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Dr. Jason L. Branch
Dr. Branch is the superintendent of Oconee County Schools. He has more than 20 years of experience in education including roles as a teacher, coach, athletic director and principal.
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Published: September 18, 2021
Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs)
In addition to your TRS membership, you may be eligible for a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) if the cost of living increases as determined by the CPI.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 20, 2021
Published: September 20, 2021
Tips and Guidelines for Entering Adjustments
Reporting prior period, retroactive and current month adjustments can be tricky at times. This document is intended to provide helpful clarification on the process.
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Published: October 7, 2021
Dr. William G. Sloan, Jr.
Dr. Sloan has been the Executive Director of the Georgia Retired Educators Association since 2005. He retired in 2005 after serving as principal of East Hall High School for more than 17 years.
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Published: September 18, 2021
Additional Compensation Information
In addition to earnable compensation listed under Compensation and TRS Contributions, leadership employees’ contracts may include additional components that are considered earnable compensation for TRS purposes
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Published: October 6, 2021
Board of Trustees, Investment Committee & Joint Management Meetings
Upcoming board and/or committee meetings information and agenda(s).
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Mr. Kenneth Dyer
Mr. Kenneth Dyer was selected in February 2017 by the Dougherty County Board of Education to become the district’s superintendent after having served as Associate Superintendent and Chief Financial Officer.
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Published: September 18, 2021
FY2021 Annual Membership Statements Are Available
Active members may now access their membership statements online via their TRS account. The statements provide valuable account information, such as an account balance, the lump-sum value of an account, estimated projections, as well as beneficiary and service credit information.
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1099Rs for Tax Year 2018
1099Rs were mailed on Wednesday, January 23rd. You can download your 2018 1099R now by logging into your account.
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Published: January 11, 2019
Board Meetings
Regular meetings are held by the TRS Board of Trustees bi-monthly on the fourth Wednesday of January, March, May, July, September and November of each year, or on such other dates as the Board shall decide.
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Published: September 18, 2021
Working After Retirement
All employment as a teacher, whether directly or indirectly (i.e. independent contractor, private temporary company, etc.) with a TRS employer is subject to salary and service limitations as outlined in Georgia law and TRS policy.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 20, 2021
Published: September 20, 2021
Auditing of Retiree Accounts
TRS reviews all retiree employment on a monthly basis, just as it does all active members. Additionally, TRS performs detailed audits of TRS retirees’ employment records from both the Department of Audits and the Department of Labor.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 20, 2021
Published: September 20, 2021
Beneficiary Designees
As you retire and select your plan of retirement, you will also be selecting primary and secondary beneficiaries. If you choose a beneficiary who is more than ten years younger than you, who is not your spouse, your benefit may be subject to the required minimum distribution incidental benefit (MDIB) rules of the Internal Revenue Service
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Published: September 27, 2021
Disability Retirement
A TRS member who is mentally or physically disabled, and who has an active account and at least 10 years service credit is eligible to apply for disability retirement. The inability to satisfactorily perform one’s current work duties, due to health reasons, is the major factor in determining ‘disability.’
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Allowable Employment – Service Retirees
All employment as a teacher, whether directly or indirectly (i.e. independent contractor, private temporary company, etc.) with a TRS employer is subject to salary and service limitations as outlined in Georgia law and TRS policy.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 28, 2021
Published: September 28, 2021
2021 Retiree Underwithheld Federal Income Tax Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
If you are a TRS retiree with federal income tax withholding for January and February that was lower than the appropriate amount for your monthly benefit, please refer to the frequently asked questions below to find answers about the issue and resources available to you.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 28, 2021
Published: September 28, 2021
Beneficiary Information – Active Members
When you joined TRS, you were instructed to go online and provide TRS with your beneficiary designations. It is important to keep accurate beneficiary information on file with TRS.
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Federal and State Taxes
All or most of your TRS monthly benefit is subject to federal income tax, with exact details furnished to you at the time of your retirement.
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: October 5, 2021
Published: October 5, 2021
Workers Compensation Disability
You may be eligible to establish retirement credit for a temporary disability caused by a job-related disease or accident. The maximum period is twelve months and must be applied for within six months of returning to service following the temporary disability.
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Hiring Employees Vested In ERS of Georgia
Legislation (HB 661) was passed and became effective July 1, 1998, that allows any vested member of the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) who becomes an employee of an employer normally covered by TRS to remain a member of the ERS
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Published: October 6, 2021
Important Updates About Your 2021 Benefit!
