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March 11, 2021 Zoom Meeting
11 AM The Marketing Director at Midway Village will do a presentation about what they offer. If you are interested in attending, please email me your current email address to ghaab74@gmail.com so I can send you the link for the Zoom meeting. Great News!!! Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) and the Teachers’ Retirement Insurance Program (TRIP) are both being fully funded. Click on Pension/Legislative news above for details. COVID-19 Vaccine To register for a COVID-19 vaccination, log onto: https://www.wchd.org/covid-19/vaccine Step 1: Register to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Complete this form to get on the list for a COVID-19 vaccine. You will be asked to provide:
All your information is confidential and will only be shared as appropriate. You will receive an email once your registration is successfully completed. If you do not have computer access or a cell phone, you may register by calling 815-319-6705. *********************************************************** If you are curious about what happens at our Board meetings, or you would like to join the Board, feel free to attend one of the Board Meetings. Due to the COVID-19 virus, board meetings have taken place via ZOOM. We welcome new Board Members who will bring fresh ideas to the planning table! Please fill out a contact form if you would like to join the board or attend a ZOOM meeting. You can find the contact form under Unit Info above. ************************************************************ Thank you for your Membership! Not a member? Join Right Now. HI, I’M MIKE SCHMIDT THE IRTA MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR, AND I’D LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT TODAY IS FEBRUARY FIRST AND ALL OF US RETIREES KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. YES, IT’S JUST NINE DAYS TO THE 56th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST BEATLES APPEARANCE ON THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW! OH, NO, NO, NO, I MEAN TODAY IS THE DAY THAT IF WE ARE AT LEAST 62 YEARS OLD, THIS YEAR’S PENSION PAYMENT INCREASES BY A COMPOUNDED 3%. HOPEFULLY YOUR 3% INCREASE WILL MAKE 2020 THAT MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE THAN 2019 WAS. BUT JUST REMEMBER THAT WE WOULDN’T HAVE THAT INCREASE IN OUR BANK ACCOUNTS IF THE IRTA’S INSTITUTED LAWSUIT, HEATON VS. QUINN, HADN’T SUCCEEDED. YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN OUR ASSOCIATION MADE THAT SUCCESS POSSIBLE, SO PLEASE SHARE THE VALUE OF THE IRTA WITH YOUR RETIRED COLLEAGUES WHO AREN’T YET MEMBERS. ASK THEM TO JOIN THE ONLY STATE-WIDE ORGANIZATION THAT IS DEDICATED SOLELY TO PROTECTING THE BENEFITS OF RETIRED EDUCATORS. IT’S EASY TO DO IF YOU JUST DIRECT THEM TO OUR WEBSITE AT IRTAONLINE.ORG THEY’LL LOVE US - YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. |
Blanche Martin Scholarship
For information and an application, click on Unit Info above and cursor down to the Blanche Martin Scholarship for all the information. The 2021 application and current guidelines for the Illinois Retired Teachers Association Foundation Scholarship is now available on the IRTA website at www.irtaonline.organd located under the Foundation tab. Applications can also be obtained by contacting IRTA Administrative Assistant, Susan Goetz at the IRTA office. This year, one $1,500 scholarship is available in each of the six IRTA Areas of the state. Thanks to a very generous private donation, Areas 4 & 6 will offer a second scholarship of $3,000 each. These scholarships are only available to incoming juniors or seniors in college enrolled in a certified teacher training program. The deadline to postmark applications is March 7, 2021. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Goetz at susan@irtaonline.org or call 1.800.728.4782. Trail Insurance Information: Please click on TRIP/Trail Information above. *************************************** IRTA October 28, 2020 Yesterday, October 27th, TRS held its first stakeholder meeting in several years. The web meeting had several presentations by the TRS staff and Chairman Devon Bruce opened the meeting. The following is a summary of the staffs’ presentations: • TRS staff shifted to remote work in March. • TRS staff transition back to the office in July. A maximum of 50% of the staff is physically at the office daily. • May 3, 2021, there will be an election for two teacher trustees & one annuitant. • Candidate nominations require 500 valid handwritten or electronic signatures. • Electronic signatures are a new option available due to COVID – 19. • The pandemic magnified already volatile stock markets globally. • TRS took a defensive posture designed to protect assets within difficult market environments. • TRS’s goal is to maximize expected return with a prudent level of risk. • Fiscal Year 2020 membership – 163,115 active members (Tier 1 – 112,004; Tier 2 – 51,111). • There are 125,927 annuitants/beneficiaries. • The oldest retiree is 109 years old. • The oldest active teacher is 81 years old. • The average monthly benefit for recipients is $5,027. • Assets as of June 30, 2020 are $54.9 billion. • Funded ratio 40.5%. The IRTA will be sending a link to our members Monday, November 2nd to sign the IRTA endorsed TRS Annuitant candidate, Larry Pfeiffer’s petition. Stay Safe, Jim Bachman, IRTA Executive Director **************************************** Message from IRTA President John Flaherty Click on Pension/Legislative News Above **************************************** To contact the Winnebago County Retired Teachers Association: Click Contact form under Unit Info above. ***************************************** TRS Position on Pension Funding Click on Pension/Legislative News above **************************************************** We need your help to continue to keep our pensions safe! Illinois Retired Teachers Association Political Action Committee $1/month Enrollment Illinois Retired Teachers Association Political Action Committee is a statewide, nonpartisan Political Action Committee (PAC) organized by members of the Illinois Retired Teachers Association to benefit the entire retired educator community through political contributions to state candidates. To donate using your credit card, go to the LINKS above and click on IRTA. Cursor down to Political Action Committee. On the right, click on the DONATE button. You can donate using your credit card or fill out the $1 per month TRS deduction form. You can also send a check to Illinois Retired Teachers Association PAC, 828 S. Second St., 4th Floor, Springfield, IL 62704. *************************************************** |
