January 2023

We know your time is golden but so is retirement information. That’s why TRSL offers convenient options for understanding and accessing your retirement account. From learning more about DROP to calculating your future retirement benefit, our online resources maximize your time. Best of all, you can access them from a smartphone, tablet or computer. Just visit www.TRSL.org to start exploring.

Our newest resource is a YouTube Channel that gives you a library of topics to peruse. Check us out on YouTube and follow @TRSLOnline for our current playlist and upcoming features.

You’ll find abbreviated versions of webinars, answers to frequently asked questions, and the latest on legislative changes – all in compact videos that are easy to follow and won’t take up too much of your time.

Our YouTube Channel will help you:

navigate DROP;
select a beneficiary;
create a retirement estimate in Member Access;
understand your retirement plan; and more!

Whether you just started teaching or you’re nearing retirement, TRSL has topic-specific webinars designed for you. Class will be in session soon for live and on-demand webinars led by our retirement specialists. Check out our spring sessions and register today.

Highlights from TRSL’s FY 2022 valuation: Lots to celebrate

It’s no secret that 2022 was a tough year for investments. Fortunately for our members, TRSL is a long-term investor well positioned to absorb swings in the market. Unlike a 401(k), your benefit doesn’t rise or fall with the stock market’s performance in a given year. You can have confidence in knowing your retirement is secure.

Need a little proof?

Take a look at the retirement system’s valuation report for the Fiscal Year 2022. The report, which was recently received by the TRSL’s Board of Trustees, provides a yearly analysis of the System’s financial position.
As detailed in the graphic above, the highlights of this year’s report include:

The plan’s funded ratio, which is a common metric used to measure the fiscal health of the retirement system, now stands at 73.7%, up from 71.8% in the last fiscal year.
Long-standing retirement liabilities, known as the unfunded accrued liability (UAL), continue to drop and now stand at $9.089 billion. All required contributions to reduce this debt are being paid, and it remains on track to be paid off on time.

Once you retire, your TRSL benefit is paid to you for your entire life. In fact, several of our retirees are a century and older.
The reason your TRSL benefit will never expire is because it’s not based on how much you contribute or the balance in your retirement account. Instead, it’s based on (1) your years of TRSL service credit; (2) your final average compensation (FAC); and (3) a benefit factor of 2.0% or 2.5%. Those three factors, multiplied together, total the maximum TRSL benefit that you are eligible to receive.
So, go ahead and live to 103.

Have you ever thought about serving on TRSL’s Board of Trustees?

This year, TRSL will hold elections for three board seats representing Districts 2, 3, and 4.
Serving on the TRSL Board of Trustees means taking an active participation in the management and safeguarding of System assets that provide retirement income for thousands of TRSL members. It’s an important public service role that involves attending a monthly meeting in Baton Rouge.

Interested but want to know more?

Save the date for interactive webinars with TRSL Director Katherine Whitney on March 7 and April 6. She will give a virtual overview of what to expect as a board member and answer your questions. More details are coming soon to your inbox. In the meantime, you can read over our candidate FAQs.

Candidate eligibility requirements include being employed in a parish that the respective district represents. Here’s the breakdown for the upcoming elections:

District 2: Orleans, St. Tammany and Washington parishes

District 3: Assumption, East Baton Rouge, Iberville, Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes
District 4: Bienville, Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne, DeSoto, Lincoln, Natchitoches, Red River, Sabine and Webster parishes
And, of course, you don’t have to run for your voice to be heard in matters involving your future TRSL retirement. You can participate simply by casting an election ballot.

Voting information will be mailed on August 11. You can cast your vote online, by phone, or by mail. The deadline to vote is 4:30 p.m. on September 11.

For more information about upcoming TRSL elections, visit www.TRSL.org/elections.

Stay informed about retirement legislation affecting TRSL
The 2023 Regular Legislative Session begins April 10 and ends June 8. As it is an odd-numbered year, this year's session will be fiscal in nature.

Fiscal sessions are limited to subject matters related to the state’s finances; however lawmakers can file up to five “general” subject bills. We will be monitoring all bills that impact TRSL and its members. Click here for some additional information about retirement bills.
Visit our Legislation page to get the latest information on bills that impact TRSL. You can also sign up for eNews updates here to receive important legislative updates directly in your inbox. Already signed up? Click on the “manage your preferences” link at the bottom of this email to make sure you have “legislation” checked as a topic of interest.

Legislative Lagniappe
Sen. Edward J. “Ed” Price and Rep. Delisha Boyd are ex officio members on the TRSL Board of Trustees, serving on the board by virtue of the offices they hold. Sen. Price is chair of the Senate Retirement Committee. His designee on the Board of Trustees is Sen. Cleo Fields. Rep. Boyd is a member of the House Retirement Committee, appointed to the board by the Speaker of the House. Click here to see the complete list of board members.

Spring into action by protecting your security

A new year is a great time to adopt better habits, including protecting yourself from cybercriminals. Protect yourself with these four easy steps from the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency:

Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your online accounts. This additional layer of security requires you to input an additional password (often a 6-digit code) generated by your phone or email once you log into your user account. This technology helps to prevent cybercrimes, including hacking.
Update your software. In fact, turn on automatic updates.
Think before you click. More than 90% of successful cyber-attacks start with a phishing email.
Use strong passwords and ideally a password manager to generate and store unique passwords.