May 8, 2017 - Executive Director Update: ATRS is Open Again on Memorial Day to Serve Members

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 9th 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 29, 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 also welcome.

May 31, 2017 is the deadline to enter the T-DROP plan for the 2017-2018 fiscal year.  If you miss the T-DROP deadline, then the next time to enter T-DROP is July 1, 2018, with a May 31, 2018 deadline.  If T-DROP is what you intend to begin on July 1, 2017, please don't miss the May 31, 2017 deadline.

Most school employees retire on a July 1st.  That means if you intend to stop work after the 2016-2017 fiscal year and retire, ATRS must have your retirement application in by May 31, 2017, in order for you to be a July 1, 2017 retiree.

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

  • fax at 501-682-2359; or
  • 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, 2017 in order to become a July 1, 2017, 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 10,100 members have direct account access to individualized account information.  Here is the link to the instructions to sign up: https://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 14,700 people have signed up to receive this executive director update by direct email delivery.  You can find the link to sign up for email delivery to these updates here: https://www.artrs.gov/login.  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 3,300 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 800 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 

 

May 4, 2017 - Executive Director Update: T-DROP Interest Rate for 2017-2018

Great News!

5% T-DROP interest rate for Regular T-DROP Accounts in 2018

6% Post 10 Year T-DROP interest rate for Post 10 Year T-DROP Accounts in 2018.          

T-DROP and Post 10 Year T-DROP Interest Rates for the 2017-2018 fiscal year were set by the ATRS Board on April 17, 2017.  The ATRS Board adopted a Resolution setting T-DROP interest rate for T-DROP participants in the T-DROP program on June 30, 2018, and payable on July 1, 2018, at the rate of 5%.  The Post 10 Year T-DROP interest rate was also set by a second ATRS Board resolution at 6% for June 30, 2018, and payable on July 1, 2018.        

Remember, that T-DROP participants who submitted an application to retire out of T-DROP this year may cancel the retirement application and continue in T-DROP.

The ATRS website allows members to have direct access to specific member account information.  Now approximately 10,100 members have direct account access to individualized account information.  Here is the link to the instructions to sign up: https://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 14,700 people have signed up to receive this executive director update by direct email delivery.  You can find the link to sign up for email delivery to these updates here: https://www.artrs.gov/login.  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 3,300 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 800 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. T-DROP Interest Rates

 

 

  1. April 26, 2017 - Executive Director Update: ATRS Retirement and T-DROP Planner 2017
  2. April 19, 2017 - Executive Director Update: Final Report on the Regular Session
  3. April 10, 2017 - ATRS Board Meeting has been rescheduled for April 17, 2017
  4. March 31, 2017 - Executive Director Update: Week 12 of the General Assembly
  5. March 24, 2017 - Executive Director Update: Week 11 of the General Assembly
  6. March 17, 2017 - Executive Director Update: Happy 80th Birthday ATRS and Week 10 of the General Assembly
  7. March 14, 2017 - Executive Director Update: The Strength of ATRS
  8. March 10, 2017 - Executive Director Update: ATRS Legislative Package and Week 9 of the General Assembly
  9. March 3, 2017 - Executive Director Update: ATRS Legislative Package and Week 8 of the General Assembly
  10. February 24, 2017 - Executive Director Update: ATRS Legislative Package and Week 7 of the General Assembly
  11. February 17, 2017 - Executive Director Update: ATRS Legislative Package and Week 6 of the General Assembly
  12. February 10, 2017 - Executive Director Update: ATRS Legislative Package and Week 5 of the General Assembly
  13. February 3, 2017 - Executive Director Update: ATRS Legislative Package and Week 4 of the General Assembly
  14. January 27, 2017 - Executive Director Update: ATRS Legislative Package and Week 3 of the General Assembly
  15. January 20, 2017 - Executive Director Update: ATRS Legislative Package and Week 2 of the General Assembly
  16. January 13, 2017 - Executive Director Update: ATRS Legislative Package and Week 1 of the General Assembly
  17. January 6, 2017 - Executive Director Update: Actuarial Status and ATRS Legislative Package
  18. October 4, 2016 - Executive Director Update: Member Annual Statements 2015-2016
  19. May 16, 2016 - Executive Director Update: ATRS Open Memorial Day & Deadlines
  20. April 26, 2016 - Board of Trustees Election Results
  21. April 5, 2016 - Executive Director Update: ATRS Retirement and T-DROP Planner 2016
  22. June 12, 2015 - Executive Director Update: The Wonderful Arkansas 529 College Savings Plan!

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