Category Archive

Annual update on the state of Social Security and Medicare
Apr 24, 2008

In March, the Social Security and Medicare Trustees issued their annual report on the finances of the Social Security System and the finances of the Medicare Hospital Insurance Trust . The report covers the near term and the outlook over the next 75 years.

Now is time to consider changes in your TRS investments
Apr 10, 2008

Both in-service and retired members in Tiers I and II have the right to invest their Annuity Savings Fund (ASF) and Increased-Take-Home pay (ITHP) accounts in the three existing and three new investment choices.

At last, 55/25 is a reality — and it’s permanent
Mar 13, 2008

Now that 55/25 has been signed into law the UFT will make every effort to ensure that members get the information they need to participate in this huge pension improvement.

Annual TRS investment review
Feb 28, 2008

2007 was a very tough year in the financial markets and having a broadly diversified portfolio was beneficial. With all of this, how did Teachers’ Retirement System investments do?

Stock market roller coaster
Feb 14, 2008

The recent volatility of the stock market quite naturally causes members to be concerned about the safety of their retirement funds.

Retirement on your horizon? Here are things to consider
Jan 31, 2008

Start of a new year: Time for a financial check
Jan 17, 2008

Happy New Year! Is it really halfway through January? Now is a good time to examine your finances.

A good way to help pay for college
Dec 06, 2007

Named for the section of the Internal Revenue Code that outlines it, the 529 College Savings Program is designed to help families invest assets for future college costs.

Social Security benefits set to rise
Nov 15, 2007

About 50 million Americans will see a 2.3 percent rise in Social Security starting in January.

Identity theft: Ways to ward off this modern plague
Nov 01, 2007

Even a billionaire faces identity theft. There is no foolproof method for preventing all variations of this insidious crime.

Identity theft: Ways to ward off this modern plague
Nov 01, 2007

Members have asked if there is anything they can do to protect themselves against identity theft.

Celebrate the week by doing what it says
Oct 18, 2007

Congress has declared the week of Oct. 21 as “National Save for Retirement Week.”

TRS: Stronger than ever as a nonagenarian
Oct 04, 2007

Over the summer, the Teachers’ Retirement System marked its 90th birthday.

Temporary turbulence aside, your pension investments will grow over time
Sep 20, 2007

During periods of investment market turbulence such as we have witnessed during recent months, it is only natural for some members to feel concern about the investments of the Teachers’ Retirement System.

Your future rests securely on a four-legged stool
Sep 06, 2007

Our retirement benefits are still the perfect four-legged stool that provides our retirees with great economic security.

As school year ends, thoughts of retiring begin
Jun 07, 2007

The most common period for retirement is between July 1 and the end of summer programs.

Good news in Social Security, Medicare solvency projections
May 24, 2007

Read all about this good news in the most recent installment of Secure Your Future.

Members have strong financial protections in the event of disability
May 10, 2007

A recent poll showed that 13 percent of Americans think they could become disabled and unable to work, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Some of this and some of that, as you plan ahead
Apr 26, 2007

Having a retiree health plan provided by our employer is more valuable than many realize.

This is the time for many members to make investment changes
Apr 12, 2007

Tier I/II members, both in-service and retirees, as well as retirees who have annuitized their tax-deferred annuity can make investment election changes.

What goes up must come down — and vice-versa
Mar 29, 2007

How could something like a small blip in a tiny stock market in China affect our pensions and tax-deferred annuities?

On the brink of retirement? Things to do and decisions to make
Mar 15, 2007

If you plan to retire during July or August, now is the time to make an appointment for a final pension consultation.

Take care of yourself — it’s earlier than you think
Mar 01, 2007

We are living longer, fortunately, but that also means planning for a longer retirement.

TRS investments vintage 2006: A fine and bountiful year
Feb 15, 2007

The 2006 picture looks bright for Teachers’ Retirement System members’ tax-deferred annuity investments.

TRS loans have favorable rates — but should not be taken lightly
Feb 01, 2007

Loans from the Teachers’ Retirement System are a very valuable benefit for TRS members and they are very popular.

