About us
Kentucky Public Employees’ Deferred Compensation Authority (KDC) is authorized under the Kentucky Revised Statutes (18A.230 – 18A.275) to provide administration of tax-deferred supplemental retirement plans for all state, public school and university employees, and employees of local political subdivisions that have elected to participate. It is an agency attached to the Personnel Cabinet of the Commonwealth of Kentucky for administrative purposes only.
We offer two retirement plans for employees like you to save from each paycheck and invest toward retirement. These plans can help bridge the gap between what you have in your pension and Social Security (if applicable), and how much you will need in retirement. The available deferred compensation plans include:
Three pre-tax options:
- 457(b) Plan – tax-deferred
- 401(k) Plan – tax-deferred
- Deemed Traditional IRA
Three after-tax options:
- Roth 457(b)
- Roth 401(k)
- Deemed Roth IRA
To understand investing through KDC and our investment options, take a look at our Investment Guide.
You can also view investment performance and our Program Summary.
The maximum annual fee that any participant can be charged is $237! This accounts for the $12 administrative fee and $225 maximum for mutual fund asset costs. For more details about our fees, review our Participation Costs.
In Return for Your Fees
We provide the following services:
- Online Features – Investment management, planning tools, deferral changes, beneficiary designations, loans, and distributions.
- Individual customer service –Representatives are available to help Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. ET.
- Webinars – Educational presentations covering retirement planning topics to prepare you for every stage of participation, from enrolment through retirement.
- One-on-one advising – Contact us to set up an appointment with a local KDC Retirement Specialist. Information received from Plan Service Representatives is for educational use only and should not be considered investment advice.
Tax-deferred (pre-tax)
Basically, you do not pay Federal or State income taxes on your plan contributions or earnings until you take payments from your account. This may lower your taxable income.
After-tax
Unlike tax-deferred (pre-tax) contributions, after-tax contributions are fully taxed (Federal and State) before they are invested in your plan. Then the contributions you later withdraw are not subject to any further taxation. However, earnings on your after-tax contributions may be subject to taxation depending upon whether certain conditions are satisfied at the time of withdrawal.
As a Kentucky Deferred Comp participant, you are eligible to rollover outside retirement accounts into your KDC account. Consolidating retirement accounts may make managing your retirement accounts more effective and reduce your administrative costs. Contact a Local Retirement Specialist to determine if your other retirement assets can be combined or consolidated with your KDC account. Neither KDC, Nationwide, nor any of its representatives provide legal or tax advice. Please contact your legal or tax advisor for such advice.
A minimum monthly payroll contribution of $30 per Plan is required. If you contribute to the 457(b) Plan, this minimum applies to your pre-tax 457(b) contributions. If you contribute to the 401(k) Plan, a separate $30 contribution amount is required; however, this minimum applies to the combined total of your 401(k) Plan pretax and after-tax (Roth) contributions. Therefore, if you contribute to both the 457(b) and 401(k) Plans, a separate $30 minimum applies to each Plan. If you choose to make after-tax contributions to the Deemed Traditional IRA or Deemed Roth IRA, a separate $30 minimum applies to both the Deemed Traditional and Deemed Roth IRA options.
Check out the current IRS-plan contribution limits.
Some funds available through Kentucky Deferred Comp (KDC) maintain or are subject to trading restrictions and charge redemption fees to help prevent excessive short-term or disruptive trading. Frequent trading drives up fund costs and potentially reduces fund performance. These policies are intended to protect the interests of KDC Plan participants who are investing for long-term retirement goals. Additional trading restrictions and redemption fees may be added at any time.
Please note the following trading restrictions and redemption fees:
Maximum four trades per rolling 30-day period — These funds are designated as restricted funds and thereby, limited to four (4) trades (purchases or sales) per rolling 30-day period per restricted fund. Failure to adhere to these limits may result in additional trading restrictions.
- American Funds EuroPacific Growth (R6)
- Dodge & Cox International Fund
Purchase Block — This fund imposes a purchase block. Please consult fund prospectus for details.