Happy 2021 retirees and we hope that this year is off to a great start! You may have noticed a difference in your January, 2021, benefit.
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Tags: Retiree
Published: January 5, 2021
Published: January 5, 2021
Salary Limitations
In a TRS board meeting held on June 24, 2020, the TRS Board of Trustees adopted the following maximum salary increases for FY 2021 that can be used by the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia (TRS) to compute a member’s highest two-year average salary
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Published: July 1, 2020
2022 Federal Income Tax Withholding Rates
TRS processed January 2022 monthly retirement benefits using the federal income tax withholding rates for 2021, the federal rates publicly available at the time. The IRS released the 2022 rates in the second half of December, after the deadline for timely payment processing.
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Published: January 27, 2022
TRS Awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA)
The Teachers Retirement System of Georgia is pleased to announce that the annual comprehensive report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2021, received the GFOA’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.
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Published: July 11, 2022
New Podcast Episode: 2023 TRS Rewind: Cheers to Resilience, Retirement, and Rolling With the Changes in 2023
Year 2023 was one for the books! TRS podcast host, Everett Crockett, and TRS Executive Director, Dr. L.C. (Buster) Evans, dove deep into triumphs and challenges, discussed market performance, member milestones, tips for maximizing your TRS benefit, and more. Please join us for this special end-of-year episode of Your Retirement in Focus on our multimedia podcast page.
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Published: January 2, 2024
New Podcast Episode: From Classroom to Cash Flow: Building Wealth as an Educator feat. Yahrasiel Colbert, Ed.S.
Financial literacy isn't just crucial for managing personal finances; it's a tool to empower yourself and your students. Yahrasiel Colbert, Ed.S., author and consultant, talks about the four unique financial hurdles educators may face, the “beauty of compound interest”, resources for budgeting and setting achievable financial goals, and more.
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Mid-Career Half-Day Seminar @ Middle Georgia State University
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Tags: Mid-Career
Published: August 3, 2023
Published: August 3, 2023
Pension Calculator
The TRS pension calculator is an educational tool designed to help members, who are more than 5 years from retirement, estimate their monthly benefit for service retirement. You may use this calculator far in advance of your retirement to help you develop your personal retirement strategy by experimenting with various retirement scenarios.
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Published: September 3, 2021
Board of Trustees' Sets:
In its annual meeting held today, May 11, 2022, the Board of Trustees adopted the following maximum IRS Salary Limits that can be used by the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia (TRS) to compute a member’s highest two-year average salary
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Legislation
The Teachers Retirement System of Georgia administers its benefits and programs in accordance with applicable state and federal law, and administrative rules. Title 47 of the Official Code Georgia (O. C. G. A.) assigns the authority to establish and amend the provisions of TRS to the State Legislature. State law outlines specific details for state retirement systems, including vesting periods, employee contribution rates, benefit formulas, and retirement eligibility.
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Privacy Policy
Welcome to the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia’s (TRS) website (the/this “Site”). Please read this visitor agreement and terms of service; by visiting and using this Site, you accept the following terms:
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Published: August 27, 2021
Pre-Retirement Events
Retirement is within reach and it’s time to get serious about it! This workshop will provide you with the information and resources you need to help you map out your retirement plan.
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: August 31, 2021
Published: August 31, 2021
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding COVID-19
Frequently Asked Questions Regarding COVID-19 and Teachers Retirement System for Members, Retirees, and Employers
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A Message to Our Members About the Coronavirus from Executive Director L.C. Buster Evans
We are grateful to have the opportunity to serve our members by ensuring that you have a benefit that you can count on. There is a lot of uncertainty right now but I want to assure you that we are closely monitoring important developments.
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Plan B
Plan B provides members with 6 survivorship options: Option 1 allows you to possibly leave a lump-sum payment, but no monthly benefit, to a beneficiary(ies) after your death; and Options 2-4 allow you to provide a continuing monthly benefit to a beneficiary(ies) after your death.
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Published: September 17, 2021
Ms. Deborah K. Simonds
Ms. Simonds is a retired teacher from Georgia. She was a High School Special Education teacher for 27 years at Berkmar High School in Gwinnett.
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Published: September 18, 2021
Dr. Marion Fedrick
Marion Ross Fedrick was appointed as the 10th president of Albany State University on August 14, 2018, by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents.
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Published: September 18, 2021
Mr. Greg S. Griffin
Mr. Griffin currently serves as the State Auditor of Georgia. He was appointed to that position by Governor Nathan Deal.
