Announcements
Retirement Education Seminars
VRS will hold several on-site Retirement Education Seminars across the state this fall. Designed for members within five to 10 years of retirement, these half-day sessions feature presentations from experts on the following topics:
- VRS benefits.
- VRS defined contribution plans.
- Social Security.
- Expenses in retirement.
- Estate planning.
- Healthcare options, including Medicare.
Sessions are open to any VRS member, and registrations open soon on the Education and Counseling webpage:
- Institute of Advanced Learning and Research, Danville, September 16, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Northern Virginia Community College, Fairfax, September 24. 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Tidewater Community College, Virginia Beach, October 23, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Blue Ridge Community College, Weyers Cave, November 7, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
- VRS Counseling Center, Richmond, November 18, 8:30-1 p.m.
Is your organization interested in hosting a Retirement Education Seminar? We ask that your facility be able to accommodate at minimum 75 people. Sessions must be open to all VRS members. For more information, contact the VRS Retirement Outreach team.
Benefit Series Courses
Benefits Series courses offer a more in-depth look at VRS benefit offerings. These courses are intended to give employers the context and details they need to administer and counsel their employees on specific VRS benefits.
In September and October, VRS will cover the following:
- Service Retirement, 10-11 a.m. Thursday, September 18
- Retirement Payout Options, 10-11 a.m. Thursday, October 2
- Purchase of Prior Service, 2-3 p.m. Thursday, October 16
Secure Act Requires Employers to Monitor Catch-Up Contributions for High Earners
Beginning January 1, 2026, employers participating in the Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Deferred Compensation Plan will need to manage age-based catch-up contributions differently for high-earning employees.
The federal SECURE 2.0 Act (Section 603) requires that age-based contributions for employees who made at least $145,000 in the prior year be made as after-tax contributions (Roth). Section 603 does not apply to contributions made under the standard catch-up provision.
Participating employers will need to monitor wages paid to participants in the Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Plan. If a plan participant’s FICA wages exceeded the $145,000 threshold in the previous year, only after-tax contributions will be allowed as age-based contributions in the current year.
Resources to help you:
VRS Member Guide a Time-Saver for Onboarding Duties
Chances are, you’ve got a lot of benefits to cover when onboarding new employees. Simplify your task by making the VRS Member Guide available to new hires.
myVRS Security Tip: Use Mobile Number and Personal Email
One easy way for employees to cut through the noise and improve their security: Ensure their personal email addresses and mobile phone numbers are always up to date on VRS systems. They should log in to myVRS and update their contact information as needed. Members can review security best practices in the VRS Security Center.
