Oct. 24, 2025
From selecting your 2026 benefits to prioritizing breast cancer prevention, accessing expert medical advice and planning for your financial future, Princeton’s benefits team highlights ongoing resources to help you and your family thrive.
What you need to know this month
Open Enrollment for 2026
Open Enrollment runs Oct. 27 through Nov. 14, 2025. This is your annual window to review and select your benefits to better support your physical, mental and financial well-being for 2026.
Princeton employees will have the chance to meet with benefits representatives and vendors at the upcoming Open Enrollment Benefits Fairs, which are scheduled on:
Oct. 28: 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
Main Campus, Frist Multipurpose Rooms
Oct. 29: 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
PPPL, Lyman Spitzer Building
(For PPPL faculty and staff only)
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month
One in eight women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. Preventive screenings can lead to early detection, resulting in less aggressive treatments and higher survival rates.
The Princeton Mammography Program, available to you and your loved ones, runs through Oct. 31. The University partners with Princeton Radiology to offer convenient mammogram appointment times, including early mornings, evenings and Saturdays. Get full details.
National Physical Therapy Month
Chronic and nagging pain can prevent you from living your best life. Hinge Health is a virtual physical therapy program that supports back and joint health, addressing common issues like back, knee, hip, neck or shoulder pain. You’ll be assigned a personal care team, including a physical therapist and health coach, to guide you through a personalized plan.
Hinge Health is available at no cost to you and your dependents, aged 18 or older, enrolled in a Princeton medical plan.
To use the program, Aetna members can visit hinge.health/princetonaetna, and UnitedHealthcare members can visit hinge.health/princetonuhc. For questions, contact Hinge Health at (855) 902-2777.
Stay protected from the flu and COVID
Vaccination is your best defense against the flu and COVID. These vaccinations are fully covered under Princeton’s medical plans and are available at your local pharmacy or through your primary care physician.
Despite recent FDA restrictions on COVID vaccine eligibility causing confusion, New Jersey and New York continue to offer COVID vaccines to everyone aged six months and older, without a prescription. Availability in other states may vary, sometimes requiring a doctor’s prescription or vaccination through your healthcare provider’s office.
Doctors In Your Office: Annual Physicals at the Employee Wellness Center
October and November appointments are available at the Employee Wellness Center, located at 350 Alexander St. Schedule an annual physical online.
Please note:
- This program is for onetime use only and is intended for those without a primary care physician.
- You must be enrolled in a Princeton medical plan to participate.
- If you already had an annual physical in 2025, you are not eligible.
Wellness events and resources
Caregiver Support
Monthly support group, offered by Carebridge
Oct. 28 at noon | Register here
Caring for a loved one can be overwhelming, even for the strongest individuals. Fortunately, if you’re a caregiver dealing with stress, you’re not alone. Participate in this anonymous monthly support group to learn steps caregivers can take to preserve their own emotional health and well-being.
Financial planning
Financial wellness events and resources
Investing for beginners: Start your wealth journey
TIAA recorded webinar
Learn the fundamentals of investing, no matter your starting amount, to begin building wealth for now and for the future.
Should you consider partial retirement?
CAPTRUST recorded webinar
Explore the concept of partial retirement, in which people gradually reduce their work hours as they move toward full retirement. Participants will gain insights into the financial advantages and lifestyle improvements that come with partial retirement.
Changes to Retirement Savings Plan age-based catch-up contributions
In accordance with the Secure Act 2.0, starting Jan. 1, 2026, participants who are 50 and older and whose prior-year FICA wages exceed $145,000 must make age-based catch-up contributions to the Retirement Savings Plan on a Roth (post-tax) basis. Your contributions will automatically be shifted to Roth contributions once your pre-tax contribution limit is reached. Impacted participants will receive a future communication with more information.
Managing your retirement savings
You can now start, stop, increase or decrease your contributions to the Retirement Savings Plan in any of the following ways:
Automatically increase your contributions
You can also set self-directed automatic increases to help build your savings faster. To sign up, log in to your account at TIAA.org/princeton, select “manage contributions” under the “accounts” menu, and follow the prompts.
Guided financial planning
Reducing financial stress can improve mental and emotional health. The University provides free, confidential resources from TIAA, CAPTRUST and Isles to help you manage your financial and retirement goals.
- TIAA offers individual retirement planning advice, virtually or in person. To schedule a session, call (800) 842-2252 or make an appointment online. For a Spanish-speaking adviser, call (800) 414-5180.
- CAPTRUST, an independent investment advisory firm, provides confidential investment advice to retirement plan participants. For information, articles, videos and other valuable resources, visit their website. To speak to a counselor about the University’s retirement plan or other financial issues, call (800) 967-9948.
- Isles is dedicated to helping people manage everyday money issues such as budgeting, saving and debt reduction. Contact Isles at (609) 341-4714. Counseling is available in English and Spanish.
Wellness consultations
The Employee Wellness Center at 350 Alexander St. is open for in-person consultations with health and financial advisers. Schedule a free, confidential appointment with one of the following resources:
For comprehensive information about employee benefits, check out the October 2025 Thrive Every Day newsletter.
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