Beneficiaries
It is critical that you designate at least one primary and one secondary beneficiary with TRS. To do so, you must log in to your online TRS account and complete the Designate Beneficiary section. Not having beneficiaries on file can lead to frustration and unnecessary legal issues. Wills, divorce decrees, remarriages, etc. do not determine your TRS beneficiaries. Beneficiaries are based solely on the beneficiary information on file at TRS upon your death. So, please log into your account and ensure your beneficiary information is correct.
Should you unfortunately die while actively working in your TRS covered position, or within 4 years of quitting your TRS covered employment and still have an account with TRS, your beneficiaries could be entitled to survivor’s benefits.
If you are vested and you designated an estate or institution, that beneficiary CANNOT receive a monthly benefit. An estate may only receive a lump-sum payment. Therefore, if you currently have an estate designated, you should consider changing the designation to the particular person or persons if you want them to have the option of selecting a lifetime monthly benefit, which may be worth far more than the lump-sum distribution.
- Maximizing Your Benefit
- Calculating Your Benefit
- Retirement Benefit Options
- Service Credit
- Unused Sick Leave Credit at Retirement
- Vesting
- Active vs Inactive Accounts
- Leaving Funds with TRS or Withdrawing Your Funds
- Annual Member Statement
- Life Changes
- Beneficiaries
- At Your Death – Survivor’s Benefits
- Disability Retirement
- Risk & Debt Management
- Insurance
- Supplementing Your TRS Benefit