As you begin planning for retirement, think carefully about the resources you might be able to call on to provide you with retirement income. Typically, you will have three sources of retirement income: Social Security, an employer-provided retirement plan, and your personal savings and investments.

Most people can expect to receive income from Social Security. Ministers pay Social Security/Medicare tax on a self-employed basis when they file their federal income tax returns. Lay employees pay half of their Social Security/Medicare tax, while their employer pays the balance.

You may request an estimate of your Social Security benefits by filing Form SSA-7004, Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement (PEBES) with the Social Security Administration. Forms are available at your local Social Security Administration office, or from the Social Security Administration Web site, www.socialsecurity.gov.

The Retirement Plan is funded by contributions made by your employer based on a percentage of your compensation. Your employer contributes a percentage of your annual compensation into your Retirement Plan account. Those contributions, as well as their investment earnings, are tax-deferred — meaning you pay no personal income tax on your account until you begin receiving benefits in retirement. Your employer may also make contributions to the Tax-Deferred Annuity (TDA).

You may direct the investments of a portion of your retirement accounts into a selection of investment funds. Any portion of your accounts that you do not direct will be invested for you in the Balanced Fund.

Your personal savings and investments make up a critical third element in your retirement equation.

MMBB offers you the opportunity to save additional funds through The Annuity Supplement (TAS). You can supplement your income from the Retirement Plan by making voluntary contributions to TAS through a salary reduction arrangement with your employer.

When you make pre-tax contributions, your savings are tax-deferred, which reduces your current income tax liability. Investment earnings on your savings also are tax-deferred.

Your TAS contributions, like your Retirement Plan account, are invested in funds selected by MMBB management and the Finance Committee, a group of highly trained investment professionals. You may select from among the investment choices. MMBB will invest any amount you do not direct to another fund into the Balanced Fund.

TAS is a convenient and systematic way for you to save. It offers you tax-deferral opportunities that are not available in a regular bank savings account or other personal savings vehicle, together with the convenience of saving through salary diversion. Combined with your Retirement Plan account, TDA account, Social Security and any other savings and investments you may have, TAS can help provide financial security for your retirement years.

Savings accounts, mutual funds, stocks and bonds, real estate and Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) are other ways to invest during your career to provide additional retirement income.