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Published: September 18, 2021
Mr. Steve McCoy
Steve McCoy is the Georgia State Treasurer. The Treasurer serves as cash management officer for Georgia on behalf of the State Depository Board responsible for managing over $30 billion of state and local government investments
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Published: September 18, 2021
Mr. Christopher M. Swanson
Mr. Swanson is an AP Economics teacher at Newnan High School and the chair of the Social Studies department in Meriwether County.
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Published: September 18, 2021
Board Meeting Minutes
The TRS Board of Trustees meet six times a year at the TRS office in Atlanta. Meeting minutes for items discussed during open session are provided below:
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Published: September 18, 2021
Partial Lump Sum Option Plan (PLOP)
At retirement, in addition to selecting Plan A (maximum plan) or Plan B (survivorship plan), you may also elect to receive a one time lump-sum distribution (cash payment) in addition to your monthly retirement benefit.
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Published: September 18, 2021
Eligibility for Retirement
You are eligible to retire ‘penalty free’ under the following conditions:
Completion of 30 years of creditable service – regardless of your age; or
Completion of 10 years of creditable service, and be age 60 or older.
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: September 27, 2021
Published: September 27, 2021
I’m Ready to Retire
Well in advance of your date of retirement, we recommend you contact TRS for a retirement benefit estimate and to discuss the various plans of retirement. If you are considering retiring within the next two years, we recommend that you speak with one of our retirement counselors.
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: September 27, 2021
Published: September 27, 2021
Pension Limitations
When calculating and paying retirement benefits, Georgia law and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations place certain limitations on salary earned, salary increases received, and retirement payments received.
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Published: September 27, 2021
Unused Sick Leave Credit at Retirement
At retirement, TRS members can establish credit for unused sick leave earned with current and previous TRS employers. If you haven’t been saving your sick leave up until now, you really should start. The more unused sick leave days you have at retirement, the earlier you can retire and the larger your monthly benefit.
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Published: September 27, 2021
Annual Member Statement
Since your employer remits your retirement contributions to TRS, we provide you with the opportunity to review your annual member statement online at any time by logging into your account. You should carefully review your statement at least yearly and report any discrepancies to TRS.
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Published: September 27, 2021
Full Time Employment
Private School Teaching
Teaching in a State Other than Georgia
Employment in the Private Sector (See Contractual Employment)
Self-Employment (See Contractual Employment)
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 28, 2021
Published: September 28, 2021
Plans A or B Option 1
If the retiree chose retirement Plan A or Plan B – Option 1, the deceased retiree’s beneficiary(ies) could be eligible for a lump sum refund, and will need to provide TRS the following
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Tags: Retiree
Published: September 28, 2021
Published: September 28, 2021
How TRS Benefits You!
Your retirement plan is a defined benefit plan which requires contributions from you and your employer, is determined by a formula based on your years of service and/or age and your final average salary, and will be paid to you throughout your lifetime.
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How Contributions Work
In order to successfully plan for your retirement, you need to understand how contributions are made to your TRS account. Your pension is funded by 3 sources: member contributions, employer contributions, and investment earnings.
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At 40 Years of Service
If you have at least forty years of service credit, you may elect to discontinue your contributions to TRS, as 40 years is the maximum number of years your retirement calculation can be based upon. Per Georgia law, this election is irrevocable.
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Contribution Withdrawals
While you are employed in a TRS covered position, as stated in Georgia law, you cannot make withdrawals or borrow funds from your account. If you terminate your TRS covered employment you may apply for a refund of contributions and interest.
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Establishing Membership Service
During your employment in a TRS covered position, you make monthly contributions to TRS, via employer payroll deductions, and earn service credit.
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Start Retirement Planning
The short answer is now! If you are already asking yourself questions about preparing for your financial future, it’s time to start planning!
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Publications
Review our annual reports, actuarial valuations and miscellaneous publications.
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Beneficiary Information
At your death, Georgia law requires that the settlement of your account be made in accordance with the beneficiary information on file with TRS.
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Hello, Mid-Career Members!
You have been an educator for several years now, but you still have a number of years remaining before you can fully plan your retirement. However, now is the perfect time to acquaint yourself with specific details regarding your forthcoming TRS pension benefit.
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Tags: Mid-Career
Published: October 5, 2021
Published: October 5, 2021
Hello, Pre-Retirement Members!
Congratulations! Retirement is very near for you! We at TRS are ready to guide you through the retirement process, ensuring all your questions are answered, and that you can retire on the date you select!