A short (but important) ‘to do’ list for the start of the new year
Jan 18, 2007

Well, we have been back for more than two weeks and most of us have already forgotten the holiday break. Many of us have already broken the well-intentioned resolutions we made.

An efficient way to save for your kids’ college education
Dec 07, 2006

One of the best ways to secure your future is to provide for the college education of your children, grandchildren or other loved ones.

Social Security benefits will go up again next year
Nov 16, 2006

Indexed to keep pace with inflation, monthly Social Security benefits will increase 3.3 percent in 2007.

A subway series and a profitable TDA — what more can anyone want?
Oct 05, 2006

Something besides the Mets and Yankees that shines in New York City is the tax-deferred annuity program available to TRS members.

Preparing for the new year
Sep 07, 2006

This year, we will be preparing for negotiations for our new contract, which begins in October 2007, and the city is insisting that pensions for future Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) members will be a topic of discussion.

Pension Clinic - Summer 2006
Jun 08, 2006

The UFT’s popular pension clinics have been scheduled for the summer.

Salary hike in October will increase your lifetime pension
Jun 08, 2006

The salary increases we are receiving as a result of the contractg the UFT agreed to last October will increase our lifetime pensions. That’s good news.

TRS sends letter regarding ING
May 25, 2006

The UFT is not involved in the attorney general’s NYSUT-ING investigations because UFT members have Tax Deferred Annuity accounts (403(b))invested by TRS.

Social Security report: good news and not-so-bad news
May 25, 2006

The 2006 Social Security Trustees report is finally in and it contains mixed news.

Missing beneficiary and date-of-birth documentation
May 25, 2006

More than 56,400 people became mandated members of the Teachers’ Retirement System between Jan. 1, 2000, and Dec. 31, 2005. Of these, only 45 percent have returned Beneficiary Forms and 39 percent have returned Date-of-Birth (DOB) Documentation.

For those retiring this summer
May 25, 2006

To help to ease your retirement, the TRS has arranged with the DOE to accept retiree health insurance forms in the TRS office.

Financial things to think about — and do — this month
May 11, 2006

May is the month that tax-deferred annuity participants — both in-service and those who retired with deferred accounts — can apply to change their investment elections for the third quarter of 2006 (begins July 1).

55/25 is the UFT’s number one legislative issue
Apr 27, 2006

UFT President Randi Weingarten has made the 55/25 retirement issue the number one legislative issue in the UFT’s legislative program.

If you want to make investment changes, this is the month
Apr 13, 2006

Both in-service members and retirees in Tiers I/II have the right to invest their Annuity Savings Fund (ASF) and Increased-Take-Home-Pay (ITHP) accounts in three investment choices.

Disability protections for UFT members
Mar 30, 2006

What would happen to a member who becomes seriously ill, uses up her or his sick days and still cannot come back to work?

A key decision you must make when you are set to retire
Mar 16, 2006

In the last issue we informed retiring members that it was important to make an appointment for a final pension consultation sooner rather than later.

Things to do before you say good-bye
Mar 02, 2006

If you plan to retire this summer, now is the time to make an appointment for a final pension consultation.

Stock market review - The year that was: Not great but not bad
Feb 16, 2006

For the third year in a row all types of stocks — domestic, international, large capitalization (cap), mid cap, small cap, growth, value and technology — closed higher than they did in the previous year. But some sectors did not do as well as others.

How to take care of your beneficiaries — you have many options
Feb 02, 2006

In this column we discuss the use of the optional forms of retirement allowance (options) available to provide for dependents, heirs and beneficiaries after retirement.

DOE will help with your college savings needs
Jan 19, 2006

The Department of Education has developed a way to allow you to have your contributions for the 529 College Savings Program deducted from your paycheck and forwarded automatically.

Make some New Year’s resolutions for retirement security
Jan 19, 2006

The start of the new year is a good time to make some resolutions in regard to retirement security.

Substantial death benefits for TRS members may simplify your insurance needs
Dec 08, 2005

One of the most valuable benefits we have as members of the Teachers' Retirement System is the protection provided to us under the Death Benefit provisions of the retirement law.

Your retirement system is in very good financial shape
Nov 17, 2005

The 87th Annual Report of the Teachers’ Retirement System for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2004, has recently been released and it is good news.

