AllisonH's blog

Why Members Cannot Remit Their Own Alternate Contributions

Legislation that passed in 2011 under Senate Bill 1609 authorized the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) to implement an Alternate Contribution Rate (ACR) for employers that hire ASRS retirees who return to work.

Keeping Your myASRS Account Secure

When thinking about how to keep your myASRS account secure, most probably only think about having a strong password. And, while this absolutely helps, you may want to put some thought into your Login ID as well.

Moving Out of State

If you’ve recently moved outside of Arizona – or have been thinking about it – there’s some important information you should know regarding your pension and benefits provided by the ASRS.

State Tax Implications

Director’s Message by Paul Matson: Our New Strategic Plan

The ASRS is finalizing a new strategic plan covering the five-year period from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2028. The key areas of the strategic plan focus on our Mission, Vision, Goals, and Objectives, which will drive our various organizational activities, strategies, and resource allocation decisions. Throughout the development process, we have focused on what is in the best interest of our active, inactive, and retired members – often driven by what we have heard from our members through surveys, direct contact, as well as independent research.

Viewing Public Meetings

The ASRS hosts a number of public meetings throughout the year with our Board of Trustees and its three board committees: the Investment Committee, the Board Appeals Committee, and the Operations, Audit, & Legislative Committee. All these meetings are open to the public for in-person attendance at our Phoenix office or watched live on YouTube.

Employers: Live Chat With Us!

If you have a quick question about a new employee’s eligibility, how to complete an Ending Payroll Verification (EPV) form, apply a credit, pay a late fee, or update an employer web user’s role, you now have a new way to contact the ASRS! When you log into your ASRS Employer Secure Account, you may have noticed a blue button in the upper right-hand corner of your home page that says “Live Chat.”

Fiscal Year 2024-25 Contribution Rates

On July 1, the ASRS will begin a new fiscal year – FY 2024-25.

Starting July 1, 2024, the new total contribution rate will be 12.27%, a slight decrease from fiscal year 2024 of 12.29%.

Ending Payroll Verification for Former Employees

When an ASRS member applies for retirement or a refund of contributions, the ASRS may be required to request an Ending Payroll Verification Form (EPV) from our employer partners to where the member has made contributions.

For retiring members, the ASRS will generate an EPV request to all employer partners that remitted contributions within the last 36 months. For refunding members, the EPV is generated for all employer partners that remitted contributions within the last 6 months.

The Term ‘Vesting’ with the ASRS

In general, vesting refers to a member’s ability to refund all of their contributions paid into a retirement plan. In ASRS terms, our members are ‘vested’ with their first contribution towards their retirement. This allows our members to take retirement even if they only have one month of service credit with the ASRS and would be eligible for ASRS health insurance.

When an ASRS member terminates their employment, they would have the option to refund all of their contributions plus any applicable interest.

Retirement Resources for You and Your Employees

For many employees, retirement can be overwhelming and exciting all at the same time! Employees and employers alike are curious about what is required during this process. The ASRS has the following essential information to assist along the way.

Resources for Retiring Employees