As we prepare for the new fiscal year, we would like to share an update regarding contribution rates.
Effective July 1, 2026, the total contribution rate will decrease slightly from 12.00% to 11.98%. This change is primarily the result of a reduction in the Long-Term Disability (LTD) contribution rate, which offsets a small increase in the retirement contribution rate.
2026-2027 Contribution Rates
When was the last time you reviewed your beneficiary information? For many members, beneficiary designations are completed when they first enroll and then forgotten. However, life changes such as marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, or the passing of a loved one can make it important to revisit those choices and ensure they still reflect your wishes.
Updating your beneficiary information is one of the simplest steps you can take to help protect your loved ones and avoid complications in the future.
Retiring is a major milestone, but one of the first practical decisions you will face is how to handle your health insurance. As a member of the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS), the process is fairly straightforward once you understand the timing, your eligibility, and how your choices affect costs.
As you contribute to your ASRS retirement account, you may find yourself wondering, “When can I Retire?” There are actually a number of different combinations of criteria that can be used to determine when you’re eligible for “normal” ASRS retirement. Due to changes in law over time, a primary factor is your ASRS membership date.
If you began contributing before June 30, 2011, you are able to utilize the 80 points system.
While the ASRS offers a variety of benefits for members, our primary focus is providing members with a lifetime retirement benefit. Once you're able to retire, you'll need to choose how you'd like to receive your benefit. Your retirement annuity options fall into three distinct categories, each helping to accomplish slightly different retirement goals:
Have you ever wondered how we calculate pension benefits? There is sometimes the mistaken belief that it may have something to do with your account balance, when in fact it's all about salary and how many years you work.
There are currently over 700 employer partners with the ASRS, which consists of a diverse group of public education, state agencies, counties, cities and towns, and more! What does this mean for you? If you leave one ASRS employer for another, your ASRS account will pick up right where you left off.
Enrollment Code
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.)
A new year is an ideal time to review your financial goals and consider additional savings options for your retirement future. While your ASRS pension provides a strong foundation for retirement, many members choose to enhance their long-term financial security with a supplemental savings plan.
Manage your subscription settings for ASRS print and digital educational content from your secure myASRS account.
For more than 70 years, the Arizona State Retirement System has provided retirement security to Arizona’s public servants, including teachers, municipal workers, and other government employees. The ASRS proudly serves more than a 650,000 members, including more than 175,000 retired members.
