Your University of Texas Benefits & Career: Financial Planning for Faculty and Staff

Do you work for the University of Texas? Get the resources you need and expert insights from financial advisors who specialize in helping UT employees make the most of their compensation package and benefits.

Whether you’re a new University of Texas employee, a tenured professor, or working in a senior administration role, it’s important to make smart money moves with your income and employee benefits. For example:

✅ Do you know the right moves to make to get the greatest value from the University of Texas benefits available to you?

✅If you’re thinking about leaving the University of Texas for another job or planning to retire in a few years, are you taking the right steps today to ensure you will receive all of the compensation and benefits that you’ve earned?

Get the Most Value from Your University of Texas Benefits and Compensation Package

Throughout the year, the University of Texas provides its faculty and staff with updates about their benefits ranging from health insurance and health savings plans to retirement plans. While the school offers many useful resources and access to knowledgeable staff who can assist with questions, you’ll also find financial professionals not affiliated with the University of Texas who specialize in helping UT employees make the most of their income and benefits.

Whether you work on the UT campus in Austin, Texas, another UT school around the state, or remotely from home, you may have questions about your compensation package and benefits better suited for a financial professional who can offer unbiased advice and guidance.

For example, sensitive topics like discussing the steps you should take before quitting your job at the University of Texas to work elsewhere, protecting yourself in advance of staff reductions, or deciding when you should plan to retire are all conversations that may be more comfortable with a trusted financial advisor.

💡 In the Q&A below, you’ll gain insights from financial advisors who work with University of Texas employees to help them make smart decisions to get the most value from their compensation and benefits, reduce their money stress, and prepare for a comfortable retirement.

🙋‍♀️ Do you have questions not yet answered? Use the form below to submit questions anonymously and watch this article for updates with answers to your questions. You can also reach out to the financial advisors below to set up an introductory call or contact them with your questions by email.

💸 Smart Money Insights for University of Texas Faculty & Staff

This page is organized into sections to help you quickly find the information you need and get answers to your questions:

1. Q&A: Financial Planning Tips for University of Texas Employees & Executives
2. Get Answers to Your Questions About Your University of Texas Benefits and Career
3. Browse Related Articles

Q&A: Financial Planning Tips for University of Texas Faculty & Staff

Answers to Employee Questions with Christopher Hensley, RICP®, CES™

Christopher Hensley is a financial advisor based in Bellaire, Texas who specializes in offering financial planning services to University of Texas employees. Christopher helps his clients get the most value from their UT benefits and compensation package so they can enjoy life and feel confident about their financial future.

Q: As a financial advisor with experience helping University of Texas faculty and staff save for their retirement, how do you help them make the most of their employee benefits?

Christopher: For University of Texas employees, the foundation of a strong retirement plan starts with understanding the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) and the Optional Retirement Program (ORP). These two benefits are the cornerstone of retirement income, but they work very differently—and the choice between them has lasting consequences. I help employees evaluate whether TRS or ORP aligns better with their career path, risk tolerance, and long-term retirement goals.

For those in ORP, one option that isn’t always well understood is the ability to choose how their retirement funds are managed. Some prefer a hands-on approach, while others benefit from professional, rules-based strategies designed to provide discipline and structure. My role is to help employees understand their choices and select an approach that aligns with their long-term goals and comfort level.

From there, I ensure employees are maximizing supplemental savings opportunities through the UTSaver 403(b) and UTSaver 457(b) plans. Many UT employees don’t realize they can contribute to both, which significantly increases their annual tax-advantaged savings potential. My role is to bring clarity, coordination, and strategy so that employees can retire with confidence and peace of mind.

Q: When you first speak with a University of Texas employee, what questions do you like to ask to better understand their unique circumstances and determine how you can best help them achieve their goals?

