• October 30, 2024

  Active employee reporting tips for report and roster display issues and performance delays

  Deduction reports and roster members display issues Deduction reports MTRS has become aware that importing a deduction report successfully via Employer Self Service (ESS), will cause all the employer’s reports […]...

• September 13, 2024

  The recording of our recent Employer Training Webcast is now available

  If you missed the recent training session—or would like a refresher—you can watch it online! This concludes our Summer 2024 training series. As always, if you have any questions about […]...

• September 11, 2024

  MyTRS Active Employee Reporting process issue and work-around instructions

  Adding comments before saving other changes to a record will delete those changes. Important Deduction Reporting Workaround The MTRS has become aware of a minor issue in the Edit Deduction Report Details […]...

• August 26, 2024

  Reschedule of our last employer training webcast

  We apologize for the technical difficulties during our August 20th session. Even if you previously attended the Monthly Reporting, Submitting Your Initial Report to Pending session, please join again to see […]...

• August 14, 2024

  Register now for our summer employer training webcasts!

  We are pleased to announce a new employer training webcast series running from late July through the end of August. Each webcast covers a separate topic, so you are encouraged to […]...

• August 8, 2024

  Active employee registration

  Three steps to setting up your MTRS eligible new hires in MyTRS Step 1: Review new hires and any staff changing jobs to determine if they may be eligible for […]...

• July 31, 2024

  Current GASB Report for MTRS employers now available

  The MTRS has been working with representatives from the State Comptroller’s Office, the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC), and CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (CLA) to issue the GASB Statement No. 68 […]...

• June 6, 2024

  Retiree Insurance–Deadline and reminders

  June entry deadline is only a week away The deadline for entering 7/1/2024 plan rate changes to be included in the June retiree payroll is 9pm on Thursday, June 13. Employers […]...

• April 24, 2024

  Recording of our online Retiree Insurance in MyTRS seminar now available

  If you were unable to attend our live seminar, the recording is now available to watch on our YouTube channel. Additionally, you can download the Retiree Insurance in MyTRS guide […]...

• April 22, 2024

  Retiree insurance online seminar to be held April 24—there’s still time to register!

  MyTRS—Retiree insurance training session live via TEAMS, April 24 The MTRS is happy to announce that we will host a live retiree insurance training session via TEAMS for employers on […]...

• April 11, 2024

  Stop deductions on supplemental pay to employees on workers’ compensation

  This email is to remind you of an important change to retirement-eligible pay (“regular compensation”) for members receiving workers’ compensation that we first notified you about in April 2023. It […]...

• April 10, 2024

  Retiree insurance online seminar to be held April 24; instructional videos now available on our website

  MyTRS—Retiree insurance training session live via TEAMS, April 24 The MTRS is happy to announce that we will host a live retiree insurance training session via TEAMS for employers on […]...

• April 1, 2024

  Retiree Insurance–Employers can now perform plan rate changes in MyTRS; Unicare is changing names to Wellpoint

  MyTRS—Employers can add or edit plan rates The MTRS has reenabled the Add Rates and Edit Rates buttons on the Insurance Rates screen in MyTRS as we have implemented new […]...

• March 6, 2024

  Immediate action required: 2023 MTRS Deduction Reports must be imported ASAP

  Dear Payroll Official, You are receiving this message because you did not import your 2023 MTRS Monthly Deduction Reports through December to at least INITIAL status by the January 31, […]...

• February 21, 2024

  Overdue: Your 2023 MTRS Deduction Reports must be imported as soon as possible

  Dear Payroll Official, You are receiving this message because you did not import your 2023 MTRS Monthly Deduction Reports through December to at least INITIAL status by the January 31, […]...

• February 2, 2024

  Your 2023 MTRS Deduction Reports must be imported as soon as possible

  Dear Payroll Official, You are receiving this message because you did not import your 2023 MTRS Monthly Deduction Reports through December to at least initial status by the January 31, […]...

• January 31, 2024

  MyTRS–Employee Registration “Email Enrollment Assignment Sheet” link restored

  Please follow instructions to ensure email delivery of the Enrollment Assignment Sheet to your new employees The “Email Enrollment Assignment Sheet” link at the end of the employee registration process, which has […]...

• January 23, 2024

  Your 2023 MTRS Deduction Reports must be imported by Wednesday, January 31, 2024

  Dear Payroll Official, You are receiving this message because you have not yet imported your MTRS Monthly Deduction Reports through December 2023. As noted in our email last week, districts must […]...

• January 18, 2024

  MTRS 2024 Deduction Reporting Deadlines

  As we begin the new year, it is critical that we work together to eliminate the backlogs in deduction reports. Please note the following deadlines: Deadline Dates Action Jan 31, […]...

• December 14, 2023

  MyTRS—Filter malfunctioning for large reports in Employer Self Service

  The MTRS has discovered that a recent patch to MyTRS has made the filter stop functioning properly on reports with approximately 900 records or more. The error causes the filter to stop […]...

• December 8, 2023

  MyTRS security administrator and user audit

  Dear Superintendents and treasurers, The MTRS is conducting an audit of employer users and employer security administrators for our MyTRS pension management application. On November 17, we sent a verification […]...

