TRS walks employers through Supplemental Savings Plan automatic enrollment, reporting and contribution limits

Melissa Keane, a Teachers' Retirement System (TRS) deferred compensation plan analyst, led a training overview of the TRS Supplemental Savings Plan (SSP), emphasizing employer reporting duties, automatic enrollment rules for new members, and contribution‑limit monitoring.

The SSP, launched in 2022 under Illinois law, is a 457(b) defined‑contribution plan intended to supplement the TRS pension. Keane told employers the plan is optional for members but statutorily required to be offered and maintained by TRS. "All employers are required to implement the SSP and must comply with the reporting and administrative functions established by TRS," Keane said, adding that accurate defined benefit (DB) reporting in Gemini is essential because SSP eligibility is determined from the DB report.

Why it matters: employer reporting determines whether a TRS member is automatically enrolled, whether contributions can be distributed when someone separates from service, and whether payroll withholdings comply with IRS limits.

Who is auto‑enrolled and how it works

Keane said employees first employed in a TRS‑covered position on or after Jan. 1, 2023, will be automatically enrolled. The automatic default deferral is 3% of pre‑tax compensation and the default investment is the plan's target‑date fund nearest the participant's age 65. TRS determines eligibility from the DB report submitted through Gemini; districts do not determine eligibility themselves.

TRS sends a PIN and enrollment guide about seven to 10 days after the new employee is reported in Gemini. The automatic enrollment effective date is no less than 30 days after TRS receives the DB reporting that first identifies the employee. If an employee takes no action, TRS sends a reminder about 15 days before the effective date and then enrolls the member at the default 3% on the effective date. Employees who are auto‑enrolled may stop deferrals at any time; if contributions already have been posted they have 90 days from the first reported contribution to request a permissible withdrawal through Voya, TRS's SSP recordkeeper.

Employer obligations and Gemini reporting

Keane urged payroll and reporting contacts to review the SSP deferrals PDF or CSV report in the TRS employer portal before processing each payroll. That report shows new deferrals, changes, cancellations, the contribution effective date, contribution category (pre‑tax, Roth, catch‑up categories), an "auto enrolled" flag, and an "IRS limit met" flag. Employers must not process new deferrals, cancellations, or changes until those changes appear on the deferrals report.

SSP contributions are reported on the defined contribution (DC) report in Gemini and are withdrawn from the district bank account via ACH and sent to Voya for investment. Keane warned that if an SSP payment file is submitted after 2 p.m. it will invest the next business day. She also advised districts to ensure their bank is prepared to accept the SSP ACH company ID to avoid rejected transactions.

Contribution limits and catch‑up rules

Keane reviewed the IRS limits employers must help monitor and described TRS tools and Gemini edits that warn or block submissions:

- For 2025 TRS noted the regular 457(b) limit of $23,500 (regular elective deferral categories). - Standard age‑50+ catch‑up provides $7,500 for eligible participants (separate election required at Voya). - Under SECURE 2.0 rules effective Jan. 1, 2025, an additional age‑60 to 63 catch‑up limit applies; TRS noted an example 2025 dollar amount of $11,002.50 for that category. Keane emphasized catch‑up eligibility is determined by the participant’s date of birth and that employers must configure separate limit tracking for the standard catch‑up and the SECURE 2.0 age‑60–63 catch‑up.

Gemini includes warning edits: ER5086 (warning: near limit), ER5090 (fatal: reported amount would exceed IRS limit), and ER5077 (fatal: IRS limit met for calendar year). Keane said ER5090 and ER5077 require employers to correct payroll reporting and refund any excess amounts taken on payroll.

Delinquent contributions and timing

TRS runs a delinquent contributions notification for pay dates more than seven days past without a posted SSP submission. Keane directed employers to review the delinquent report immediately if notified. She also reminded districts to submit SSP reports as close to payday as possible so withheld funds are invested promptly.

Voya role and resources

TRS partners with Voya Financial, which administers member accounts, applies investment elections, and processes permissible withdrawals. Keane listed regional Voya representatives — Tanya Coleman (Northern Region), Stacy Russell (Western Region) and Terry Bailey (Eastern Region) — who can provide employer or member education sessions. TRS and Voya materials, including the SSP summary plan description, enrollment guides, SSP FAQs, deferrals report examples (PDF and CSV), and a reporting training video, are available on the TRS employer and plan web pages.

Keane closed by instructing employers to reach out to the SSP team for corrections, to contact SSP accounting for payment questions, and to consult the employer portal resources. "If things don't make sense, again, reach out to SSP. We are here to help you," she said.

What's next

There were no formal votes or policy decisions recorded during the training. The presentation provided operational direction to employers: report accurate DB records in Gemini, process deferrals only when they appear on the SSP deferrals report, monitor IRS limits, and use TRS resources and Voya for member questions and permissible withdrawals.

For resources and contact information, Keane directed employers to the TRS employer website's SSP employer information page and to the pre‑login SSP site at trsilssp.voya.com.