myHR: June 1, 2016

A Money-Smart Summer

School may be out for summer, but hopefully your money is still working for you. If you’re not sure, maybe it’s time to brush up on your financial literacy with Penn’s retirement plan providers, TIAA and Vanguard.

Online Learning

TIAA’s online learning communities are a convenient place to connect with other retirement savers to build your financial literacy. Sign up with TIAA’s current groups, Woman2Woman and MyRetirement, to post questions, watch live expert interviews, and read articles on topics ranging from summer travel budgets to IRA conversion. Join the money-smart conversations at www.tiaacommunities.org.

Vanguard’s online lesson modules cover the ABC’s of retirement planning and personal finance. Vanguard’s short, easy-to-follow lessons introduce you to basic concepts to help you take action in important areas such as estate planning, debt management, and early retirement. Learn more at https://retirementplans.vanguard.com/VGApp/pe/edu/catalog/.

On Campus Workshop

If classroom learning is more your style, register for the Budgeting Basics workshop. This free seminar, presented by Vanguard on June 9 from noon to 1pm in Houston Hall, will help you understand the benefits of budgets and how to stick to them.

One-on-one Counseling Sessions

TIAA and Vanguard offer free counseling sessions on campus to help you with your investment choices. You can schedule an appointment online or via telephone at:

                              
For more information visit Penn’s Retirement Plans webpages.

Better Decisions, Better Solutions

Every minute of the day, people make decisions. Large or small, conscious or unconscious--these choices shape our lives. Chances are you will make an important one soon.

The actions you pick can bring you closer to your goals or produce unwanted results. When a choice really matters, it’s easy to freeze up or fall back on old habits and biases that may no longer work. You may even overlook an option that could be the perfect solution. That’s why it helps to have systems in place to make sure your most crucial decisions are grounded in facts, reflect your values, and lead to success.

How can you improve your decision making without getting bogged down by the wide range of opportunities and distractions?

The Problem Solving and Decision Making workshop will improve the quality of the choices you make in your organization. This course, offered on campus June 30 from 9am to 5pm, presents a straightforward, easy-to-follow process to improve your decisions as an individual or in group settings. Problem Solving and Decision Making incorporates lecture, group exercises, organizational examples, and coaching in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. You will discover and practice skills you can apply to make better quality decisions that fit your personal style. You will also learn how to communicate your decisions effectively so you and your team can put them into action.

Make a smart choice now. Register for Problem Solving and Decision Making. Your department will be charged only $75 for this full-day professional development workshop.

College Search Tips from Penn Admissions

If the students in your family are gearing up to apply for college, it’s reassuring to get a few insider tips to gain access to the right schools for them. Even higher ed professionals can use a hand to get through the process.

“Knowing a bit about what to expect during the college search process may ease anxiety for the whole family,” says Jodi Robinson, Associate Director of Admissions.

That’s why Penn offers College Search Workshops for Penn Faculty and Staff Families. The next workshops take place June 7, from 4:30pm-6:30pm, in room G-06 in Jon M. Hunstman Hall.

Seating for the College Search Workshops is limited, so register soon!

The free event, offered in collaboration with Student Financial Services and Human Resources, is for Penn faculty and staff and their college-bound high school students, whether or not they plan to apply to Penn.

Drawing on their experience at Penn and other higher education institutions, staff from Undergraduate Admissions and Student Financial Services will lead information sessions, answer questions, and provide hands-on help that can give high school students a head start in the search and application process.

The event will feature Eric J. Furda, Dean of Admissions, C ’87; Elaine Varas, Senior University Director of Financial Aid; and breakout sessions with Admissions staff. Breakout session topics will include writing a stand-out admissions essay, presenting yourself and your extracurricular activities with impact, dissecting the college application, making the most of a campus visit, and choosing the right high school courses for your interests. Workshop leaders will discuss how applications are typically reviewed by an admissions office and offer dos and don’ts to prepare the best application possible.

Jodi Robinson also urges parents and students to be thorough and thoughtful in the college search process. “One of the most important parts of the search is to start broadly, visit a few campuses and be thoughtful about the schools a student eventually decides to apply to. Ideally, students should only apply to schools that are the right fit, including affordability. When a school feels like a fit, a student will want to show their enthusiasm in their application, and put forth quality applications,” Robinson says.

Once you’ve learned about the college search process, you can find out more about Penn’s tuition benefit, which offers support to dependents of eligible faculty and staff to pursue an undergraduate degree.

For more information about College Search Workshops for Penn Faculty and Staff Families, email Admissions.

Bring out the flavor of collards without all the traditional saturated fat.

Find the recipe here or send us your healthy recipes and tips. 

Did You Know? The Benefits Plan Year Ends June 30

June 30, 2016, is the end of the 2015-2016 Benefits Plan Year. It’s also the last day to incur eligible expenses that can be reimbursed from your 2015-2016 Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Claim submissions are due September 30. To access your FSA account visit www.hr.upenn.edu/myhr/benefits/fsa-access.