• November 20, 2023

  MyTRS–Employee Registration “Email Enrollment Assignment Sheet” function is temporarily inoperative

  A step in the new member registration process is currently not working; a workaround is provided A recent patch to our MyTRS reporting platform has temporarily turned off the “Email […]...

• November 15, 2023

  Retiree Insurance–MTRS will process plan rate changes

  1) Important: Send all group insurance rate changes for January 2024 premiums by 12/01/2023 for processing The MTRS has temporarily hidden the Add Rates and Edit Rates buttons on the Insurance Rates screen in MyTRS. We are […]...

• November 7, 2023

  Note the 2023 pensionable earnings limits for employees with membership dates after 12/31/1995

  As you know, there are federal and state limits on the amount of pensionable earnings (“regular compensation”) that can be used in computing benefits for active members of public retirement […]...

• September 1, 2023

  Active employee registration: Three steps to setting up your MTRS eligible new hires in MyTRS

  Step 1: Review new hires and any staff changing jobs to determine if they may be eligible for MTRS membership BEFORE you register your new hires in MyTRS, determine if […]...

• August 30, 2023

  Current GASB Report for MTRS employers now available

  The MTRS has been working with representatives from the State Comptroller’s Office, the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC), and CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (CLA) to issue the GASB Statement No. 68 […]...

• July 31, 2023

  MTRS Board election to be held this fall

  Please spread the word to your employees who are MTRS members As you may know, the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement Board is comprised of seven members, two of whom are elected […]...

• July 14, 2023

  Process workaround for correcting deduction reports that have the import status Processed with Errors

  Due to a system error, files must be in Validated with Errors status in order to make corrections We have learned that MyTRS is currently not allowing employers to fix deduction report […]...

• June 26, 2023

  Tips for year-end deduction reporting

  1. Employees receiving a lump sum payment? Ensure employees receiving a lump sum payment are reported with the pay duration of “LS.” If needed, update the pay duration field to […]...

• May 24, 2023

  Recording of the May 23 RetirementPlus (R+) employer seminar now available

  Thank you to those who attended our R+ special election employer training. The recording is now available if you would like to listen to it again or if you missed the seminar. […]...

• May 23, 2023

  Changes to the EFT payments functionality in MyTRS

  MyTRS has been updated to allow employers and the Employer Services Unit (ESU) team to cancel EFT payments that have not yet been processed. You can now cancel payments that […]...

• May 16, 2023

  Final RetirementPlus (R+) special election seminar for employers and other important updates

  R+ special election employer training seminar The MTRS will conduct a final R+ special election employer training seminar for school district HR and Payroll staff on Tuesday, May 23, at 9:00 am. Registration […]...

• May 8, 2023

  Retiree Insurance–MTRS will process plan rate changes

  1) Important: Send all group insurance rate changes for July 2023 premiums by 6/2/2023 for processing The MTRS has temporarily hidden the Add Rates and Edit Rates buttons on the Insurance Rates screen in MyTRS. We are still […]...

• May 2, 2023

  Retiree Insurance updates

  The MTRS has resolved the “stop date” issue, and you can now change or cancel a retiree’s health plan. However, please note that if your change requires you to delete […]...

• April 27, 2023

  Retiree Insurance—Individual rate change functions are temporarily unavailable

  The MTRS has identified an issue with the plan “stop date,” which is preventing users from switching or ending a retiree’s health plan. We expect this issue to be resolved […]...

• April 19, 2023

  MTRS has alerted superintendents of new deduction reporting deadlines

  The MTRS has established reporting deadlines for 2021 and 2022. On April 6, 2023 we sent the following message to all the superintendents in Massachusetts, as a first notice. Please review the […]...

• April 18, 2023

  Stop deductions on supplemental pay to employees on workers’ compensation

  This email is to inform you of an important change to retirement-eligible pay (“regular compensation”) for members receiving workers’ compensation. It should be shared with employees who process payroll and […]...

• April 12, 2023

  RetirementPlus special election ballot credentials to be emailed to eligible members

  As part of our ongoing outreach to our members who are eligible for the RetirementPlus special election, our vendor YesElections will begin an email campaign consisting of four broadcasts over the next […]...

• March 30, 2023

  Second RetirementPlus special election ballots to mail to eligible members March 31, 2023

  On Friday, March 31, 2023 our election vendor will mail a second round of ballots to members of the MTRS eligible for the one-time RetirementPlus special election who, as of […]...

• March 29, 2023

  Active employee reporting—Updates to MyTRS

  The MTRS recently installed two MyTRS updates to improve active member employee reporting. The first update reduces session stalling when signing in immediately after logging out, and the second update—a […]...

• March 21, 2023

  Recording of the RetirementPlus (R+) employer seminar now available; Seminar for eligible employees to be held in April

  R+ employer seminar materials Thank you to those who attended our R+ special election employer training. The recording is now available if you would like to listen to it again or if […]...

