A primer on understanding your TRS member statement
Texas’ Teacher Retirement System (TRS) is in the process of issuing its annual member statements, but they can be confusing to those who are unfamiliar with the TRS system. Below are some tips to help members of Team HISD decipher the information, as well as links employees can useto find additional resources.
What is the Membership Status Tier?
Your Membership Status Tier is listed on page two of the annual statement, and lets you know what TRS benefits you are eligible for.The tier category you are participating in is dependent on factors such as:
- When you first became eligible for TRS
- Your age at different points in time
This allows members who were in the program and/or closer to retirement age not to be impacted by some plan changes. Information on the different Tiers can be found on page 24 of the TRS Benefits Handbook. Updated information on changes from the 2015 Legislative Session are included in the TRS News – July 2015 publication.
For additional information on the annual TRS Member Statement, TRS has created a Guide to Reading Your 2015 Annual Statement.
Click here to read additional information from the TRS Member Statement about the tier changes and other changes that may affect you.
This year, TRS is issuing hard-copy statements to all members, even those who signed up to receive statements via MyTRS. You can view your annual TRS Member Statement online at MyTRS, and information on registration is available on the website. If you have a MyTRS account, you will be required to reset your password unless you log in before Dec. 1, 2015.
For additional information on your statement and TRS benefits, please go the TRS website or call TRS at 800-223-8778.
For issues about HISD retirement benefits, please contact the HISD Retirement Office at 713-695-5561.
