer recognition program giving faculty and staff members an opportunity to show gratitude towards their peers and acknowledge their positive behaviors and actions. Click here to nominate a peer today!

FACULTY / STAFF CLUBS

Balanced Dukes helps to organize and promote faculty/staff clubs (formerly known as affinity groups). These are meant to encourage engagement and community among faculty & staff with common interests and hobbies. We have the following active clubs on campus:

  • Adult Fans of Lego (AFOL)
  • Dukes4Trees
  • New Moms
  • Page & Shenandoah County Faculty & Staff
  • Pickleball
  • Tennis
  • UnWind
  • Walking

To learn more, or to start a new club, click here.

QUARTERLY CAMPAIGNS

Balanced Dukes offers the following quarterly campaigns to help keep our faculty and staff focused on their health and well-being. These campaigns focus on different areas of wellness and are designed to help create healthy habits that will last long after the campaign ends. Check out our campaigns below:

WHOLE HEALTH CHALLENGE:

This challenge focuses on eating well, drinking water, moving more, sleeping better and stressing less

STEP IT UP:

This challenge encourages you to accumulate 30 minutes of physical activity daily.

REFLECTIONS ON WELLNESS:

This campaign encourages you to take time to focus and reflect on the 8 dimensions of wellness.

MINDFULNESS CAMPAIGN:

This campaign focuses on stress reduction, mindfulness and awareness of our mental and emotional health.

DEPARTMENTAL RESOURCES

Balanced Dukes would love to bring wellness and well-being to your department! We are happy to present at your team meetings with an informational session about Balanced Dukes or a session on a specific wellness topic. You can also opt to have your department/college participate in our Healthy Department / College program.

September SSA Column Newsletter

We are excited to announce the following vendors will be joining us this year:

  • 5 Star Nutrition
  • Aetna
  • AFLAC
  • Align Integrative Health
  • Anthem BCBS
  • Atlantic Union Bank
  • AVA Care of Harrisonburg
  • CommonHealth
  • Cross Keys Equine Therapy
  • Delta Dental
  • Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services
  • DRIVE SMART Virginia
  • Dynamic IV Solutions
  • Fidelity
  • First Step: A Response to Domestic Violence, Inc.
  • Friendly City Food Co-op
  • Harrisonburg Farmers Market
  • Harrisonburg Tourism & Visitor Center
  • Horizons Edge Sports Campus
  • JMU Community Engagement & Volunteer Center
  • JMU Dining
  • MADD
  • Mary Louise Coaching
  • Mole Hill Bikes
  • Next Level Martial Arts
  • Pure Shenandoah
  • Rockingham County Parks & Rec
  • Sentara RMH Medical Center, Forensic Nurse Examiner Program
  • Shenandoah National Park
  • Talent Development
  • University Recreation (UREC)
  • Valley Program for Aging Services
  • Virginia Credit Union

“Visit the Wellness Fair website to learn more!”

TIAA Online Webinars

2024 University Holiday and Closing Schedule Announced

Human Resources is pleased to announce the 2024 University Holiday and Closing Schedule is now available for viewing at http://www.jmu.edu/humanresources/benefits/closings-holidays/index.shtml.

Questions? Please contact Reagan Neese, Benefits/Leave Specialist, neeserw@jmu.edu, (540)568-3974.

Emergency Contact List Update

Have you updated your emergency contact list? Now is the time to do it! All you have to do is simply visit MyMadison. Incase of an emergency this information should be updated frequently.

THANK YOU FOR READING!

This bulletin has been brought to you by the JMU Benefits Team. If you have any questions or would like to reach out to us, please give us a call at 540-568-3593, visit us on the web at www.jmu.edu/humanresources/benefits, or email us at benefits@jmu.edu. Look for the Live Chat on our website and reach one of us instantly!

Appreciate