• March 13, 2023

  R+ special election seminar for employers on 3/15 has been postponed due to impending storm

  New date and time: Tuesday, March 21 at 9am Already signed up? There is no need to re-register, you can still use the same link previously sent to you to access […]...

• March 10, 2023

  Updated RetirementPlus (R+) seminar for employers scheduled and other important updates

  R+ special election employer training seminar The MTRS will conduct an updated R+ special election employer training seminar for school district HR and Payroll staff onWednesday, March 15, at 9:00 […]...

• March 8, 2023

  MyTRS Performance improvement survey and Employer Self-Service (ESS) error reporting

  For the past several months, the MTRS has been working with our MyTRS vendor to improve the import and deduction reporting functionality in the Employer Self-Service (ESS) module in MyTRS. […]...

• February 9, 2023

  Recording of the RetirementPlus (R+) special election employer seminar now available; Seminar for eligible members to be held end of February

  R+ employer seminar materials Thank you to those who attended our R+ special election employer training. The recording is now available if you would like to listen to it again or if […]...

• February 6, 2023

  Reminder: R+ Special election employer training webinar tomorrow—Register now!

  The MTRS will conduct a R+ Special election employer training webinar for school district HR and Payroll staff tomorrow, Tuesday, February 7, at 9:00 AM. We strongly encourage every district with election-eligible […]...

• January 25, 2023

  Reminder: R+ Special election employer training webinars scheduled–Register now!

  The MTRS will conduct two R+ Special election employer training webinars for school district HR and Payroll staff on Wednesday, February 1, at 9:00 AM and again on Tuesday, February 7, at 9:00 […]...

• January 18, 2023

  RetirementPlus (R+) special election for eligible members is underway; Employer training webinars scheduled for early February

  RetirementPlus (R+) Special Election is Underway Eligible MTRS members received election packets in the mail and now have a final, one-time opportunity to participate in or opt-out of RetirementPlus (R+) […]...

• January 4, 2023

  Working after retirement limits are reinstated

  As of December 31, 2022, the suspension of the post-retirement hours and earnings limits has expired. If your district employs retired members of the MTRS or another Massachusetts contributory retirement […]...

• November 28, 2022

  MyTRS—Active employee reporting and R+ Election update

  Please complete any employee address updates and import your October and November 2022 monthly deduction report files by the end of the day Wednesday, December 7. Help us with members’ current […]...

• November 21, 2022

  REMINDER: Retiree insurance rate changes due Friday, 12/02/2022

  As previously indicated in our October 26 email, please send your plan rate changes to insuranceupdates@trb.state.ma.us by Friday, December 2 to guarantee processing in time for the December warrant. Changes received after this deadline may […]...

• November 16, 2022

  Notice of PRIM Board election; please forward to MTRS members

  The Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System (MTRS) has been asked by the Pension Reserves Investment Management (PRIM) Board to assist them in the statewide election for a representative of the Massachusetts […]...

• November 4, 2022

  Active employee reporting—Improvements and changes to MyTRS deduction report processing

  Upgrades to MyTRS The MyTRS upgrades scheduled for installation on Friday, November 4th, starting at 6 pm, should improve deduction report processing speeds on Monday, November 7th. Please log off of […]...

• October 31, 2022

  Eligible members who transferred into the MTRS to receive a final, one-time chance for RetirementPlus (R+) participation

  The new legislation, Chapter 134 of the Acts of 2022, allows eligible members who transferred into the MTRS from another Massachusetts contributory retirement system a final, one-time opportunity to make […]...

• October 26, 2022

  Retiree Insurance–Plan rate changes are temporarily disabled and other updates

  1) Important: Send all group insurance rate changes for January premiums by 12/02/2022 for on-time processing The MTRS has temporarily hidden the Add Rates and Edit Rates buttons on the Insurance Rates screen in MyTRS. Over […]...

• September 1, 2022

  New law offers eligible members who transferred into the MTRS a second chance for RetirementPlus (R+) participation

  On August 3, Governor Baker signed new legislation, Chapter 134 of the Acts of 2022, that allows a second opportunity to elect to participate in the R+ program only to […]...

• August 5, 2022

  Current GASB Report for MTRS employers now available

  The MTRS has been working with representatives from the State Comptroller’s Office, the Public Employees’ Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC), and CliftonLarsonAllen LLP (CLA) to issue the GASB Statement No. 68 […]...

• July 13, 2022

  Active employee reporting update

  Registration for membership The MTRS installed a fix to the Registration for Membership widget in MyTRS to allow member registration. Please note: The educator license questions in Step 5 attempt […]...

• July 11, 2022

  Active employee reporting update

  Registration for membership The Registration for Membership widget in MyTRS became inoperable during a weekend system update, and we are working with our vendor to resolve this as quickly as possible. We […]...

• July 7, 2022

  MyTRS—Retiree Insurance update

  This update covers the following topics: Retiree Insurance training videos and guides Plan price updates Adding new plans to employers Plan prices displaying the wrong value after rate updates New […]...

• June 28, 2022

  2021 Annual Statements for MTRS members will be delayed

  We are writing to let you know that Annual Statements for calendar year 2021, which would normally be mailed by the end of June of this year, will be delayed […]...

