www.TRSGA.com

TRS RETIREE RETIREMENT REPORT
A BI-ANNUAL NEWSLETTER FOR RETIREES Fall 2015

Board News
We are pleased to welcome our newest Trustees to the Board.
Marion Ross Fedrick, a Board of Regents appointed board member for a three year term, is successful human resources executive with over twenty years of HR management and strategic business expertise in the private, public and higher education sectors. Mrs. Fedrick currently serves in the role of Vice Chancellor for Human Resources for the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Previously, Mrs. Fedrick has served as Assistant Commissioner of Total Rewards for the State of Georgia at State Personnel Administration. She has also held various HR leadership positions including at Bellsouth Corporation, Emory University Hospital and Clark Atlanta University. Additionally, she worked eight years for the Athens-Clarke County Government in various functions. She has also served on the board of directors for Communities in Schools of Atlanta, is a previous board member for Girls Inc., and is a committee member for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Atlanta. Mrs. Fedrick earned both her Bachelor and Master Degrees from the University of Georgia and is a graduate of Leadership Athens, Leadership Georgia and Leadership Atlanta. Christopher M. Swanson was appointed to the board for a term of three years by Governor Deal. He is in his second decade of teaching and teaches both economics and AP economics. Mr. Swanson's career began in sales, but he took a turn towards education when he was offered an opportunity to teach economics. While he has worked in education, he has chaired the Social Studies Department and coached within Meriwether County. Mr. Swanson earned his Bachelor degree in History from Brigham Young University and has continued to further his education, earning a Master of Educational Leadership from Columbus State and a Master of Science in Finance from Georgia State. Mr. Swanson and his wife Sarah reside near Newnan and jointly own an art gallery in Hogansville. z

Update:
Georgia Retired Educators Association (GREA)
The summer "tour" of GREA's nine area meetings across the state wrapped up in August. These meetings are a great way for TRS to stay in touch with its retired members. This year, TRS met with over 1,000 GREA retirees during the area meetings.
TRS is more than happy to meet with retirees via their organizations. A representative will provide an update on TRS and answer any questions you may have.
To schedule a meeting, please call Mike Zarem at 404-425-6616.

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Board News

P2
Fiscal Year 2015 in Review

P2
Legislative Update

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Keeping Your Information Safe

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Working After Retirement

P4
Your Monthly Benefit Check

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EFT Payment Schedule

INSIDE

TRS Retirement Report 1

A NUMBERS RECAP

Fiscal Year 2015 in Review
7,447
Members & Retirees Individually Counseled
24,367
New Members Signed Up for Online Account Access
42,635
Member Statements Downloaded
27th Consecutive Year
Received the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting

24,367 active members and 3,639 retirees sign up for account access, which led to 53,721 beneficiary changes; 42,635 member statements downloaded; and 11,020 event registrations, just to name a few services our members and retirees took advantage of online.
Also, our Information Technology staff has used all the necessary tools to keep all of our members' and retirees' information safe. TRS has worked both internally and externally to ensure our system's integrity. Our dedicated IT specialists have been able to block hacker probes, keeping our system secure.
Internally, TRS hired 12 new employees and offered numerous opportunities for employee training. TRS also completed the FY 2014 audit within the deadline and we successfully closed FY 2015 under the approved budget. TRS received the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 27th consecutive year.
We thank each and every one of you for your continued support and partnership with TRS. We strive to provide the best comprehensive customer service possible. We look forward to continuing to improve throughout the new fiscal year to better serve everyone. z

Fiscal Year 2015 came to close on June 30, 2015, and was another successful year at TRS. During FY 2015, TRS offered new ways to make processes more efficient, for both members and employers.
During the year, TRS improved some of our online processes, including the online retirement application, to make applying for retirement easier for the member and finalizing paperwork easier for employers. Also, members now can submit their information online to request a return of contributions.
Our member education programs have also continued to grow. FY 2015 was the first full fiscal year the new and improved New Member workshop was available and our counselors presented the show 28 times, reaching 735 members. Counseling our members is also very important for us, both in the Atlanta office and around the state. During FY 2015, our trained counselors were able to individually counsel 7,447 members.
We are constantly encouraging members to make sure they have access to their online account, which gives them many items, including their annual member statement and ability to make changes to their information. We had

