TRS tells HR professionals how pensions, supplemental savings and post‑retirement rules work

Sandy Benhart, TRS presenter, and colleagues summarized benefit rules, employer responsibilities and retirement options for district human-resources staff during a TRS member‑services webinar on benefits and retirement preparation.

The presentation explained how the TRS defined‑benefit pension is calculated, what counts as service credit, the difference between tier 1 and tier 2 members, the TRS Supplemental Savings Plan (SSP) administered by Voya, and limits on returning to work after retirement. The session included guidance on employer reporting steps HR offices must complete when an employee retires.

Benhart opened by describing TRS’s core services: running benefit estimates, explaining how members may obtain optional service credit, and walking members through disability, survivor benefits and health‑insurance enrollment. She said TRS “does not provide financial advice” and that counselors will provide numbers and direct members to a financial adviser for personal decisions.

How TRS calculates a pension: Benhart said TRS combines service credit, a formula factor and a member’s final average salary to produce a starting pension. She described the formula factor currently used by TRS as 2.2 percent and explained final average salary is the average of a member’s four highest consecutive years out of the last 10 for tier 1 members and the eight highest consecutive years for tier 2 members. For tier 2 members, Benhart cited a salary cap of $127,002.83 for 2025; earnings above that year‑cap do not count toward the pension…