• June 23, 2022

  MTRS office phones will be unavailable Friday, June 24

  MTRS office phone lines will be unavailable all-day Friday, June 24, in both the Charlestown and Springfield offices while we transition to a new telecommunications service. Phone lines will be […]...

• June 10, 2022

  MyTRS—Retiree Insurance update

  This update covers the following topics: Plan prices displaying the wrong value after rate updates Retiree Insurance training guides and videos Plan price updates Rate holidays Adding new plans to […]...

• May 2, 2022

  Note the 2022 pensionable earnings limits for employees with membership dates after 12/31/1995

  As you know, there are federal and state limits on the amount of pensionable earnings (“regular compensation”) that can be used in computing benefits for active members of public retirement […]...

• April 27, 2022

  MyTRS—Retiree Insurance update

  The Retiree Insurance functions in MyTRS are now available to employers. Starting today, you can add or make changes to individual retiree insurance selections and premium rates for the insurance […]...

• April 26, 2022

  MyTRS—Active employee reporting update

  Employee Roster The Edit button on the Employee Roster > Member Employment screen has been restored. You can now resume making changes to employee events. Registration for membership The issues […]...

• March 14, 2022

  MyTRS—Registration currently not working for employees without an existing MyTRS profile

  Attempts to register employees who are new to the MTRS will not process The MTRS discovered an error that prevents employers from registering new employees in MyTRS who have no […]...

• March 4, 2022

  MyTRS—Employee Roster “Edit” button temporarily disabled

  Editing the roster to add a “Member Event” may cause an unexpected change The MTRS has discovered that adding a “Member Event” on the Employee Roster screen could result in an […]...

• February 10, 2022

  MyTRS—New view and a time-saving tip

  Avoid significant delays; don’t Apply or Save while in Single Record View A new MyTRS navigation feature, Single Record View, allows you to view each record’s data in one vertical window without […]...

• February 4, 2022

  MyTRS will be offline 5pm Friday until 6am Saturday

  MyTRS will be offline from 5pm Friday, February 4 through 6am Saturday, February 5 for server maintenance, we apologize for the short notice. Questions? Please feel free to contact Robert […]...

• January 31, 2022

  MyTRS Retiree Insurance—Update on individual and plan rate changes

  Individual and plan rate changes remain disabled through the February warrant As we reported in December 2021, the MTRS has disabled both the “Add/Change Coverage” button on the Retiree Insurance Selections screen […]...

• December 15, 2021

  MyTRS—Retiree Insurance Plan rate changes are temporarily disabled

  Adding or changing individual coverage is unavailable; an application fix is forthcoming The MTRS has temporarily hidden the Add Rates and Edit Rates buttons on the Insurance Rates screen in MyTRS. […]...

• December 7, 2021

  MyTRS—Retiree Insurance “Add/Change Coverage” button temporarily disabled

  Adding or changing individual coverage is unavailable; an application fix is forthcoming The MTRS has temporarily disabled the “Add/Change Coverage” button on the Retiree Insurance Selections screen in MyTRS to prevent a program […]...

• November 29, 2021

  MyTRS is live

  New guides available and two issues under review MyTRS is updated, live, and available on the Employers section of our website. We are pleased to report that employers are logging […]...

• November 17, 2021

  The MyTRS Upgrade is coming!

  Employers can access the updated MyTRS on November 29 As a reminder, MyTRS for Employers is not available; the updated MyTRS debuts Monday, November 29 at 6 am and can […]...

• November 4, 2021

  MyTRS Upgrade—Two-factor authentication (TFA)

  Two-factor authentication (TFA) adds an extra layer of security to protect sensitive member data The MTRS is pleased to announce that the updated MyTRS, available to Employers on November 29th, […]...

• October 28, 2021

  MyTRS Upgrade—New training manuals for Employers to be mailed

  Make sure we have a current address In preparation for the MyTRS upgrade, the MTRS is pleased to announce two new training manuals for Employers: Active Member Deduction Reporting and Retiree Insurance Reporting. […]...

• October 21, 2021

  MyTRS Update—Support for all browsers and system downtime

  The MyTRS update, due at the end of November, supports all modern web browsers, including Chrome and Edge. Due to the update, MyTRS will be unavailable to Employers for two weeks, starting […]...

• October 18, 2021

  Retiree insurance announcements and reminders

  1) Send all group insurance rate changes for January by 11/5/2021 for on-time processing We are asking all employers to send their retiree insurance changes by November 5th so we […]...

• October 14, 2021

  Post-retirement employment hours limit increased to 1,200

  Legislative action increases the limit on hours for retired public employees from 960 to 1,200 annually As part of the FY2022 state budget process, the post-retirement hours limit was increased […]...

• October 7, 2021

  MyTRS—Updated version coming at the end of November

  An updated version of MyTRS is coming at the end of November 2021 and features compatibility with all modern web browsers, including Chrome and Edge, and enhanced login security with […]...

• October 1, 2021

  MyTRS will be offline this weekend

  MyTRS will be offline from 5pm Friday, October 1 through 6am Monday, October 4 for server maintenance. Please plan accordingly....

