Benefits Access—The New Destination for Participant Account Management

Benefits Access has replaced the Online Account Services Information System (OASIS) for participant account management. Benefits Access offers several upgrades, including enhanced security, new and improved retirement benefits projection tools, educational resources, electronic delivery for statements and Hark newsletters, and the ability to view beneficiary designations and update contact information.

Notable Changes

If you used OASIS to manage your General Board-administered retirement plan accounts, you will notice a number of upgrades to the functionality in the new Benefits Access application. Some of the notable changes include:

• Account security
  
  • After registration, Social Security numbers and PINs are no longer needed for account login
  • Unique usernames and passwords are now required for account access
  • Security questions are used to enable online retrieval of account login information while protecting your account from unauthorized access
• Personal information
  
  • Username, password, address and other personal information can be updated online
  • Beneficiary designations, service and compensation information are available for viewing
• Transactions
  
  • All transactions (e.g., changing the investment of your current balance) can be entered using a more intuitive step-by-step process
  • Pending account transactions are now viewable
  • Your transaction history can be exported to Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Money, Quicken or other personal finance software
• Investment information
  
  • The net rate of return is listed for accounts on a monthly, quarterly, year-to-date and rolling one-year basis
  • Color-coded pie charts differentiate equity (stock) from fixed income (bond) investments
• Educational resources
  
  • A “Learn More” section has been added to provide educational articles for participants on subjects related to account management and retirement planning
  • Links are provided to pertinent General Board materials on financial topics

Registering for Benefits Access

Registering for Benefits Access is quick, easy and secure. Follow the steps below to set up your new account.

1. Go to www.benefitsaccess.org.
2. Click “New User Registration.”
3. Enter your Social Security number and Personal Identification Number (PIN).
4. Follow the prompts to choose a username and password.
5. Choose two security questions from the drop-downs and type in the answers. (Note: Answers are not case sensitive.)
6. Enter your e-mail address and select your preference for the delivery of account statements and other notifications. We encourage you to choose electronic (paperless) delivery. Electronic delivery provides a higher level of security for your account statements and demonstrates environmental stewardship.
7. Click “Submit.”
8. A success message will appear. Click the link to proceed to the Benefits Access homepage where you can click on the book to use the Retirement Readiness Tool or use the tabs to navigate to other site content.

Registration Tips

• You must have a PIN to complete registration. If you can’t remember or do not have a PIN, one must be mailed to you. Please follow the steps in New User Registration or call 800.851.2201 to request a new PIN. Please allow five to seven business days for delivery.
• Consider using your personal e-mail address for your Benefits Access account so that you will not miss important communications if you change appointments/employers.
• If you are using Internet Explorer 9 and the Web pages are not displaying correctly, you may need to run Benefits Access in “Compatibility View.” The Compatibility View button is located in the tool bar, usually next to the “Refresh” button.