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The Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System is the largest of the Commonwealth’s 105 contributory retirement systems. We provide retirement, disability and survivor benefits to more than 88,000 active educators and 55,000 retirees and survivors. We’re glad to have you as a visitor and encourage you to browse often!

What’s new

January 27, 2012
Benefit recipients: Please watch your mailbox for your 1099-R tax form and important legislative bulletin to arrive soon

On Friday, January 27, our vendor will begin mailing 1099-R tax statements to our more than 55,000 benefit recipients. Accordingly, if you received a benefit payment from the MTRS in calendar year 2011, then you should receive your 1099-R tax statement in the mail shortly. Along with your tax form, you will receive an insert that includes information on how to read your 1099-R as well as the pension payment schedule for 2012. If you do not receive your form by Monday, February 13, 2012, please call our Cambridge office at 617-679-6877 to request a duplicate.

Please note, however, that you will NOT receive a Benefit Verification form this year as we are not conducting this process in 2012.

For more information, please see:

• How to read your 1099-R form (for retirees and beneficiaries)
• 1099-R Q&A for refund recipients (generally, former MTRS members who left the MTRS and withdrew their funds)
• How to change your federal tax withholding
• Legislative bulletin regarding recent pension reform provisions (pdf, 1 page)

Updated January 27, 2012
Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2011: Pension Reform III

On November 18, 2011 Governor Deval Patrick signed Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2011, “An Act Providing for Pension Reform and Benefit Modernization.” This is the third pension reform measure passed in the last three years, and significantly changes the benefit structure for new members of the MTRS (and all newly hired Massachusetts public employees). The law also increases benefits for certain retired members and survivors, and changes certain rules affecting current active members of the MTRS.

December 16, 2011
Board election news: Incumbent Karen A. Mitchell and Dennis J. Naughton elected; John A.M. Dow, Jr. leaves Board after 40 years of dedicated service

As reported to our Board at its December 16 meeting, our members have elected Karen Mitchell, an active teacher in the Plymouth Public Schools who returns for a second term, and Dennis Naughton, a retired teacher from the Millis Public Schools, for the two elected seats on our seven-member Board. Thank you to all our candidates, and to all our members who voted. The election results, tabulated in December 2011, were as follows:

Mr. Naughton replaces John A.M. “Jay” Dow, who, after 40 years of dedicated service, decided not to seek re-election. One of the longest-serving Board members, Mr. Dow began his teaching career in the Boston public schools, taught in Ipswich for a few years and then transferred to Marblehead, where he remained for 35 years before retiring in 1989. In the early 1970s, he was also president of the Massachusetts Teachers Association, where he learned the importance of the pension system and a strong retirement board. We are extremely grateful for Mr. Dow’s service to the educators of Massachusetts and the Board, and we wish him the best in retirement.

October 5, 2011
MTRS seeks owners of unclaimed funds

If you are:
• the executor or executrix, or
• the survivor or beneficiary
of a deceased MTRS retiree, the MTRS may have unclaimed funds on account for you. Please check our Unclaimed funds page for additional information.

8 Things you should know as an active member: Test your knowledge of the basics with this quick True-or-False quiz!

This page last modified: January 27, 2012