• September 28, 2021

  Fall monthly deduction report reminders

  With the 2021-2022 school year underway, we would like to offer you some reminders and a notice about a change in procedure to help you have a successful reporting year. […]...

• August 27, 2021

  MTRS members’ 2020 account statements have mailed

  All 2020 annual statements have mailed as of August 26 to the home addresses of our more than 111,000 active and inactive members. For your reference, and in support of […]...

• August 10, 2021

  Active employee registration: Three steps to setting up your new hires in MyTRS

  Step 1: Ensure that your employees are eligible for MTRS membership BEFORE you register your new hires in MyTRS, make sure that they are eligible for MTRS membership by reviewing our eligibility […]...

• June 29, 2021

  Annual tips for efficient year-end deduction reporting

  1. Employee receiving a lump sum payment? Set the pay duration to “LS” in your payroll software. Change the pay duration field to “LS” in your payroll software prior to […]...

• June 3, 2021

  Phishing alert–beware of email solicitations that reference the MTRS and offer “Retirement Reviews”

  Phishing alert–beware of email solicitations that reference the MTRS and offer “Retirement Reviews” Unsolicited emails may be “phishing” attempts. The MTRS is not affiliated with, nor do we endorse any […]...

• April 28, 2021

  Three retiree insurance reminders for the spring season

  1) Group insurance rate changes for July 1, 2021: Beat the rush! If you have already submitted your group insurance rate changes for July, thank you. If not, immediately complete […]...

• April 27, 2021

  Current GASB Report for MTRS employers now available

  The MTRS has been working with representatives from the State Comptroller’s Office, the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC), and KPMG to issue the GASB Statement No. 68 schedules for […]...

• March 29, 2021

  Three critical reminders for active employee monthly deduction payments

  If you are not the contact who mails check payments to the MTRS, please forward this message to the appropriate contact. 1. The payment address for checks changed September 2019. […]...

• February 8, 2021

  Active MTRS member deduction reporting

  Deadline for finalizing 2020 reports is April 16, 2021 The deadline for finalizing the 2020 MTRS deduction reports is Friday, April 16, 2021. This year’s deadline is later than previous […]...

• January 25, 2021

  Active member deduction reporting: Add your 2021 payroll calendar(s) in MyTRS

  Two critical reminders when adding your 2021 calendar(s) in MyTRS: Do not delete or overwrite any of your previous years’ calendars. Please follow the exact steps in the Guided Practice to preserve previous […]...

• January 12, 2021

  Note the 2021 pensionable earnings limits for employees with membership dates after 12/31/1995

  As you know, there are federal and state limits on the amount of pensionable earnings (“regular compensation”) that can be used in computing benefits for active members of public retirement […]...

• December 21, 2020

  Waiver of post-retirement employment restrictions extended

  Legislation extends waiver of earnings and hours restrictions for most retired public employees through 2021. In April, Chapter 53 of the Acts of 2020 waived earnings and hours restrictions for many retired […]...

• December 14, 2020

  MyTRS will be offline 6pm Monday until 6am Tuesday

  MyTRS will be offline from 6pm Monday, December 14 through 6am Tuesday, December 15 for server maintenance. Please plan accordingly. Questions? Please feel free to contact Robert George  ...

• December 4, 2020

  Three retiree insurance reminders for the winter season

  1) Group insurance rate changes for January: Please send your new senior rates to us ASAP so everyone’s changes can be processed on time If you have already submitted your […]...

• November 19, 2020

  MyTRS will be offline this weekend from 6pm Friday to 6am Monday

  MyTRS will be offline from 6pm Friday, November 20 to 6am Monday, November 23 for server maintenance. Please plan accordingly. Questions? Please feel free to contact Robert George.  ...

• October 20, 2020

  Employer questions on the FFCRA as it relates to retirement deductions and credit

  With the 2020-2021 school year starting, the MTRS has been receiving questions from employers about benefits paid under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (“FFCRA”). We have listed the most […]...

• October 1, 2020

  MTRS members’ 2019 account statements were mailed September 30

  2019 annual statements were mailed on September 30 to the home addresses of our more than 109,000 active and inactive members. For your reference, and in support of your continuing […]...

• September 23, 2020

  MyTRS will be offline this weekend from 6pm Friday to 6am Monday

  MyTRS will be offline from 6pm Friday, September 25 to 6am Monday, September 28 for server maintenance. Please plan accordingly. Questions? Please feel free to contact Robert George.  ...

• September 15, 2020

  MyTRS will be offline today from 6pm to 9pm

  Updated 9/15/20 at 3:35pm MyTRS will be offline from 6pm to 9pm for server maintenance, we apologize for the short notice. Questions? Please feel free to contact Robert George  ...

• September 4, 2020

  MyTRS will be offline Friday evening to Monday morning

  From 9pm on Friday, September 4 through 6am on Monday, September 7, MyTRS will be offline for maintenance. During this time, MyTRS will not be available to newly enrolling members, […]...

• August 18, 2020

  Fall monthly deduction report reminders

  With the 2020-2021 school year starting shortly, we would like to offer some reminders to help you have a successful reporting year. 1. September deduction report audits An audit will […]...

