ATRS is now mailing 2025 Annual Statements to our Active members and Vested Inactive members. If you are not retired, not in T-DROP, and you worked for a covered employer during the 2024-2025 school year, you should receive an Annual Statement in the mail.
Because we are sending more than 80,000 Statements, we are mailing them in batches over several weeks. You may not receive yours until late October.
We send these Statements each year so that you can check that your wages and service credit for the past school year are correct. It is critically important that you let us know if your Statement does not show your correct service credit and wages.
Every year, we hear from members who want to retire but discover that some of their service was not correctly reported to ATRS. These problems can usually be fixed, but the longer you wait, the more troublesome it can be. When this happens, it can mean delaying your retirement while we work to resolve the issue. And it can sometimes result in a reduced retirement benefit. By reviewing your Statement now, you can be assured that we have your correct wages and service credit.
Please carefully review the information on both sides of the page. If anything looks to be wrong or missing, please call us at (501) 682-1517 or email us at info@artrs.gov
As you review your Statement, there are three specific things you should look for.
First, your Statement will have a section with the heading, “Service Recorded for Fiscal Year Ending 06/30/2025.” This shows the wages and service credit that your employer reported to ATRS for last year. On the back page, you will find up to 30 years of your ATRS credited service, with the most recent service listed first. If you see anything that is wrong or missing, please contact us right away.
Second, the Statement will list the beneficiaries you have designated. As an ATRS member, you can name:
- Beneficiaries for the lump-sum death benefit
- Beneficiaries for your account residue (residue means any member contributions remaining after your death)
For each, you can name both primary and contingent beneficiaries.
If you need to designate or change a beneficiary, you can do so through the member portal on our website. To access and log in to the portal, go to this link: https://www.artrs.gov/login
Or, if you don’t have a portal account yet, you can register for one at this link: https://www.artrs.gov/registration
Once you are in the member portal, look to the left and click on “Member Portal” and then “Member Data” and you will see the button to designate or change a beneficiary.
Third, at the bottom of the first page of your Statement you will see a list of membership milestones. This is a quick indication of the benefits you are eligible for as of June 30, 2025, based on your status and how much credited service you have earned with ATRS.
You should expect to receive your Annual Statement by the end of October. If you have not received your Statement by Monday, November 3, please call us at (501) 682-1517 or email us at info@artrs.gov
And remember, if you are a retired ATRS member, you will not receive an Annual Statement this fall. Instead, you will receive a Form 1099 early next year showing your 2025 benefits.
Increase in T-DROP Incentive Interest Rates
Last month, the ATRS Board of Trustees approved an additional 0.5% incentive interest rate for participants in the Teacher Deferred Retirement Option Program (T-DROP) for this year.
We have been concerned that participation in T-DROP has dropped over the last decade, and we want to see more members take advantage of this wonderful savings opportunity. T-DROP allows retirement-eligible members to begin accruing retirement benefits even as they continue to work in public education. We hope that this additional incentive interest rate will encourage more ATRS members to enter and remain in T-DROP.
For T-DROP participants who are in their first 10 years of working in T-DROP, the additional incentive rate increases their interest rate paid on their balances from 3% to 3.5%. For T-DROP participants who are still working but have been in T-DROP more than 10 years, it increases their interest rate from 4% to 4.5%. And for members who have exited T-DROP and retired and who have funds in a Cash Balance Account (CBA), it provides a 0.5% bonus for the year in addition to the 2.5%-4% variable interest rate that is paid monthly.
If you want to learn more about T-DROP and what it could mean for your retirement savings, please go to this link: https://www.artrs.gov/teacher-deferred-retirement-option-t-drop
As always, if you ever have a question about your retirement options or need information or advice, please reach out to our counselors by calling (501) 682-1517 or e-mailing info@artrs.gov
Mark White
Executive Director, ATRS
MarkW@artrs.gov
Office: (501) 621-8853
Cell: (501) 541-2057