Topics & Report

              Send TRS your E-mail Address to Help Us “Go Green”
Green Publications Save Printing and Mailing Costs
TRS anticipates expanding the use of e-mail and online communication in a
future effort to reduce paper waste and the natural resources used to print and
mail information to you. Going green has the added benefit of saving admin-istrative
expenses, such as printing and mailing costs. Information that affects
you, such as legislation and current events, is immediately available on our Web site at
trs.illinois.gov.
To help us with our green effort, we need your e-mail address and some personal details to match your
e-mail address to your TRS record. Address an e-mail to members@trs.illinois.gov with “Going Green”
in the subject line. Next, type your full name, zip code, the last four digits of your Social Security
number, and your e-mail address. We will match your e-mail address to your record upon receipt. You
may also submit your e-mail address in the secure Member Account Access area.
TRS is going green with this issue of Topics & Report by removing duplicated addresses from our mail-ing
list. See page 8 for more information.
topics &
report
Executive Director’s Message
Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois
Spring 2009
Director’s message continued on page 2
“Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qual-ities,
because it is the quality that guarantees all
others.” – Winston Churchill
Steep market losses, job cuts, increasing home fore-closures,
and bank failures are all signs of the current
worldwide recession. Every time we turn on the TV,
read a newspaper, or listen to radio commentators, we are bombarded
with information that breeds fear. These are uncommon times when
courage is not just a quality we esteem, but rather requires action based
on best practices and not in response to fear. That has been the course
at the Teachers’ Retirement System.
Our members should take comfort in the fact that their TRS benefits are
guaranteed by the Illinois and U.S. Constitutions and cannot be reduced
regardless of investment losses, political climate, or state budget cuts.
At press time, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn had proposed a $2.5 billion
reduction in state funding to the five state pension systems, includ-ing
a $1.3 billion cut to TRS for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The
tentative cuts would exacerbate Illinois’ staggering pension debt and
require the System to sell more assets to pay benefits. Governor Quinn
also suggested active members contribute an additional 2 percent of
Highlights
Page 2
• Pending Bills in Legislature
Page 3
• Pension Consolidation
Page 4
• Federal Stimulus Package
• Benefit Choice Period
Page 5
• Board of Trustees Election
• Report Name Changes
Page 6
• Retirement Process Steps
• Pensions Protected
Page 7
• Teacher Regrets Refund
Page 8
• Newsletter’s Duplicated
Addresses Removed