• July 21, 2020

  Active employee registration: Three steps to setting up your new hires in MyTRS

  Step 1: Ensure that your employees are eligible for MTRS membership BEFORE you register your new hires in MyTRS, make sure that they are eligible for MTRS membership by reviewing […]...

• May 12, 2020

  Five tips for efficient year-end deduction reporting

  1. Employee receiving a lump sum payment? Set the pay duration to “LS” in your payroll software. Change the pay duration field to “LS” in your payroll software prior to […]...

• May 7, 2020

  MTRS Guidance on potential furloughs and other fiscal emergency measures

  The MTRS is hearing that due to the anticipated economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, school district employers may be considering local cost saving measures and wondering how they would […]...

• April 30, 2020

  Current GASB Report for MTRS employers now available

  The MTRS has been working with representatives from the State Comptroller’s office, the Public Employees’ Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC), and KPMG to issue the GASB Statement No. 68 schedules for […]...

• April 15, 2020

  New State and Federal laws impact post retirement restrictions and paid sick leave

  As the MTRS continues to provide essential services remotely, we appreciate your assistance in providing benefits to your employees and retirees during this difficult time. New State and Federal laws […]...

• April 8, 2020

  Three processing reminders for the spring season

  As the MTRS continues to provide essential services remotely, we appreciate your assistance providing benefits to your employees and retirees during this difficult time. Three processing reminders for the spring […]...

• March 12, 2020

  Coronavirus (COVID-19) update

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators and Town Treasurers, As we all continue to monitor the evolving impact of the […]...

• February 5, 2020

  Active MTRS member reporting

  Deadline for finalizing 2019 reports is March 27, 2020 The deadline for finalizing the 2019 calendar year deduction reports is Friday, March 27, 2020. We will notify Superintendents of “severely […]...

• January 17, 2020

  Note the 2020 pensionable earnings limits for employees with membership dates after 12/31/1995

  As you know, there are federal and state limits on the amount of pensionable earnings (“regular compensation”) that can be used in computing benefits for active members of public retirement […]...

• December 9, 2019

  Active member deduction reporting: Add your 2020 payroll calendar(s) in MyTRS

  As the busy holiday and W-2 seasons approach, now is an ideal time to add your 2020 payroll calendar(s) in MyTRS. Two critical reminders when adding your 2020 calendar(s): Do […]...

• November 12, 2019

  MTRS Board election now underway

  As we mentioned in our e-mail of July 31, 2019, we are now conducting an election for the two members of the Board who are elected by the active and […]...

• November 6, 2019

  Active member reporting, new MyTRS feature: Ability to return reports to “Initial” status

  We are excited to announce a new feature in MyTRS that allows your district’s Employer Services Representative to return a deduction report in “Pending” status back to “Initial” status in […]...

• November 4, 2019

  Three retiree insurance reminders for the winter season

  1) Group insurance rate changes for January: Beat the rush! Please send your new senior rates to us ASAP so everyone’s changes can be processed on time If you have […]...

• October 22, 2019

  Monthly deduction report reminders for the fall

  With the 2019-2020 school year underway, we would like to offer some reminders to help you have a more successful reporting year. 1. September deduction report audits We will be […]...

• October 17, 2019

  Retirement seminars starting soon—Two western MA locations just added!

  UPDATED AS OF 10/24/2019 For MTRS Tier 1 members (established membership BEFORE April 2, 2012) As we recently announced, we will be presenting our popular “Ready for Retirement” seminar at […]...

• October 11, 2019

  Employer training programs on two topics to be presented in November

  Be sure to register at least five business days before your preferred session. Space is limited, so if you register and cannot attend, please notify us as soon as possible. […]...

• September 9, 2019

  Mailing address for active member deduction payments has changed

  Effective immediately, the mailing address for all monthly deduction reporting payments by check has changed to: Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System PO Box 358020 Pittsburgh, PA 15251-5020 Our bank will be […]...

• July 31, 2019

  MTRS Board election to be held this fall; please spread the word to your employees who are MTRS members

  As you may know, the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement Board is comprised of seven members, two of whom are elected by the members of the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System for four-year […]...

• July 24, 2019

  MTRS deduction reporting: Follow these three steps to set up your new hires in MyTRS

  Step 1: Ensure that your employees are eligible for MTRS membership BEFORE you register your new hires in MyTRS, make sure that they are eligible for MTRS membership by reviewing […]...

• June 26, 2019

  MTRS members’ 2018 account statements were mailed June 25

  On Tuesday, June 25, annual statements were mailed to the home addresses of our more than 109,000 active and inactive members. For your reference, and in support of your continuing […]...

• June 21, 2019

  MyTRS will be offline Friday evening and Saturday

  MyTRS will be offline for maintenance tonight, 6–9pm, and tomorrow, 9am–6pm. During this time, MyTRS will not be available to members, and a message advising members that MyTRS is temporarily offline will […]...

