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Division of Human Resources

Financial & Retirement Counseling

USC faculty and staff have access to financial consultants and retirement specialist as well as many educational resources and other free or low-cost services.  

One-On-One Counseling 

The following vendors offer free one-on-one virtual counseling sessions to their members. Schedule an appointment today to ensure you are ready for your future retirement. 

Meet with Corebridge Financial, formerly AIG Retirement Services,  financial advisor to discuss your questions regarding the State Optional Retirement Program (State ORP) or the 403b plan. Corebridge Financial also provides free in-depth financial planning to all PEBA Members regardless if they participate in the State ORP or 403b plan with them.

Let Corebridge Financial help you plan for a more secure financial future and get a comprehensive investment strategy tailored specifically for you. Watch “Are You On Track For the Retirement You Envision?” to learn more.

To Schedule Your Appointment:

Serving the Columbia Area

Serving USC Upstate

Fidelity is experienced in helping people plan for their financial future.  Fidelity can help you plan for both the expected and unexpected events from basic budgeting to complex financial situations. The services provided are paid through USC and completely complimentary. You may have questions about saving and budgeting tips in the current conditions or preparing for retirement. Here’s an easy way to get the help you need.

To Schedule Your Appointment:

Lynn Carney, MetLife’s retirement education specialist, is available to meet virtually with employees who participate in the following:

  • MetLife Retirewise classes
  • MetLife Optional Life Insurance/MetLife Advantages program

You can review your account and ask questions about allocating assets, changing beneficiaries, navigating the MetLife website, signing up for Retirewise classes or specifics regarding Optional Life Insurance/MetLife Advantages.

To Schedule Your Appointment:

Schedule an appointment to meet with a TIAA consultant to discuss your personal financial situation on a confidential basis. These knowledgeable consultants help State Optional Retirement Program (State ORP) and 403b plan members:

  • Simplify their finances through consolidating their assets
  • Find the right allocation mix
  • Develop an investment strategy
  • Understand investment choices available to them
  • Learn about TIAA retirement income flexibility
  • Find out what they need to do to prepare for retirement

To Schedule Your Appointment:


South Carolina Deferred Compensation Program Participants

Wendy Sheffield, Retirement Plan Advisor with Empower, for the South Carolina Deferred Compensation Program is available to meet virtually or in office at 200 Arbor Lake Drive in Columbia with employees who participate or wish to enroll in the SC Carolina Deferred Compensation Program following plans.

  • 401k Pre-Tax and Roth
  • 457b Pre-Tax and Roth

During your meeting you can review and ask questions about your account and allocating assets, adjusting contribution amounts, changing beneficiaries, rolling in additional account balances, and learn about navigating the Deferred Comp website.  You can also receive a complimentary Retirement Awareness Review or address any other specifics regarding the SC Deferred Compensation Program.

To Schedule Your Appointment with Wendy, use the following link:

TO SCHEDULE A MEETING CLICK HERE 

To Contact Wendy directly:


Tools and Resources 

The following resources will help you make the right investment choices to meet your financial goals.

The South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA) has a variety of information and educational resources to help you prepare for retirement. 

Resources include a retirement awareness education series, pre-recorded webinars designed specifically for early-and mid-career employees and retirement benefits videos.  

The university’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides support to our employees through counseling, legal access services, financial services and more.

Employees have access to counselors 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by calling 1-800-633-3353 or through unlimited website access (username: USC/password: guest).

Our personal development classes cover a variety of health and wellness topics which help improve all aspects of your life. We have many classes specifically tailored to help improve your financial well-being. To learn more, visit the Personal Development Classes section of our site, or browse our calendar or class list by subject.  

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has many resources available to help you prepare for retirement and disability. 

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