TRS Topics
Nov 03, 2005

TRS distributed to members’ home addresses 109,089 Annual Benefits Statements (ABS). If you did not receive yours, contact TRS.

Social Security benefits increase in January
Nov 03, 2005

On Oct. 14, the Social Security Administration announced a 4.1 percent Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA), the largest since 1990. The increase, which will take effect in January.

Early saving counts for more than later saving (but any saving counts!)
Oct 20, 2005

If you recently graduated from college and are now beginning your teaching career, it is not too early to think about retirement savings.

The cherry on the cake — and why you should be saving up to enjoy it
Oct 06, 2005

A retiree came up to us at a meeting the other day and said, “thank you.” We asked why and were told that since she retired she has enjoyed a higher standard of living than when she was working.

DOE nurses allowed to switch to better pension system
Sep 23, 2005

Nurses working for the Department of Education who chose to remain members of the New York City Employees Retirement System (NYCERS) as transferred contributors instead of exercising their right to transfer to the Board of Education Retirement System when they became eligible to join BERS, now have a second chance to do so. But the deadline is Sept. 28.

State, federal legislation affects pensions and credit
Sep 22, 2005

Gov. George Pataki recently signed into law five pieces of legislation that the UFT was able to have passed by the Legislature.

Pension thoughts for the new school year
Sep 08, 2005

Hi, welcome back. We hope that you had a healthy, relaxing summer and are ready for a new school year.

Wrapping up loose ends at year’s end
Jun 09, 2005

Another school year is coming to a close — and what a year it has been!

Take good care of yourself — in more ways than one
May 12, 2005

Remember the old gag line, “If I knew I was going to live so long I would have taken better care of myself”? Maybe it’s not so funny and we should act on it.

Sounds Familiar
Apr 28, 2005

This letter by UFT Treasurer Mel Aaronson appeared on April 4 in Pensions and Investments, the international newspaper of the money management industry.

When you’re fit is the best time to think of your mortality
Apr 28, 2005

Why all members of the Teachers’ Retirement System and the Board of Education Retirement System should think about their own mortality.

Trustees find Social Security OK, but Medicare has problems
Apr 14, 2005

The Social Security trustees’ recent report showed little change in the program’s financial condition. It confirms that Social Security is secure today and only faces modest long-term financial challenges, just as this column has been pointing out.

2005 Required Minimum Distributions
Apr 14, 2005

Do you participate in the Teachers’ Retirement System’s Tax-Deferred Annuity (TDA) Program? If so, you may be required to receive a distribution from your TDA account this year.

Choices, choices — large pension or protection for heirs?
Mar 31, 2005

In recent columns we’ve discussed some of the significant decisions members on the brink of retirement must make and here is another extremely important one: whether to select the maximum retirement allowance or to select an option.

UFT Pension Handbooks now available
Mar 17, 2005

Pension handbooks for all tiers are available.

More key decisions to make before retirement
Mar 17, 2005

If you feel that after a career of educating the children of the City of New York it is now time to retire — and July 1, the most common retirement date, is fast approaching — then there are more crucial decisions for you and your tax advisor to mull over.

Grim outlook for retirement benefits
Mar 01, 2005

We recently attended the annual Legislative Conference of the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems, a national organization made up of hundreds of public employee retirement systems. Our Teachers’ Retirement System is one of its members.

Things are looking up — a review of TRS investments
Feb 17, 2005

Are the good old days back? In 2004, for the second year in a row, after three years of down stock market returns, the market was up.

Pension clinics scheduled
Feb 03, 2005

The UFT’s popular pension clinics have been scheduled for the 2004-05 school year.

Things to consider if you’re retiring soon — and other matters
Feb 03, 2005

If you are planning to retire at the end of this school year or after your summer program is completed, now is the time to make an appointment for a final pension consultation.

How to teach your students about Social Security
Jan 31, 2005

We have an obligation to educate our students on the basics of how Social Security may help them at various stages in life.

New Year’s resolutions for a secure retirement
Jan 20, 2005

The UFT provides many services to help its members prepare for retirement.