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: October 5, 2021
Published: October 5, 2021
Plan B All Other Options
If the retiree chose Plan B-Option 2, 2 Pop-up, 3, 3 Pop-up, or 4, the deceased retiree’s beneficiary(ies) are eligible for a monthly benefit, and TRS will need the following
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Tags: Retiree
Published: October 5, 2021
Published: October 5, 2021
Unused Sick Leave Credit at Retirement
At retirement, TRS members can establish credit for unused sick leave earned with current and previous employers. Based on Georgia law, a member can receive credit for unused sick leave at retirement only if he or she has not received payment of any kind for the leave
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Tags: Retiree
Published: October 5, 2021
Published: October 5, 2021
At Your Death – Survivor’s Benefits
Should you die prior to retirement, TRS offers survivor benefits to your surviving beneficary(ies).
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Published: October 5, 2021
Calculating Your Benefit
Your retirement benefit is calculated by using the percentage of salary formula. Simply stated, two percent is multiplied by your years of creditable service, including partial years (not to exceed 40 years).
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Insurance
The main purpose of having insurance is to hedge against risk. There is a small percentage of Americans that are fully self-insurable—meaning that they have enough assets to cover any financial liabilities that may occur due to health issues or damage to property and intangible assets.
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Tags: Mid-Career
Published: October 5, 2021
Published: October 5, 2021
Leaving Funds with TRS or Withdrawing Your Funds
If you are thinking about switching careers, moving out of state, or taking a break from education, it may sound tempting to withdraw your funds and receive a lump-sum payment of your contributions and interest
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Tags: Mid-Career
Published: October 5, 2021
Published: October 5, 2021
Additional Steps Needed to Process Your Application
In addition to the information you provide online, there are additional steps you must complete before your application can be processed by TRS.
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: October 5, 2021
Published: October 5, 2021
Pre-Retirement Workshop
Retirement is within reach and it’s time to get serious about it! This workshop will provide you with the information and resources you need to help you map out your retirement plan.
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: October 6, 2021
Published: October 6, 2021
Risk & Debt Management
As you move through your career, it is important that you learn how to recognize risks and manage them, along with any debt that you may have, while they can still be managed.
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Military Service
Georgia law contains several provisions for the establishment of up to 5 years of retirement credit for periods of active duty military service in the armed forces of the United States. If you have military service prior to 1955, please contact our office.
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Out of State Service
After completing six years as a contributing member of TRS, you may establish one year of credit for service rendered in a public educational institution of another state. With the completion of each additional year of Georgia service thereafter, you may establish an additional year of out-of-state service, to a maximum of ten years.
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State of Georgia Employment
If you were previously a member of the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia (ERS) and withdrew your funds, you may establish this service with TRS. You are eligible to purchase your ERS withdrawn service after you have completed the required number of years of active TRS membership.
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Awarding of Credit
To have your unused sick leave credited toward your retirement you must complete the member section of the Sick Leave Certification Form during the online retirement application process
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Limitations to Using Sick Leave
Unused sick leave credit is allowed for Georgia teaching service. Eligible service includes withdrawn and repurchased Georgia teaching service as well as service purchased or transferred from local retirement plans.
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Disability Retiree Employment
If you plan to hire a TRS retiree who retired under disability retirement, you must complete the Employment Verification Form and submit to TRS prior to hiring.
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Published: October 6, 2021
Earnable Compensation
Earnable compensation is defined as the full regular compensation payable to a member for full normal working time.
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Published: October 6, 2021
Eligibility for Retirement
You are eligible to retire ‘penalty free’ under the following conditions:
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Published: October 6, 2021
Hiring TRS Retirees
Retired members of the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia (TRS) have the ability to be employed on either a full or part-time basis under certain terms and conditions.
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Published: October 6, 2021
Membership Exceptions
Any vested member of TRS who becomes an employee of an employer normally covered by the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) can elect to remain a member of TRS.
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Published: October 7, 2021
Pension Limitations
When calculating and paying retirement benefits, Georgia law and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations place certain limitations on salary earned, salary increases received, and retirement payments received.
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Published: October 7, 2021
Reporting Contact and Address Changes
To report a contact change or an address change for your organization, please log on to the employer desktop and update your information through the employer contact information link.
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Published: October 7, 2021
Reporting Policies and Procedures
In an effort to abide by TRS laws and regulations, maintain accurate records, and provide members with the retirement pensions they’re entitled to, employers are required to submit a detailed member contributions report and Monthly Summarization Report each month.
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Published: October 7, 2021
Suspending or Terminating Retirement
If a TRS retiree returns to work in any capacity other than what is listed above as acceptable employment, he or she may work one-half time or greater in a TRS-covered position and either suspend or terminate his or her retirement benefit.
