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You made it
We’re here to help make sure your retirement is as comfortable as possible.
Account Registration
Take Your Retirement Online
By registering your account in the Member Portal, you’ll be able to:
- View your account balance.
- Take care of important actions, like naming a beneficiary.
- Take care of important actions, like updating your tax withholding.
Account Management
Keeping Your Finances in Order
Congratulations! After a long and rewarding career, you’ve retired at last. However, financial planning doesn’t stop at retirement. Here are some things to consider as you start receiving your TCDRS benefit.
Taxes
Taxes don’t disappear when you retire. Having a plan for dealing with taxes during retirement can help you maintain your financial well-being.
- The money you deposited into your TCDRS account while you were working came out of your paycheck before taxes. In other words, that money was tax-deferred.
- You did not have to pay federal income taxes on it as long as it stayed in your TCDRS account.
- Payments you receive from your TCDRS account, such as your retirement benefit, are taxable.
More about Taxes
Inflation and
Cost-of-Living Adjustments
- Your TCDRS retirement benefit is a fixed benefit payment. That means the benefit amount will be the same every month for the rest of your life once you start receiving it.
- However, your expenses can change even if your lifestyle doesn’t. The cost of goods and services goes up a little bit each year.
- Over time, your benefit purchases less due to inflation. A cost-of-living adjustment restores some of the purchasing power your benefit loses during your retirement years.
Learn more
Getting Divorced After Retirement
You have many financial issues to consider during a divorce, including how it affects your TCDRS benefit. Your benefit is considered community property, which means your former spouse has a joint interest in it. Every case is different, however, and you have a variety of options in a divorce settlement. Please note: There is a different process for getting divorced before you retire.
estate planning
Put Your Wishes in Writing
Estate planning can save you and your family money. In a crisis, it can also save time, avoid confusion and guarantee that your wishes are carried out and your interests protected, even if you are unable to make decisions for yourself.
estate planning
Power of Attorney
Granting someone “power of attorney” doesn’t mean handing over control of your life or money. Instead, it’s a way for you to identify someone you trust to make decisions for you if you become incapacitated. You decide everything, from when it can take effect to what kinds of decisions that person can make on your behalf.
To grant authority to handle your TCDRS benefits if you become disabled or incapacitated, fill out the Durable Power of Attorney (TCDRS-67) form.