• May 30, 2019

  MyTRS will be offline Friday evening to Monday morning

  From 6pm on Friday, May 31 through 6am on Monday, June 3, MyTRS will be offline for maintenance. During this time, MyTRS will not be available to newly enrolling members, […]...

• May 23, 2019

  Ensure that your year-end deduction reporting goes smoothly with these five tips

  For any employee who will receive a lump sum payment for the summer, use the pay duration code of “LS” in your payroll software. Also, be sure to do this […]...

• May 6, 2019

  Please submit your retirees’ July group insurance rate changes by May 31st

  Deadline reminder: For your July 1st group rate changes to be processed in time to be reflected in our retirees’ June 30th checks (in payment of the July 1st premium), […]...

• May 1, 2019

  Employer training programs on two topics to be presented in June

  Be sure to register at least five business days before your preferred session. Space is limited, so if you register and cannot attend, please notify us as soon as possible. […]...

• April 24, 2019

  Reminder: “Your MTRS Benefits” seminars coming soon—please spread the news!

  As we recently announced in our e-mail of April 11, in May we will be holding “Your MTRS Benefits” educational seminars throughout the Commonwealth. Please help us publicize our programs […]...

• April 11, 2019

  “Your MTRS Benefits” seminars coming soon—please spread the news!

  In May, we will be presenting “Your MTRS Benefits,” our two-hour retirement education program for all MTRS members who want to learn about the MTRS retirement plan and benefits. Please […]...

• March 28, 2019

  Three processing reminders for the spring season

  Group insurance rate changes for July 1, 2019: Beat the rush! Deadline reminder: For your July 1st group rate changes to be processed in time to be reflected in our […]...

• March 12, 2019

  Current GASB Report for MTRS employers now available

  Over the last few months, we have worked with representatives from the State Comptroller’s office, the Public Employees’ Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC), and KPMG to issue the GASB Statement No. […]...

• January 23, 2019

  Active member deduction reporting reminder: ADD your 2019 payroll calendar(s) in MyTRS

  It’s the start of a new year and that means it’s time to add your 2019 payroll calendar(s) in MyTRS. If you haven’t done this already, be sure to add […]...

• January 18, 2019

  MyTRS member registration process enhanced: New fields, new form

  In July 2018, in an effort to improve our online registration and enrollment processes for employers and members alike, we asked school district representatives who register our members in MyTRS […]...

• January 15, 2019

  Note the 2019 pensionable earnings limits for employees with membership dates after 12/31/1995

  As you know, there are federal and state limits on the amount of pensionable earnings (“regular compensation”) that can be used in computing benefits for active members of public retirement […]...

• November 5, 2018

  Three annual reminders regarding MTRS retiree insurance processing

  1) Group insurance rate changes for January: Beat the rush! Please send your new senior rates to us ASAP so everyone’s changes can be processed on time If you have […]...

• October 25, 2018

  Employer training programs on two topics to be presented in November and December—register now!

  Be sure to register at least 5 business days before your preferred session. Space is limited, so if you register and cannot attend, please notify us as soon as possible. […]...

• October 24, 2018

  Member seminars starting soon; Woburn program just added

  “Ready for Retirement” seminars starting soon—Woburn program just added For MTRS Tier 1 members (established membership BEFORE April 2, 2012) As we recently announced, we will soon be presenting our […]...

• October 22, 2018

  Employer news, October 18, 2018

  “Ready for Retirement” seminars coming soon— please spread the word! For MTRS Tier 1 members (established membership BEFORE April 2, 2012) In November, we will be presenting our popular “Ready […]...

• October 10, 2018

  MTRS employer news: 2018 Deduction reporting deadline and reminders

  Payroll deduction reporting updates Deadline for 2018 reports: March 8, 2019 We have recently begun notifying the superintendents of districts that are severely delinquent in deduction reporting of their district’s […]...

• October 5, 2018

  Employer news, October 5, 2018

  For employers and members: Beware of sales solicitations that say “MTRS” We are not affiliated with, nor do we endorse, any commercial companies Occasionally, financial planning companies will use “MTRS” […]...

• July 5, 2018

  MTRS update: Note the 2018 pensionable earnings limits for employees with membership dates after 12/31/1995

  As you know, there are federal and state limits on the amount of pensionable earnings (“regular compensation”) that can be used in computing benefits for active members of public retirement […]...

• May 1, 2018

  MTRS news: Update regarding “regular compensation” for members receiving workers’ compensation

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators and Town Treasurers, We are writing to advise employers that our regulatory agency, the […]...

• April 10, 2018

  MTRS news: Three retiree insurance reminders for the spring season

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators and Town Treasurers, Please note these three reminders regarding retiree insurance processing: 1) Group […]...

• April 9, 2018

  MTRS update: GASB Statement No. 68 Report now online

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators and Town Treasurers, Over the last few months, we have worked with representatives from […]...

• February 23, 2018

  MTRS notice: SJC decision regarding “regular compensation” for members receiving workers’ compensation

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators and Town Treasurers, We are writing to advise employers that the Supreme Judicial Court […]...

• November 27, 2017

  MTRS update: Upcoming enrollment outreach initiatives

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators and Town Treasurers, As you know, your employees who are joining the MTRS for […]...