- American Funds EuroPacific Growth (R6)
- T. Rowe Price Institutional Mid-Cap Equity Growth Fund
Fixed Contract Fund 3 balances are restricted from being moved directly into the Invesco Short Term Investments Government & Agency Portfolio – Institutional.
We are delighted that you are interested in adopting KDC for your employees. Our 401(k) and 457(b) plans can provide valuable supplemental retirement benefits for them. Joining KDC is easy. All it takes is a completed and signed Joinder Agreement. To discuss this process, and to implement these supplemental retirement savings plans, please call us to discuss your employer options and to receive the appropriate Joinder Agreement.
Please call us at 502-573-7925 option 5, to discuss your employer options and view our HR Leader Kit for Plan details.
The Kentucky Public Employees’ Deferred Compensation Authority administers KDC, under the direction of a Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees selects the investment options available under KDC with the assistance of an investment consultant/advisor. Plan recordkeeping, communication and enrollment services are handled by Nationwide®.
Kris Kellinghaus, Chairman
Senior Vice President & Chief Investment Officer, MCF Advisors
Kris Kellinghaus serves as Senior Vice President, Chief Investment Officer for MCF Advisors, LLC. Kris is the head of the Investment Management Department and leads the Executive Investment Committee in developing MCF’s investment outlook and investment program. He oversees all aspects of portfolio management and research, including asset allocation, due diligence, security selection, and implementation. Prior to joining MCF, Kris worked for investment firms in Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati as an investment advisor and associate portfolio manager.
Kris is a CFA Charterholder, CAIA Charterholder, and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional. He graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance, received his MBA in Finance from Xavier University, and earned his Master of Arts in Applied Economics from the University of Cincinnati. Kris lives in Northern Kentucky with his wife Kristen their two children and enjoys spending time with family and friends, running, and volunteering.
Allison Ball
State Treasurer
Kentucky State Treasury
Ex Officio
Term expires January 16, 2023
Allison Ball is the 38th State Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Prior to her role as State Treasurer, Treasurer Ball practiced bankruptcy law and focused on consumer rights and commercial litigation. As part of her time in public service, Treasurer Ball spent four years as an Assistant Floyd County Attorney, prosecuting child abuse and juvenile delinquency cases.
Treasurer Ball has a rich Kentucky history; her family has been in Eastern Kentucky since the 1790s. She holds a degree from the University of Kentucky College of Law and was very active while a student there, serving as President of the University of Kentucky Chapter of the Federalist Society.
Treasurer Ball is focused on being a watchdog for Kentucky taxpayer dollars spent in Frankfort. Since taking office, she has returned a record amount of unclaimed property, launched a new transparency website making it easier for Kentuckians to see how the state government is spending their money, and started a savings and investment program for Kentuckians with disabilities called STABLE Kentucky. Treasurer Ball has been a leader nationally for improved financial literacy. As part of these efforts, she established the Kentucky Financial Empowerment Database and successfully advocated for the creation of Kentucky’s Financial Empowerment Commission.
Treasurer Ball is married to Taylor County, Kentucky native, Asa James Swan. The couple has one son, Levi, whose birth in 2018 made Treasurer Ball the first Kentucky constitutional officer to give birth while in office.
Jim Henderson
Executive Director/CEO of the Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo)
Appointed by Governor
Term expires January 16, 2023
Jim Henderson is the Executive Director/CEO of the Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo). Created in 1974 as an association for county government advocacy, KACo has grown into a multi-faceted organization offering insurance, financial services, education, research and technical assistance to Kentucky’s 120 counties. While remaining focused on its core mission to serve as the voice for counties, KACo continues to look for new ways to serve the needs of its members.
Prior to joining KACo, Henderson was elected to five terms as Simpson County Judge/Executive. Elected in 1998, at age 28, he was also the first Republican to be elected to the post in the county's history. During his time as Judge, Henderson rose among the ranks, serving in various roles with regional and statewide boards and commissions.
Elected by his peers from across the Commonwealth, he served as 2016 President of KACo. He was a member of KACo’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors, and filled the role of Legislative Committee Chairman during the 2016 Legislative Session. He was 2014 President of the Kentucky County Judge/Executive Association (KCJEA) and was a member of its Executive Board and legislative committee.
