f you work in the public sector or for a nonprofit organization, there is good news - your total retirement plan package may be better than that of your fellow for-profit workers.

That's because at a time when companies are cutting back pension and profit-sharing plans, nonprofit and public organizations have been more apt to keep existing programs in place.

There are a variety of benefits for which you probably qualify, and if your employer is smart, you already know about them. It's confusing, because the plans overlap and the total amount you can contribute every year to your retirement plans depends on how much you put into each one of them.

If you work for the government, it's especially confusing because retirement plans vary by state, county and municipality. And if you belong to a union, your benefits are different still. Yet one thing is true for all nonprofit workers: There is not enough written about this area in the financial press. So you may have to do more work than the average corporate employee to make sure you're on track for retirement.

The traditional nonprofit retirement plan (established in 1958) has been the 403(b) program, also known as the tax-sheltered annuity. It works like a 401(k) plan, in which, in 1998, you can defer up to $10,000 or 20 percent of your income.

The rules that determine how much you can contribute to 403(b) plans are complicated - they're based on your years of service, pay grade and other factors. Your investments are limited to annuities or mutual funds and your employer withholds your contributions from your paycheck. (Some states even make a minimum level of withholdings mandatory.) There are certain "special elections" that allow you to put in extra money at certain times: when you leave service, return after an absence, or once you've reached 15 years of service.

Some of the rules governing 403(b) programs vary from plan to plan. For instance, if the plan is in an annuity, the return may be lower than typical mutual fund-based 401(k) plans. That's because many annuities have higher expense ratios, which in turn cuts into the total return on investment. So review your annual report carefully each year.

Because of the investment and contribution limitations of the 403(b) plan, starting in 1997, certain tax-exempt organizations could also offer 401(k) plans. If your organization offers both, you must choose only one in which to participate. Because 401(k) investment options are more varied and don't have restricting rules, employees who have a choice often select the 401(k) plan.

The contribution limitations for the nonprofit 401(k) are the same as its corporate counterpart - the lesser of 15 percent of your income or $10,000 in 1998 (up from $9,500 in 1997).

Tax-exempt organizations and other nonprofit groups can offer both the 403(b) and 401(k), but public schools must continue to only offer 403(b) plans. Sound complicated? It is.

Organizations often offer another retirement plan as well - a 457 plan (a deferred compensation plan). In a 457 plan, employees can elect to defer up to $8,000 of their income in 1998. One nice benefit of the 457 plan is that in the last three years before the plan's normal retirement age, you can "catch up" on contributions missed in earlier years, as long as your total for each of the three years does not exceed $15,000.

The trick here is to find out as much as you can about the type of retirement plan your employer offers. Many different programs are available. Some offer benefits as good or better than corporate-based retirement plans, and may offer multiple types of programs. Others, however, fall far short and may not allow you to put the maximum amount in every plan available to you. Each plan's contribution has to be reduced by what you have put in another plan. And your selection of investments in each plan will likely vary as well.

Your employee benefits manager can help you figure out which plan or plans work best for you. At a minimum, you should be getting annual updates of your plan options and estimated retirement values. Additionally, you should be receiving quarterly reports about your investments.

Hopefully, your employer is providing you with a good investment education as well. It's not always true that the larger the organization, the better the information you get. In fact, the inverse can often be the case.

You're working for the public good, but that doesn't mean the public is automatically going to take care of you at retirement. It's up to you to supplement employer-paid retirement benefits with plans to which you can make contributions. Sock away every dollar you're allowed to in these plans, and then save some on the side as well.

State and union benefits are known for being particularly poor. See if your organization has a Web site that gives you general information about retirement benefits, as well as specific information about your own account. Find out whom to go to for the information you need to make the right retirement decisions. Because retirement benefit options can be complicated and confusing for public and nonprofit employees, it's extremely important to become well versed about your retirement plan options.