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Retiring Before 65?

If you're early in your career, you may think “retiree health insurance” isn't a topic you should be terribly concerned about at the moment, but you might be surprised! If you plan on retiring before 65, when most are eligible for Medicare, then health insurance costs could be something you want to start thinking about now. 

Contributions: Pre- or Post-Tax?

Your ASRS contribution rate actually consists of two main parts: the “Pension and Health Insurance Benefit” rate, which is a pre-tax deduction from your paycheck, and the “Long Term Disability Income Plan” rate, which is a post-tax deduction. If you look at your paystub, the pre-tax deduction is listed as “ASRSRET” while the post-tax deduction is labeled “ASRS LTD.” 

Information for New Members

What can you do when you’ve hired new employees, and they have questions about ASRS and all that is involved with being a member? Provide a printed or digital copy of our New Member Guide! You can find the New Member Guide on the New Employee Information page, located in the Employers tab.

Guidance for Assisting Members

As an employer who interfaces with the ASRS and members, it’s important to understand which processes are your responsibility and when you should point people to us for further assistance. To help clarify, here is an overview of some of the most important employer responsibilities. 

Enrolling Employees: Frequently Encountered Issues

One common error that frequently occurs during the enrollment process of new employees is with members who already have an existing ASRS account and need to enroll with their new employer. They often log into their account first, then attempt to complete enrollment. Note that the instructions do not advise these employees to log in first. The employee should simply click on the "First Time Registering?" link that is located at the bottom of the login screen. Logging into an existing account will bypass the enrollment process.

2022 Employer Conference Details

The Employer Relations Team is excited to host the annual ASRS Employer Conference starting on September 7, 2022, via Google Meet. Based on feedback received from the 2021 Employer Conference, ASRS is trying something different this year: virtual conference days that last from 8:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m. that include breakout sessions on topics relevant to your responsibilities. 

Re-Retirees & Ending Payroll Verification Forms

While most retirees who return to work directly with an ASRS employer wait to do so until they can both work and continue to receive their retirement benefit, there are those who choose to or must suspend their benefit and become contributing members again. When they decide to resume receiving a retirement benefit again, they have to re-retire so their benefit can include the additional service they accrued in their recent employment. 

"Can I Control How My Contributions Are Invested?"

We receive plenty of questions pertaining to ASRS contributions. Most of these questions center on members' desires to manage how their contributions are invested or wanting to contribute a different amount – whether less or more.

The Importance of Correct Pay Types

When completing online contribution reporting, whether it be web-based or file upload, it is important to use the correct pay types when reporting contributions. Understanding and applying the correct pay type helps the ASRS not only identify what compensation should and shouldn’t be included in the calculation of an employee’s pension benefit, it reduces the delay in processing that can result from having to get clarification from the employer.

The 65+ Membership Waiver: Important, Time-Sensitive!

New employees of ASRS employers may be eligible to waive participation in the ASRS, but only if they meet certain criteria.

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