PDF Retirement checklist 12.2021
Retiring This Year?
Here’s Your To-Do Checklist
- Contact your local Association to see if your district has a retirement notification deadline. In some cases, severance payouts are linked to informing your district by a certain date. If you announce your retirement from WHPS in September, there are no expectations for official TEVAL! If your retirement date is June 30th of the current school year, the sooner you let HR know, the better. If you plan to retire mid-year or over the summer, there is a 60-day notice clause in our contract.
- If you are purchasing additional credited service, make sure that all the required documentation has been submitted to the State Teachers’ Retirement Board (STRB). All forms required for the purchase of service are found on the STRB website (ct.gov/trb).
- File your retirement application (also found on the STRB website) 4-6 months before your effective date of retirement. Although you legally have until the last day of your last teaching month to file the application, you are strongly encouraged to file as early as possible.
- If you and/or your spouse will be enrolling in Medicare upon retirement, you must submit the STRB’s insurance application to STRB at least 6-8 weeks prior to the effective start date, which is usually July 1 or September 1, depending on your district’s policy. You can obtain a copy of the STRB’s insurance application from the STRB website.
- Make a copy of the application before you send it and mail the original via certified mail with a return receipt requested so you have proof that it was received by the STRB.
- Touch base with your local Social Security office. Even if you are not yet eligible for Social Security benefits or Medicare, your local office can help you understand your specific timeframe for filing for these benefits in the future.
- Be sure you have your birth certificate and/or marriage license. A photocopy of your birth certificate must be provided as part of your retirement application. If you are electing retirement Plan D, you will also need a photocopy of your co-participant’s birth certificate. If you will be enrolling your spouse in the STRB’s Medicare supplement insurance plan, you will need to provide a photocopy of your marriage license.
- Consider what the appropriate tax withholding will be for your teacher’s pension, which is subject to state and federal taxes. If you typically receive assistance from a tax advisor or accountant when you file your taxes, you may wish to touch base with him/her for advice about what the appropriate withholding will be for you in retirement.
- Contact Mara D’Aquila, WHPS Benefits Specialist, to set up an appointment to discuss your Sick Day payout and healthcare and retirement concerns. You can reach her at Mara_Daquilla@whps.org.
As you retire it is important to stay informed! The best way to do that is to become a member of the West Hartford Retired Education Association (WHREA), Connecticut Education Association Retired (CEA-R), and the Association of Retired Teachers of CT Inc. (ARTC). These organizations continue to watch issues of importance to retired teachers such as legislation that can change your taxes and/or your pension.