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Welcome to the MTRS!

As a new member, be sure to:

  • Complete the MTRS online enrollment process.
  • Designate a beneficiary.
  • Check your pay stub to confirm that you are contributing at the correct rate.
  • Look into prior service that you may purchase as creditable service toward your retirement benefit.
  • View the Members section of our site, which includes overview videos.  It’s a great place to familiarize yourself with the benefits and services provided by the MTRS!
  • Notify your payroll office—not the MTRS—if your address changes. We receive this information from your employer, so keep your payroll office up to date.

If you leave active service prior to retirement…

Be sure to:

Throughout your career…

As you continue your teaching career, be sure to:

  • Contact the MTRS if you:
  • Notify your payroll office—not us—if your address changes. We receive this information from your employer, so keep your payroll office up to date
  • Review the Annual Statement of your MTRS annuity savings account, and notify us of any necessary updates
  • Keep your MTRS correspondence with your important papers, and let your survivors know where to find this information so that they may contact us
  • Stay abreast of retirement issues—visit our website, read our newsletters, watch our videos, attend our seminars and pay attention to announcements posted in your school
  • If you have prior service that you may purchase as creditable service toward your retirement benefit, look into purchasing that service
  • Plan for your retirement—attend MTRS seminars; investigate plans offered through your employer, such as 457 deferred compensation plans and 403(b) retirement plans; and, work with your family and outside advisors to evaluate your particular needs on an ongoing basis

If you leave active service prior to retirement…

Be sure to:

When you are within five years of retirement…

When retirement is just around the corner, be sure to:

If you leave active service prior to retirement…

Be sure to:

Welcome to retirement!

Throughout your retirement, we will administer your benefits and provide you with information and services. You also need to contact us when certain events occur.

During your retirement, we will…

  • Provide you with information regarding your retirement benefits and our services 
    We will gladly answer your questions on your MTRS benefits regarding your retirement and keep you up to date on relevant issues, such as pending benefits and our services, legislation, Board elections and cost-of-living adjustments by way of our newsletters and special mailings.
  • Process and pay your monthly retirement allowance  
    On the last business day of every month, we will issue your benefit payment by direct deposit to your specified bank account. Every January, we will provide you with the payment schedule for the coming calendar year.
  • By January 31 of each year, provide you with a Form 1099-R for tax purposes
    Your Form 1099-R will indicate the total amount of your retirement benefits for the previous calendar year; the amount withheld by the MTRS for federal income taxes, if any; and, the amount, if any, withheld for your group health insurance premiums. We will also provide this information to the IRS.
  • Periodically, verify your eligibility to receive a retirement allowance
    As part of our fiduciary responsibility to the Commonwealth’s pension system, every two years we conduct a Benefit Verification process for all our benefit recipients. We will mail you a blue and yellow Benefit Verification form which you will need to compete and return by the stated deadline.
  • In the event of your death, pay a survivor benefit, if any, pursuant to the retirement option you selected
    Depending on the option you selected (A, B, or C), we will pay a survivor benefit, if any. Be assured that we will work to process the survivor benefit as sensitively and expeditiously as possible.

Be sure to contact us if you…

  • Change your name, address (temporary or permanent) or Social Security number 
    For your protection, we instruct the post office not to forward many of the documents we send to retirees (these often contain confidential benefit and tax information). Accordingly, it is very important that you send us written notification of changes to your personal data so that you are sure to receive our mailings.
  • Need verification of your benefit payment During your retirement, you may need to provide verification of your MTRS benefit amount to a third party, for example, when applying for a loan, a rent or mortgage rebate, or nursing home or public housing. If you are requesting verification for Social Security purposes, please be sure to tell the MTRS representative this, as we will need to include additional information in your letter.
  • Want to change your:
    • withholding for federal taxes
      Each year at tax time, review your Form 1099–R so that you know what you are paying in federal taxes. To change the amount being withheld, send us a note indicating the desired change and effective date or request and submit a new Form W-4P .
    • beneficiary (Option A and B retirees and survivor benefit recipients only)
      Be aware of the status of your beneficiary. If you retired under Option A or B, you may change your designation at any time by submitting a new beneficiary designation form ; if your designee predeceases you, you may also name a new designee. If you retired under Option C and your beneficiary predeceases you, please notify the MTRS because your benefit will “pop up” to the Option A amount, and you may then name a designee to receive any benefits payable in the month of your death.
    • payment method
      If you retired prior to July 1, 2009 and are still receiving your monthly benefit via mailed check, we encourage you to switch to direct deposit.
  • Want to participate in the governance of the MTRS
    Approximately three months before our Board elections (held every four years), we notify active and retired members of the upcoming nomination and election process.
  • Become re-employed by a Massachusetts public employer and exceed the time and earnings limitations
    If you want to work beyond the time and earnings limitations, you must notify the MTRS in writing that you wish to waive your retirement allowance for the period of employment. Your allowance will be suspended until you notify us that it should be reinstated.
  • Become divorced and your retirement allowance is divided
    If applicable, the MTRS will pay your monthly allowance per the terms of a court order or the parties’ domestic relations order.

In the event of your death, your beneficiary should contact us regarding any survivor benefits

Advise your current beneficiary now that he or she should contact us in the event of your death. Be sure to keep your retirement papers with your other important documents.