Retirement Checklist for Texas A&M University Employees

1 Year Prior to Retirement

Attend a Pre-Retirement Counseling Workshop.
- View the schedule of dates for either Teacher Retirement System (TRS) or Optional Retirement Program (ORP) workshops.
- Some employees find that attending multiple sessions or attending the same session at different times in the retirement process can be helpful.
TRS participant
- Submit TRS 18 - Request for Estimate of Retirement Benefits Form.
- Purchase service credit or transfer credit, if applicable.

Schedule a consultation with a Texas A&M Retirement Specialist to discuss your unique situation.
ORP participant
- Contact retirement investment vendor to review account projections, learn about income options available to you in retirement.
TRS participant
- Submit following forms directly to TRS. Be sure to also include age verification documents as required.
  - TRS 30 – Application for Service Retirement
  - TRS 228A – Federal Income Tax Withholding Certificate
  - TRS 278 – Direct Deposit Request
Contact Social Security Administration to determine eligibility for Social Security and Medicare benefits, if applicable.

Determine when to enroll in Medicare.
- If under age 65 and not receiving Social Security benefits, apply for Medicare A & B three months before you turn 65.
- If you are age 65 or older, you should enroll in Medicare during the 3 months before your retirement.
- If you are turning age 65 near your retirement date, please contact HR for guidelines on enrollment.
Contact your Tax-Deferred Account (TDA) and/or Tex$aver Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP) vendor to discuss your distribution options.
Complete the Start My TAMU Retirement form to initiate TAMU retirement process.

Consider notifying your department of your intent to retire at least two weeks prior to your retirement date.
- Your ability to begin retiree benefits is driven by the date your department processes your retirement in Workday.
Turn in required A&M forms to benefits@tamu.edu. HR will collect forms used to notify department and forms for continuation of insurance.

Pay insurance premiums monthly to SBA billing department.
Keep contact information current in Workday. It is important to keep your contact information up to date so we can send information related to benefits and annual Open Enrollment during July.