403b Vendor Options

[brokescientist]

Hello,

I have a few vendor options to choose from for my 403b.   Which do you recommend?

AXA
AIG Valic
ING financial advisors
Hoarceman
MetLife
TIAA/Cref
Symetra
Fidelity

I am reading here that AXA is pretty terrible. 

I am leaning toward Fidelity due to their Spartan options.

What do you think?  How should I go about deciding?

Thanks!

[Another Reader]

Fidelity has good and bad plans.  Some plans have plan fees and high expense ratios.  Look at the actual fund offerings and expenses before you make a decision.

[mizchief]

I have some of these options in my 403(b).  The particular mutual funds that are offered will vary according to the contract your institution set up. 

Generally TIAA-CREF and Fidelity are good options.  I have my 403(b) money spit between both.  In my plan, the TIAA-CREF has good options in TIAA Traditional (interest now 4%, I use it for some of my bond allocation) and TIAA real estate.  The CREF has a good international index fund and an SP500 index fund (check the expense ratios for these in your plan; they vary according to the institution.

My Fidelity fund has Spartan index funds which have low expense ratios on par with Vanguard. 

If you have a 403(b), you may also have a 457 plan available that will allow you to set aside an additional 18K tax-free if you have room for that. 

[brokescientist]

OK.  I will contact both TIAA/CREF and Fidelity on Monday.

Thanks!

[brokescientist]

holy smokes.  Fidelity blows all other vendors out of the water.  I apparently have access to all of their funds through my 403b, including all the spartan funds.  Good news!

thanks all.