Christopher: When I meet with a University of Texas employee for the first time, I focus on asking questions that uncover the unique benefits and challenges they face. Some of the most important questions include:

• Are you currently participating in TRS or ORP, and do you feel confident about how that choice will impact your long-term retirement income?
• Have you reviewed your pension estimates or ORP balances recently, and do you know how they fit alongside your other savings?
• Are you contributing to the UTSaver 403(b) and/or UTSaver 457(b) plans, and do you understand how they can be used together?
• What are your plans for healthcare in retirement, especially when it comes to coordinating UT’s retiree coverage with Medicare?
• Do you have caregiving responsibilities for parents, children, or loved ones that may influence your timeline or financial flexibility?

These questions are designed to give a clear picture of each employee’s circumstances. Often, people discover opportunities they hadn’t considered — such as using the UTSaver 457(b) plan for greater flexibility, or accounting for caregiving expenses that could impact their retirement timeline. My goal is to help employees feel more informed and confident about how their benefits fit into their overall financial plan.

Q: Is there a particular benefit available to UT faculty and staff you feel isn’t as well utilized or understood by employees as it should be?

Christopher: Two benefits stand out as being underutilized or misunderstood among UT employees:

1. Retiree Healthcare

One of UT’s most valuable benefits is retiree healthcare, but many employees don’t realize they must generally be vested for at least 10 years to qualify. I’ve seen situations where someone left UT just short of the 10-year mark, not realizing that decision meant losing retiree healthcare for both themselves and their spouse. Without this coverage, healthcare costs in retirement can rise dramatically, especially once Medicare coordination becomes necessary. For employees considering early retirement or leaving UT for another employer, this is a critical factor that should be weighed carefully.

2. The UTSaver 457(b) Plan

The UTSaver 457(b) plan also tends to be overlooked. Unlike a 403(b), withdrawals from a governmental 457(b) are not subject to the additional 10% early withdrawal penalty once an employee separates from service, regardless of age. While ordinary income taxes still apply, this flexibility can be extremely valuable for employees who are thinking about retiring early or who need income before Social Security begins.

Another underappreciated feature is that employees can contribute to both the UTSaver 403(b) and the 457(b) simultaneously. This effectively doubles the amount they can set aside each year in tax-advantaged retirement accounts.

Together, retiree healthcare and the 457(b) plan illustrate how important it is for UT employees to understand the fine print of their benefits. Small decisions about timing or contributions can have a lasting impact on long-term retirement security.

Q: For University of Texas employees thinking about leaving the school to accept a job elsewhere, what actions do you recommend they take before resigning and shortly thereafter?

Christopher: Deciding whether to accept an exit package, leave for another employer, or retire altogether is a major decision that should be taken very seriously. Over the past several years — especially during COVID and in periods of state or federal layoffs — I’ve helped more employees evaluate buyout and severance packages than at any other time in my career. These decisions often come with both financial and personal trade-offs that need to be weighed carefully.

One of the most important factors UT employees need to keep in mind is retiree healthcare vesting. To qualify for retiree healthcare, employees generally must complete at least 10 years of service. Leaving before that threshold can mean losing this benefit for both yourself and your spouse — a change that could significantly increase healthcare costs in retirement.

It’s also critical to consider the impact on Social Security benefits. Even with recent changes that repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), the timing of your retirement can still affect your Social Security record. Retiring early may reduce the number of credits you earn, prevent you from reaching the 30-year mark for maximum benefit calculations, or lower your average earnings years that determine your benefit. These factors can all influence the size of your eventual Social Security checks.

Before making a final decision, I recommend reviewing all of your options with a financial advisor who understands UT’s benefit system. Comparing the long-term impact of an exit package, assessing vesting status for retiree healthcare, and evaluating how Social Security fits into your income strategy are all essential steps in making a confident and well-informed choice.

Q: For University of Texas employees approaching retirement age, how do you recommend they prepare to make the transition from living off their salary to relying upon other sources of income?

Christopher: The transition from earning a salary to relying on retirement income is one of the biggest financial shifts a UT employee will ever face. For those in TRS, the pension election process requires careful thought — decisions about survivor benefits and the timing of payments can have lifelong consequences. For ORP participants, the challenge is different: moving from saving and investing to drawing income in a way that balances stability, flexibility, and risk.