Henderson is a past president of the Barren River Area Development District, which is comprised of the judge/executives, mayors and citizen representatives from the 10-county region. Henderson was also board treasurer of the Community Action Agency of Southern Kentucky and was a board member and past chairman of the Barren River District Health Board, which oversees eight area public health departments. As a founding member, Henderson also served as chairman of the South Central Kentucky Drug Task Force Board of Directors.
Recommended by Sen. Mitch McConnell, in 2012 Henderson received a Presidential appointment to the Truman Scholarship Foundation Board of Trustees, serving for five years. In 2013, Henderson was selected for the Board of Directors of Citizens First Bank, a regional bank in southcentral Kentucky. He left that post in 2017 after coming to work with KACo.
A lifelong Simpson County resident, Henderson is 1992 graduate of Western Kentucky University. He is married to his high school sweetheart, Karen. Jim and Karen have three adult children. The Hendersons live on their small beef cattle farm in east Simpson County.
Holly M. Johnson
Secretary
Finance and Administration
Holly M. Johnson was appointed as Secretary of the Finance and Administration Cabinet on December 6, 2019 with her tenure to begin December 10. Secretary Johnson most recently led administrative services in the attorney general’s office. She also has worked for several state cabinets and was a member of the Alcohol Beverage Control Board.
As Secretary, Ms. Johnson serves as the chief financial officer and manager of the financial resources of the Commonwealth. The Cabinet includes the Commonwealth Office of Technology, the Department of Revenue, and the offices of the State Controller, Financial Management and Procurement as well as the Department of Facilities. Additionally, the Finance Cabinet Secretary serves on a multitude of boards and commissions, addressing such issues as state investments, affordable housing, student loans, economic development, environmental issues, workforce development, technology and information services, debt issuance, and major transportation infrastructure.
Clark F. Nyberg
Retired from Kentucky Bank as Director of Wealth Management and Director of Portfolio Management
Appointed by Governor
Term expires January 16, 2023
Clark F. Nyberg is a member of the Kentucky Public Employees Deferred Compensation Authority.
A graduate of Wichita State University, with continuing education at Montana State University and the Southeastern Trust School, Clark enjoyed a thirty-five year career in the investment field. He notes that he worked for Bank One Investment Advisors for twenty years as a Specialized Investment Advisor, then at Kentucky Bank as Director of Wealth Management and Director of Portfolio Management. In the former role for Bank One, he provided expertise in a range of customized investment solutions, including special asset classes and hedging strategies. In the latter roles he was responsible for managing the trust and brokerage departments for Kentucky Bank in accordance with fiduciary requirements and putting into place a comprehensive portfolio management plan. Clark's favorite role and main focus throughout his career was to manage investment portfolios for high net worth individuals, endowments and foundations. Clark retired from Kentucky Bank in January of 2019, but continues to consult on investments with various individuals and entities.
Outside activities include serving on the board of directors of Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement in Georgetown, KY. He has also served on the boards of the Ashland Foundation and the Bluegrass Chapter of the American Red Cross. Additional service to the Red Cross included State Service Council Chairman and a member of the nominating committee for the national board of governors. He enjoys working with horses, playing tennis and skiing.
Clark resides in Lexington with his wife, Susan. They have a son and a daughter and six grandchildren.
Gerina Whethers
Secretary
Personnel Cabinet
Gerina D. Whethers has provided over 17 years of service to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As Secretary, she has led the Kentucky Personnel Cabinet in development of innovative policies, and procedures protecting the health and well-being of over 29,000 state employees.
Prior, Secretary Whethers served as Director of Senior Protection and Mediation for the Office of the Attorney General recovering over $2.7 million in goods and services for consumers. She further served four years in the Attorney General’s Office as Executive Director of Victim Advocacy. Whethers also served in Jefferson County as Assistant County Attorney for the Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Unit. Whethers received her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Louisville and Juris Doctorate from the Brandeis School of Law.
Among her community activities, Whethers is a member of the NAACP, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Emerge KY, Susan G. Komen, and St. Stephen Church. She is also a Board Member of The Mary Byron Project.