• November 7, 2017

  MTRS news: Three retiree insurance reminders for the fall season

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators and Town Treasurers, Please note our annual fall reminders regarding retiree insurance processing: Group […]...

• August 24, 2017

  MTRS update: 2 tips and 5 reminders for enrolling new hires

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators and Town Treasurers, With the new school year about to begin, MTRS enrollment season […]...

• January 3, 2017

  MTRS update: Payroll deduction reporting news, tips and reminders

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators and Town Treasurers, Please note these two important updates regarding: the deadline for finalizing […]...

• October 21, 2016

  MTRS news: Three retiree insurance reminders for the fall season

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators and Town Treasurers, Please note these three timely fall reminders regarding retiree insurance processing: […]...

• March 23, 2016

  MTRS news: Two timely updates regarding deduction reporting

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Town Treasurers, Personnel Administrators and Payroll Officers, Please note these two timely updates: 1) The deadline for finalizing […]...

• January 14, 2016

  MTRS update: Payroll deduction reporting news, tips and reminders

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Town Treasurers, Personnel Administrators and Payroll Officers, Please note these two important updates regarding: the deadline for finalizing all […]...

• November 25, 2015

  MTRS news: Three important updates regarding retiree insurance processing

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators and Town Treasurers, Please note these three timely updates regarding retiree insurance processing: 1) […]...

• February 6, 2015

  MTRS update: Retiree Insurance functions now available in MyTRS

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Town Treasurers, Personnel Administrators and Payroll Officers, In October, we added Retiree Insurance functions to the employer self-service […]...

• December 8, 2014

  MTRS update: Payroll deduction reporting news, tips and reminders

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Town Treasurers, Personnel Administrators and Payroll Officers, Please note these two important updates regarding: 1) the deadline for […]...

• October 24, 2014

  MTRS update: You will need to change your MyTRS password on or after October 25, 2014

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators and Town Treasurers, Please note that, pursuant to our MyTRS Password Security Policy, you […]...

• July 21, 2014

  MTRS update: FINAL deadline for active members to submit Part 2 of §3 purchase applications is August 31, 2014

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Town Treasurers, Personnel Administrators and Payroll Officers, As you know, because of the extraordinary influx of §3 service […]...

• July 15, 2014

  MTRS reminders: Membership eligibility and the serious consequences of improper enrollment

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officers, Personnel Administrators and Town Treasurers, As you begin another busy hiring and MTRS enrollment season, I […]...

• March 18, 2014

  MTRS update: Payroll deduction reporting news and a reminder

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Town Treasurers, Personnel Administrators and Payroll Officers, Please take note of these two timely updates: 1) 2013 deduction […]...

• March 6, 2014

  MTRS update: New process for reporting retiree insurance changes

  Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Note: If your district is one of the 47 districts currently participating in the GIC’s […]...

• February 7, 2014

  MTRS update: Payroll deduction reporting news, tips and reminders

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Town Treasurers, Personnel Administrators and Payroll Officers, Please take note of these three timely updates: 1) 2013 deduction […]...

• December 13, 2013

  MTRS update: Payroll deduction reporting news, tips and reminders

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Town Treasurers, Personnel Administrators and Payroll Officers, Please note these important updates regarding: 1) the deadline for finalizing […]...

• November 26, 2013

  MTRS reminder: Pensionable earnings limitations for members hired after 1/1/2011

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Town Treasurers, Personnel Administrators and Payroll Officers: As a reminder, the federal Internal Revenue Code 401(a)(17) limits the […]...

• September 25, 2013

  MTRS update: October 2 deadline for Part 2 of §3 service purchase applications

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Town Treasurers, Personnel Administrators and Payroll Officers, As you know, due to the extraordinary influx of §3 service […]...

• September 10, 2013

  MTRS update: Member online enrollment tool now available

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Town Treasurers, Personnel Administrators and Payroll Officers, As scheduled, the member self-service module in MyTRS is now available […]...

• August 22, 2013

  MTRS reminder: Member deadline to submit Part 2 of §3 purchase applications is October 2, 2013

  Dear School District Superintendents, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, Business Managers, Town Treasurers, Personnel Administrators and Payroll Officers, As explained in our broadcast e-mail of March 13, to help ease […]...

• March 13, 2013

  MTRS reminder: April 2 is the deadline for purchasing §3 service at lower interest rate

  Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, As a final reminder, and also clarification of our e-mail of February 15, […]...

• February 15, 2013

  MTRS §3 service purchases at buyback interest: Member app portion due 4/2/2013; employer app portion due 10/2/2013

  Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, As you know, pursuant to pension reform legislation enacted in November 2011, the […]...

• April 19, 2012

  MTRS update: Deduction reporting progress; future steps and deadlines, if applicable

  Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, I am writing to bring you up to date on the progress that […]...

• February 16, 2012

  MTRS update: Deduction reporting

  Dear School District Superintendents, Directors, Business Managers, Payroll Officials, Town Treasurers, Charter School and Education Collaborative Directors, This communication is to report on the progress we are making with the […]...