FAQ: I’m Ready To Retire. Where Do I Begin?
TRS Retirement FAQ: First Steps
I Am Considering Retirement. How Do I Start The Process?
When can I retire?
Rule of 80
Membership in TRS started prior to Sept. 1, 2007 and you had at least 5 years as of Aug. 31, 2014
Rule of 80 AND must be 60 years of age
Membership in TRS began after Sept. 1, 2007, and you had at least 5 years of service as of Sept. 1, 2014.
Rule of 80 AND must be 62 years of age
Membership in TRS began on or after Sept. 1, 2007 and you did not have at least five years of service on Sept. 1, 2014.
You are 65
You can retire at age 65 without meeting any of the rules above, but you can’t have the TRS health insurance unless you meet the above rules. Also, there is no reduction in your annuity for not meeting the requirements.
When should I order my retirement packet?
If you plan to retire at the end of the school year, order your packet as soon as the new school year starts. If you plan to retire at end of fall semester, order your packet in May. By TRS rules, you have until 60 days after your retirement date to get the forms back to TRS. If you are a UEA member, after you receive your packet go to www.ueatexas.com, and under events calendar at the top, register for the session titled Virtual TRS Form Completion Assistance.
How do I order my TRS packet?
To start the retirement process, a member would need to complete a TRS 18 – Request for Retirement Estimate of Retirement Benefits form. The member may complete this form online once they log into MyTRS by clicking the Request Retirement Estimate or Packet link from the left-hand menu bar, or they may download the TRS 18 – Request for Retirement Estimate from our website: www.trs.texas.gov complete and return the form to us by mail to the address at the top of the form. TRS will mail the retirement packet within 60 days to the address listed on TRS records.
TRS Benefit Counseling | Teacher Retirement System of Texas
1000 Red River St., Austin, TX 78701 | Phone 800-223-8778
If you are a UEA member, I recommend that you not submit your TRS 30 form online. For UEA members only, let me help you fill out the TRS form 30 by going to the UEA website at www.ueatexas.com and selecting the events calendar at the top. Choose the session titled TRS Form Completion Assistance.
When do I have to resign from the district?
The rules from TRS state that you must resign from the district on or before your retirement date which for most teachers will be the last day of May. For those retiring at semester, we recommend letting the district know by Sept. 1 if possible. The Sept. 1 date is not mandated by TRS, but some districts have arbitrarily set that as the date they want notification, but it is not required.
When do I have to send my forms to TRS?
By TRS rules, you may get your forms in as late at 60 days after your retirement date. We recommend ordering your forms at the beginning of the school year if you plan to retire at the end of the year, and order forms in May if you plan to retire after the fall semester. The insurance forms are not in the packet, so you must send the other forms in and then TRS mails you the insurance form. It may take a few weeks to get the insurance form back, and then you must have it back to TRS prior to the date you want the insurance to start. While we recommend getting the forms in 6 months prior to your retirement date, they may be sent in as late as 60 days after your retirement date.
We recommend sending them registered mail return receipt or overnight service. TRS should send you notification after they receive your forms.