STRS Information and Updates

 

We attended a STRS conference last month and have been asked by STRS to partner with them to provide you with more STRS updates and possibly a workshop next year to help you understand your future benefits and plan for your retirement. If you need information about CW and STRS, contact Gail Holley (payroll@ieminc.org) in the Placerville office. The CALSTRS website has been added to the school links page on the school website for your easy access.

 

Information we were asked to pass on to you now:

  1. A wealth of helpful information is available now on the CALSTRS website at http://www.calstrs.com/members/index.aspx, including online access to your STRS yearly statements.  STRS is now answering email questions within 24 hours, with email links provided on their website.
  2. Your CALSTRS updated Member Handbook is available online at: http://www.calstrs.com/help/forms_publications/printed/01mbrhbk/mbrhndbk.aspx
  3. Your STRS Beneficiary Designation form is now linked to our website for your easy access on the generic forms page under record keeping.  Any life change for a STRS member invalidates a past form by law, and may leave your beneficiaries without benefits.  Therefore, we have been asked to have each current STRS member fill out a new form prior to ES checkout and mail to: Gail Holley, 4535 Missouri Flat Road, Ste. 1A, Placerville, CA 95667. Note: We must provide the form to STRS within 30 days of your signature date on the form, so please mail to the office IMMEDIATELY after signing to allow enough processing and mail time.
  4. If you have considered buying “Permissive Time” from STRS, they will be raising their rates this summer, so suggest  you contact a STRS counselor soon to begin the process. See the STRS website for more information on this topic.
  5. For those employees who are officially “retired”, the earnings limit for next year has been set at $27,720.  Please plan your student count accordingly.
  6. STRS counselors would like to remind members who are nearing retirement age to call for a personal appointment prior to submitting a retirement application.
  7. A STRS retirement application must be submitted at least 6 months in advance of a planned retirement date.