A unique benefit UT offers is retiree healthcare for employees who meet service and vesting requirements. This is incredibly valuable, but it also raises questions about how it coordinates with Medicare at age 65. I often help employees map out when Medicare enrollment is required, how UT retiree coverage interacts with it, and what this means for long-term healthcare expenses.

Tax planning is another critical part of this transition. The goal isn’t just to create income, but to do so in the most efficient way possible. For some employees, strategies such as Roth conversions, tax-aware withdrawal sequencing, or charitable giving through qualified charitable distributions can help manage future tax liabilities. Every situation is different, but having a coordinated plan that includes both pensions and supplemental savings makes a big difference.

I also find that many UT employees are balancing their own retirement planning with caregiving responsibilities for aging parents or loved ones. This can affect when they retire, how much flexibility they need from their accounts, and even how they prioritize healthcare costs. We work together to design a retirement plan that considers these responsibilities without derailing their long-term goals. Our Caregiver Planning guide shares more strategies on this topic.

Finally, many employees have multiple retirement accounts from previous jobs. Deciding when and how to consolidate accounts such as 403(b)s or 457(b)s into an IRA can simplify management and may reduce costs. Understanding rollover rules is important to avoid mistakes, and our 401(k) Navigator guide explains these considerations in more detail.

Q: For University of Texas employees who have managed their finances on their own to this point, what would you suggest they consider to help them decide if they should begin working with a financial advisor at this stage in their lives?

Christopher: Managing your finances on your own can work well during your career, but retirement often introduces a new level of complexity — especially for UT employees. Pension elections, TRS versus ORP rules, and the coordination of UTSaver 403(b) and 457(b) plans all have long-term consequences. Small missteps, like overlooking the flexibility of the 457(b) plan or misunderstanding the rollover rules for ORP, can impact both income and taxes in retirement.

Another layer of complexity comes with Social Security. Many UT employees in TRS are surprised to learn that the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) were repealed in January of 2025. Staying up to date on recent changes is critical, and I recently wrote this article on LinkedIn to help explain what these adjustments mean for Texas public employees.

Tax planning also plays a major role. Coordinating Roth conversions, required minimum distributions (RMDs), and charitable giving strategies can help reduce tax surprises over the long term. These decisions aren’t one-size-fits-all — the best approach depends on each employee’s mix of pensions, retirement accounts, and personal goals.

And finally, many UT employees are also caregivers for parents or loved ones. That adds another financial dimension that can affect when they retire and how much flexibility they need from their savings. Balancing retirement planning with caregiving responsibilities requires a thoughtful, customized approach.

For employees who’ve managed their finances on their own until now, the question isn’t whether you can do it yourself — it’s whether having a professional partner could help you avoid costly mistakes and create a clearer, more confident path forward.

Q: For University of Texas employees, how should they think about choosing between TRS and ORP?

Christopher: The choice between TRS and ORP is one of the most important financial decisions a UT employee makes early in their career — and it’s generally irrevocable. According to UT’s HR guidelines, once you elect ORP, you typically cannot switch back to TRS. That’s why understanding the differences is critical.

• TRS is a defined benefit pension, offering a predictable monthly income for life. For employees who expect to spend most of their career in Texas higher education, this can provide a strong foundation of retirement security.
• ORP is a defined contribution plan, which gives participants more control over how their retirement savings are invested. This option may appeal to employees who want greater flexibility, anticipate changing institutions, or prefer to have more influence over their investment strategy.

Another layer of complexity with ORP is what happens if you separate from UT or another Texas higher education institution. Many employees assume their ORP account is “locked,” but that’s not entirely the case. I’ve written more about this in this LinkedIn article, which explains some of the most common misconceptions.

Ultimately, the decision often comes down to career longevity, mobility, and personal preference for stability versus flexibility. Since this choice is permanent, I encourage UT employees to carefully evaluate their options, ideally with professional guidance.

Get to Know Christopher Hensley, Financial Advisor for University of Texas Faculty and Staff:

View Christopher’s profile page on Wealthtender or visit his website to learn more.

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