Legislative Update
The 2015 legislative session concluded on April 2, 2015 and was the first year of the two-year (2015-16) biennium session. Retirement legislation that has a fiscal impact must be forwarded for an actuarial study in order to remain a valid bill for the 2016 session.
The House and Senate Retirement Committees met in a joint meeting on May 7, 2015, to decide which fiscal bills would be forwarded for an actuarial study. TRS had 4 fiscal bills (HB 459, HB 698, SB 152, and SB 246) introduced in 2015. These bills were not forwarded for actuarial studies and have "died in committee." Therefore, these bills are not valid during the 2016 legislative session. All non-fiscal bills will continue the legislative process through the 2016 session.
For detailed information on pending non-fiscal bills and how retirement legislation becomes law, please visit www.trsga.com/legislation.

2 Spring 2015

Keeping Your Information Safe
With the growing reliance on technology, security is of utmost the importance. Everyone must be aware of the information they are providing via computers and smart phones 24/7. Hackers are working faster and becoming more creative when it comes to getting the information they want. In 2014, many high-profile cyber crimes took place, including many corporate hacks, showing the increasing importance of companies constantly working to keep hackers out. Approximately 317 million pieces of malware (computer viruses, malicious software) were created in 2014. According to Verizon's 2015 Data Breach Report, cyber attacks are happening quickly, with spam emails duping their first victims within 82 seconds of the email being sent out.
Security is an especially important issue at TRS. Our Information Technology division takes every step necessary to protect all of our members and employers. They are is constantly working to keep our system secure so your information is safe with us.

Working After Retirement
Once you are a TRS retiree, you may be reemployed in a TRS covered position on either a full or part-time basis, under certain terms and conditions, and continue to receive your TRS pension.
In order to ensure a TRS retiree working in a TRS covered position is in compliance with Georgia law, TRS must approve the employment prior to the retiree starting the job. It is your responsibility to inform the employer that you are a TRS retiree, and it is the employer's responsibility to report your employment to TRS. If you do return to work, you MUST have a break-in-service of at least one month after your effective date of retirement.
Salary and Service Limitations
All employment in a TRS covered position, 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.
No Pre-Existing Agreement
Georgia law requires employers to certify to the TRS Board of Trustees the date on which the employee's employment is or will be severed and that no agreement exists to allow the employee to return to service. This includes service as an independent contractor. Any return to employment or rendering of any paid service, including service for an independent contractor, for any TRS employer during the calendar month of the effective date of retirement shall render the retirement invalid and void the application for retirement.
To learn more, please visit our website or read our Member's Guide.

TRS Retirement Report 3

Your Monthly Benefit Check
Are you a retiree who is currently receiving a paper check delivered to you by the United States Postal Service (USPS)? Don't forget, you can take advantage of having your benefit deposited directly into your bank account each month through Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).
The option to have your check delivered to you electronically has many benefits, including knowing when you will receive your check and a safer delivery. When you sign up for EFT, your money is deposited into your account on the first business day of the month, preventing your check from becoming delayed, lost, or stolen in the mail.
To sign up to receive payment through EFT, you just need to log in to your TRS account.
1. Go to www.TRSGA.com and click on the Account Login button.
2. Click the Retiree link. 3. Sign in to your existing TRS account by providing
your User ID and Password. If you do not have a TRS online account, you will need to create one. Simply click on the Click to Register link under the Sign Up-New Account Registration box on the left of your screen. You will then be asked to provide information to validate your identity and create an account 4. Once you have signed in, click on the Update My EFT Information on the right side of the screen. 5. Complete the online form. You will receive a confirmation letter in the mail after you submit your information. By signing up for EFT you will be joining over 90,000 TRS retirees who know when their check will be directly deposited to their bank accounts. TRS has no control over the USPS and its delivery time, so please take a moment and enroll in EFT. If you have any questions please call (404) 352-6500 or (800) 352-0650. z

2015 - 2016 EFT BENEFIT PAYMENT SCHEDULE

MONTH

PAYMENT DATE

November .....................................................2nd December ......................................................1st January.......................................................... 4th February.........................................................1st March.............................................................1st April...............................................................1st May...............................................................2nd June................................................................1st July.................................................................1st August............................................................1st September......................................................1st October.......................................................... 3rd November ......................................................1st December.......................................................1st

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happy WISHIaNG YO holiday
season
&
a great new year!

4 Spring 2015