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May 24, 2018 - Executive Director Update: ATRS will be Open Memorial Day

The deadline to be a July 1st retiree or a new T-DROP participant is rapidly approaching. On July 1st, many ATRS members will enter a new phase of life as a retiree or a T-DROP participant. If your plans are set to make this change on July 1st, please do not miss the deadline. ATRS is again opening its doors on Memorial Day, for you to call ATRS or have an in person counseling session at ATRS.

For the 10th year in a row, ATRS has had several staff members volunteer to work to serve members on Memorial Day. This year, Memorial Day is on Monday, May 28, 2017. The office hours will be from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Please know that ATRS staff is willing and ready to serve and help you by a telephone call or an in office visit if you wish. I have again provided some summaries on retirement and T-DROP. If you are fairly confident that you will be calling or making an in person visit, sending an email or calling 501-682-1517 can help ensure ATRS has your information prepared and ready for your counseling session. However, walk ins or calls are always welcome.

May 31, 2018 is the deadline to enter the T-DROP plan for the 2018-2019 fiscal year. If you miss the T-DROP deadline, then the next time to enter T-DROP is July 1, 2019, with a May 31, 2019 deadline. If T-DROP is what you intend to begin on July 1, 2018, please don't miss the May 31, 2018 deadline.

Most school employees retire on a July 1st. That means if you intend to stop work after the 2017-2018 fiscal year and retire, ATRS must have your retirement application in by May 31, 2018, in order for you to be a July 1, 2018 retiree.

Both retirement applications and T-DROP applications may be delivered to ATRS by:

fax at 501-682-2359;
as a scanned document attached to an email to info@artrs.gov; or
by personal delivery to the ATRS office at 1400 West Third Street, Little Rock, AR; or
by courier such as Federal Express (there is no delivery of Federal Express and other courier services on weekends) ; or
by the U. S. Postal Service. ATRS will treat the postmark date as the date of receipt by ATRS, so please make sure the postmark date is stamped legibly so it can be read.

ATRS must have actual possession of the application by May 31, 2018 in order to become a July 1, 2018, retiree or T-DROP participant.

IMPORTANT: Please call ATRS at 501-682-1517 locally or 1-800-666-2877 toll free to confirm receipt of your retirement application or T-DROP application, regardless of the type of delivery.

ATRS Employers: Please send this executive director update email to all your staff via a broadcast email to all employees.

The ATRS website allows members to have direct access to specific member account information. Now, approximately 13,000 members have direct account access to individualized account information. Here is the link to the instructions to sign up: www.artrs.gov/welcome.

You can also sign up to obtain these executive director updates through your private email address. Updates are made throughout the year such as at retirement season and other times when information needs to be shared. Now, over 16,400 people have signed up to receive this executive director update by direct email delivery. It is always a great pleasure for ATRS staff to learn of more ways to provide information to ATRS members, employers, beneficiaries, government officials, and the public. The ATRS Board is committed to providing a system that is member friendly and transparent.

You can also get helpful ATRS information on the ATRS Facebook page under the name of Arkansas Teacher Retirement System. Over 4,200 Facebook users get updates via the ATRS Facebook page. Go to the Facebook page and "like" ATRS to get daily updates. I try to go to the Facebook page every day to post information and answer member questions about ATRS. In addition, if you use Twitter, you can join over 880 others by following events at ATRS and issues of interest on the ATRS Twitter page. Remember that ATRS is here to serve you! If you have questions, email me or call.

Respectfully,

George Hopkins

(501) 682-1820 Office
(501) 318-5998 Cell
georgeh@artrs.gov

List of Attachments:

1. Retirement Planner

2. Retirement FAQ

3. T-DROP FAQ

April 6, 2018 - Executive Director Update: Retirement/T-DROP Planner 2018

Retirement season has arrived for ATRS and its members. Retirement season is a special time of the year for ATRS. For some, this is the season to retire and for others to move from being an active member to T-DROP participant. It is an honor and great privilege to help members cross the finish line into retirement and T-DROP. We understand the retirement applicants' tears of joy and sometimes the tears of sadness that may flow together as retirement moves from a dream into a reality. Always remember that every ATRS retiree always receives a lifetime monthly retirement benefit!

The goal of the ATRS Board and ATRS staff is to help in every way possible to make this special journey into retirement and T-DROP a happy and pleasant experience for you! We are here for one reason, to serve you. If this is the year that you plan to retire or enter T-DROP, please know that we look forward to helping you. If you are uncertain if this is the year for retirement or T-DROP, then the ATRS staff also welcomes you to get counseling and estimates to see on a comparative basis how staying a little longer may help build your retirement income. One suggestion in the attachments is for you to pause and reflect if you are considering retiring but remain uncertain. Feel free to call me directly at (501) 682-1820 if that uncertainty is nagging at you. ATRS will be open on Memorial Day, May 28 for the 10th year in a row to counsel members, help with applications, provide protections, and accept applications.

ATRS has attached a T-DROP FAQs, a Retirement FAQs, and a 2018 Retirement Planner that provides important information about retirement and ATRS benefits generally. You are also receiving an attachment that is a copy of the notice that ATRS sends to ATRS employers about retirement. If you are considering T-DROP or retirement after this school year is over, you will find that the information in these documents addresses most of the frequently asked questions about benefits and retirement. May 31st is the deadline to file an application to be a July 1st retiree or a T-DROP participant.

ATRS Employers: Please forward this executive director update email to all employees. ATRS wants to get this planner to as many ATRS members as possible.

ATRS is anticipating that the combined total of retirement and T-DROP applications will be in excess of 3,500 applications. If you are considering retiring or entering T-DROP, then ATRS is here to help you with the process and make it as easy as possible. Starting early can help get you through the process more smoothly and with less stress. ATRS thanks you for your dedicated service to the schools and children of Arkansas. ATRS is now ready to help you on your retirement or T-DROP path, just as you have helped the children of Arkansas on their educational path during your career in public education.

List of Attachments: 1. Retirement Planner, 2. Retirement FAQs, 3. T-DROP FAQs, 4. Beware of Rumors, and 5. Employer Notice.

As a reminder, the ATRS website allows members to have direct access to specific member account information. Now, approximately 13,000 members have direct account access to individualized account information. Here is the link to the instructions to sign up: www.artrs.gov/welcome.