County of San Diego Deferred Compensation 457(b) and 401(a) Plans are moving to Empower

The following message is intended for employees who are eligible for or who have a balance in the 457(b) or 401(a) Plans (the Program).
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The Program will transition from Nationwide to Empower on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. This message outlines key dates and resources to guide you through the transition.
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Please note: No action is required on your part; your retirement account will automatically transition to Empower. There may be some changes with the names and features of some Program options, so please read the information you receive carefully to understand what is changing.

Why Empower?

The County of San Diego's Deferred Compensation Program routinely monitors and evaluates third-party service providers for benefit plans to ensure that providers meet or exceed the needs of plan participants, deliver exceptional service and keep up with industry trends, including technological advances. After a competitive procurement process, the Program determined Empower's proposal offered the best value to the Program, the County, and its participants.
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Empower offers advanced technology, an array of tools, and dynamic services in a participant experience that can help you improve savings goals and increase financial independence. The investment options available to you today will continue to be available to you at Empower. With the transition to Empower, you will have:

• A user-friendly, comprehensive website and a fully capable mobile app that mirrors the website
• Access to personalized planning tools to help easily model different saving and investing scenarios
• Enhanced financial planning resources, such as a financial aggregation tool designed to provide a more holistic view of one’s finances
• Simplified tools for changing investment directions, making or changing election deferrals, designating beneficiaries, and requesting loans and distributions

What to expect

In early November, Empower will send you detailed transition information, including key dates, fund information, how your account will transfer and whom to contact with questions. This information will be sent via email or to your home address, based on your preferred contact method with Nationwide.
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Though there is no required action, and your retirement account will automatically transition to Empower, please reference the following timeline for awareness:

• Early November 2025: Watch your email or mailbox at home for information from Empower on what you need to know about the transition.
• Monday, November 24, 2025: This is the last day to enroll in the plans or, if eligible, make a request for a distribution or a 401(a) loan from your account at Nationwide. This is to ensure your request will be processed prior to the beginning of the blackout period, described below.
• Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. PT: Blackout period begins, and this is your last day to make transactions at Nationwide, including but not limited to:
• Changing contribution amounts
• Updating your contact information
• Adding or updating beneficiaries
• Wednesday, December 10, 2025: Account assets are transferred to Empower.
• No later than December 19, 2025: Blackout period is expected to end, and you will gain access to your Empower account online and via the mobile app.

Need more information?

Webinars will be held on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. PT and on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. PT. Additionally, there will be two in-person presentations on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at the County Operations Center at 5500 Overland Ave, San Diego, CA 92123, at 11:30 a.m. PT and 1:00 p.m. PT in the Chambers room.
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• Wednesday, November 5 at 12:00 p.m: Register here 
• Thursday, November 6 at 1:00 p.m: Register here 
• Register here for the 11:30 a.m. in-person presentation on November 18 at the COC.
• Register here for the 1:00 p.m. in-person presentation on November 18 at the COC.