Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) and School Employees’ Retirement System (SERS) members who joined Plan 2 before March 1, 2002 and who earn service credit in January 2008 can opt to transfer to Plan 3 this month.
Civil service or bargaining unit employees hired on or after March 1, 2002 were given the choice of irrevocably choosing Plan 2 or 3 at the time of hire and are not eligible to participate in this transfer window.
Information to help with a transfer decision is ONLINE @ www.drs.wa.gov. It includes financial modeling software for comparing your projected benefits under each plan.
You will need the account balance from your annual statement, which was mailed to your home address last month. If you have lost your copy please contact the state department of retirement services at 800-547-6657 or e-mail at DBAccess@drs.wa.gov.
The decision to transfer to Plan 3 is irrevocable — once you make that decision, you cannot return to Plan 2. To complete a transfer, fill out a member information form and submit it to Human Resource Services during January. Forms are available at the HRS office, French Ad 139 or ONLINE @ www.drs.wa.gov/Forms/member/memberInformationForm.pdf.
