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A Brief History of the ASRS As We Turn 65!

This year, the ASRS will celebrate its 65th Anniversary.

In the 21st session of the Arizona State Legislature, Governor Howard Pyle signed the bill that created the ASRS as of July 1st, 1953 as a pension plan for employees of state and municipal government.

The first public pension in Arizona, however, was issued in 1912, the year Arizona entered statehood. It was granted to a teacher, in the amount of $50 a month ($600 a year). In 1955, the teacher’s pension plan and the ASRS merged, creating a statewide retirement system.

Resources and References for Employers

The ASRS Employer Reference Materials webpage should be a go-to resource for all our ASRS employer partners. It puts all our manuals and guides in one place, has the handouts for recent Basics or Employer Conference sessions, and links to previous editions of this employer newsletter. Additionally, below are links and explanations of other important employer resources and webpages that provide helpful information.

Hiring ASRS Retirees

Understanding the rules around hiring an ASRS retiree is important. While it is the member’s responsibility to ensure compliance with the ASRS Return to Work rules and statutes, it is also the employer’s responsibility to help ensure compliance. Failure to do so can result in suspension of benefits and repayment of unlawfully paid benefits. Employers should check the retirement status of all their new hires using the Check Member Eligibility Tool.

2025 Annual Employer Conference

It’s almost that time of year for ASRS employers to attend the ASRS Annual Employer Conference. Registration will open in August for multiple conference dates in September and October. As an ASRS employer, it is your responsibility to attend the annual ASRS Employer Conference, as required by Arizona Revised Statute 38-716

Max Compensation Limits: FY 2025

Internal Revenue Code (IRC) section 401(a)17 limits compensation beyond which no further retirement contributions may be deducted from an employee’s earnable salary for a given year. This limit applies to all ASRS members, but the maximum of the limit differs depending on the member’s enrollment date.

Forgot Your myASRS Password?

If you are having issues accessing your account, your first step is to click the “Having Trouble Logging In” link located on the myASRS secure account login page. From there, you will go through the process of resetting your password.

To update your password successfully:

Contribution Rate for FY 2024 - 2025

On July 1, 2024, the ASRS will begin a new fiscal year – FY 2024-25. For members, this is when new contribution rates go into effect. Starting July 1, 2024, the new total contribution rate will be 12.27%, a slight decrease from the FY 2023-24 rate of 12.29%. Read more to understand how rates are determined each year!

Understanding Your Account Balance

One of the many questions we receive at the ASRS is: “How does my account balance determine my monthly benefit?”

The short answer is that your ASRS account balance is not related to the amount of your future monthly retirement benefit. Your ASRS retirement benefit is calculated using your years of service and your average monthly salary, with a “graded multiplier” added that increases with your years of service. (You can read a more in-depth explanation of that formula here.)

Resolved: Secure Site Error Message

It came to our attention that, due to a technical issue, some members received an error message when submitting documents in their secure myASRS accounts for a short time between 11/18 - 11/20. Please know this issue has been resolved. For anyone who experienced issues, we encourage you to log into your account and resubmit your documents.

For retirees enrolling in health insurance, our Open Enrollment Period remains open, with the last day being Wednesday, November 30, 2022.

We apologize for any inconvenience.

Awards for Financial Reporting, Funding and Administration

ASRS recognized for Financial Reporting and Plan Funding & Administration

The Arizona State Retirement System recently received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for its 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report.

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