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Published: October 7, 2021
TRS Membership Specifics
As a reporting employer to TRS, you are instrumental in ensuring Georgia’s educators are properly enrolled in TRS, and that their salary and TRS contributions are properly remitted to us each month.
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Published: October 7, 2021
Unused Sick Leave Credit at Retirement
At retirement, TRS members can establish credit for unused sick leave earned with current and previous TRS employers. If you haven’t been saving your sick leave up until now, you really should start. The more unused sick leave days you have at retirement, the earlier you can retire and the larger your monthly benefit.
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Published: October 7, 2021
Verifying/Reporting TRS Retirees
Verifying and Reporting TRS Retirees
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Published: October 7, 2021
Your TRS Representative
View a list of employers and their TRS assigned representative
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Published: October 7, 2021
Furloughs and TRS Earnable Compensation
Current economic conditions and reduced revenue collections due to the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in employers planning for reducing budgets in FY 2021 by several methods such as furloughs, salary reductions and reductions of contracted work days, which will have an impact on the amount of earnable compensation to be reported to TRS
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Published: June 5, 2020
FY 2020 Salary Limit & FY 2021 Contribution Rate Memo
In its annual meeting on May 15, 2019, the TRS Board of Trustees adopted maximum salary increases for fiscal year 2020 along with the employee and employer contribution rates for fiscal year 2021.
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Published: May 29, 2019
Mid-Career Statewide Half-Day Seminar at Gwinnett County Public Schools Instructional Support Center
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Tags: Mid-Career
Published: May 16, 2022
Published: May 16, 2022
Shining the Light on Your TRS Beneficiary
At all stages of your career, it is very important to keep your TRS beneficiaries updated. The beneficiaries you select for your TRS account are different than beneficiaries selected at open enrollment and the information in your TRS account supersedes information in will, divorce decrees, etc.
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Published: September 20, 2022
Half-Day Pre-Retirement Seminar @ Central Georgia Technical College
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: October 25, 2022
Published: October 25, 2022
Fraud Prevention
As a TRS member, you may receive solicitations from financial services companies that are representing themselves as TRS and communicating pension plan information in ways that may be incorrect or aimed at enhancing their own commissions.
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Published: March 15, 2023
Pre-Retirement Workshop @ the Atlanta TRS Office
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: February 6, 2023
Published: February 6, 2023
Virtual Pre-Retirement Workshop on YouTube
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: February 20, 2023
Published: February 20, 2023
New Podcast Episode: From the TRS Vault - The Retirement Application Process Revisited
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: February 27, 2023
Published: February 27, 2023
Post-Retirement Half-Day Seminar @ Chattahoochee Technical College
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Tags: Retiree
Published: May 2, 2023
Published: May 2, 2023
New Podcast Episode: What Makes a Happy Retiree? Featuring Best-Selling Author Wes Moss!
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Published: March 20, 2023
New Podcast Episode: How GREA Benefits You! – Featuring Dr. Bill Sloan and Dr. Henrietta Gray
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Published: June 27, 2023
New Podcast Episode: How to Become a Wealthy Teacher Featuring Danny Kofke
How do you become a wealthy teacher? TRS podcast host, Everett Crockett talks to Danny Kofke, former teacher, author, and returning podcast guest, to discuss habit-forming tactics to build financial margins, how the TRS retirement benefit helps with financial goals and more.
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Pre-Retirement Half-Day Seminar @ Dalton State College
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: October 11, 2023
Published: October 11, 2023
New Podcast Episode: Health Plan Decisions Made Easy: For Active & Retired Members feat. Louis Amis
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Published: October 24, 2023
Pre-Retirement Seminar @ Kennesaw State University
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: January 22, 2024
Published: January 22, 2024
Pre-Retirement Workshop @ the Atlanta TRS Office
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: January 25, 2024
Published: January 25, 2024
Pre-Retirement Workshop @ the Atlanta TRS Office
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: January 25, 2024
Published: January 25, 2024
Pre-Retirement Workshop @ the Atlanta TRS Office
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Tags: Pre-Retirement
Published: February 5, 2024
Published: February 5, 2024
Post-Retirement Seminar @ Clayton State University
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Tags: Retiree
Published: March 25, 2024
Published: March 25, 2024
Mid-Career Half-Day Seminar @ UGA Center for Continuing Education and Hotel
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Tags: Mid-Career
Published: June 23, 2023
Published: June 23, 2023