ACH Payment Option

Ohio DC supports ACH payments accompanied by an email notification. We strongly encourage all employers to submit their ACH payments through the Ohio Business Gateway. For assistance setting up your organization's ACH payment option, please contact us at Finance@ohiodc.org.

Support Your Employees During National Retirement Security Month

October is National Retirement Security Month — a valuable opportunity to encourage your employees to focus on their financial well-being and long-term goals. Retirement planning is a journey that begins with planting the seeds of good financial habits, nurturing those habits over time, and ultimately harvesting the rewards of a secure future.

Every contribution your employees make today helps build a retirement that assists them with harvesting their future with confidence. Whether they’re just starting to save or already enjoying retirement, Ohio DC is here to provide the tools, resources, and guidance they need.

During October we invite you to help foster a culture of financial wellness and encourage your employees to take advantage of the Ohio DC webinars listed below. These sessions offer valuable insights and guidance to help everyone move closer to a secure retirement.

Unused Sick and Vacation Leave

Did you know your employees may be able to use their unused sick and vacation leave to boost their retirement savings? If your organization permits, employees can cash-out unused leave and invest it directly into their Ohio DC account — a smart way to grow their retirement nest egg. Let your employees know about this important retirement savings opportunity.

Timing is Important

Provide your employee with the dollar amount and date the leave cash-out will be paid so they can contact Ohio DC at least 31 days before the pay date of their leave cash-out.

For employees contributing their leave cash-out at separation from service, IRS guidelines require that the cash-out occurs within 75 days of their termination date OR within the same calendar year as their termination



To ensure eligibility and avoid delays, employees should call our Service Center at 877-644-6457 at least 31 days before their cash-out is paid and before their termination date.

Section 603 of the SECURE 2.0 Act

IRS guidance indicates Section 603 of the SECURE 2.0 Act does not apply to your employees' Ohio DC contributions.

Section 603, effective in 2026, requires some employees earning over $145,000 in the previous year to make catch-up contributions on a Roth (after-tax) basis. However, Ohio DC participants are exempt because they do not pay into Social Security and therefore have no FICA wages reported on their W-2 form.

What does this mean for you:

• If your employee is 50 or older, they can continue making pre-tax catch-up contributions.
• No changes are needed to current contributions due to Section 603, regardless of salary.

We'll continue to monitor any regulatory updates and keep you informed of changes that may impact your employees' retirement savings.

Employer Webinar

The goal for this employer-only webinar is to support you with helping your employees prepare for retirement. We will provide you with information to explain why general financial wellness and retirement savings are important not only to your employees, but to you as an employer.

Join us on Tuesday, October 7 at 9 a.m. for our one-hour employer-only webinar. This is an online event, please register ahead of time!

Step into your financial future by exploring the Ohio DC FutureFit Financial Fair

The Ohio DC FutureFit Virtual Financial Fair is designed to help you build confidence, gain clarity, and move toward a more secure retirement. Train at your own pace in a dynamic, interactive environment that supports your financial wellness.

Ohio DC built this virtual experience to support you. It is simple to use, engaging, and focused entirely on helping you take meaningful steps toward retirement readiness.

Ohio DC Participant Webinars

Ohio DC offers webinars on a variety of topics. Please share this link with your employees, so they can register for any upcoming webinar of interest. October webinar topics include:

• Approaching Retirement - Beyond the Basics: October 8 & 29
• Approaching Retirement - Preparing to Retire: October 22

If employees can't join one of the live webinars, they are recorded, so your employees can watch them later at their convenience.