Tell VRS How You Manage Service Retirements
How do you manage service retirements at your organization? The VRS Customer Experience team would like to hear from you. This summer, we’re inviting employers to share which resources they use and the questions employees ask most often. If you’re interested in participating in a brief, informal call, email Amethyst Sloane, VRS customer experience manager.
Optional Life Insurance Rates Decrease July 1 for Certain Age Groups
Effective July 1, the VRS Optional Group Life Insurance Program reduced rates by 3% overall.
You will need to notify employees of the change and update payroll withholding for policy holders in the following affected age brackets. Rates are per month per $1,000 of coverage:
- Ages 50-54: Decreases from $0.20 to $0.19.
- Ages 55-59: Decreases from $0.31 to $0.30.
- Ages 60-64: Decreases from $0.54 to $0.52.
- Ages 65-69: Decreases from $1.02 to $0.99.
- Ages 70-74: Decreases from $2.06 to $2.00.
- Age 75+: Decreases from $2.06 to $2.00.
Questions?
Contact NaTosha Palmer at Securian Financial:
- Call: 800-441-2258
- Email: natosha.palmer@securian.com
New Securian Resources Promote Optional Group Life
Securian Financial has launched a new online resource hub to help you promote Optional Group Life Insurance more easily and consistently.
The hub brings together ready‑to‑use materials you can use throughout the employee lifecycle, from onboarding to ongoing enrollment and awareness campaigns. Resources are designed to support clear, consistent messaging and reduce the time you spend creating your own materials.
Employers will find materials to support:
- New hire onboarding.
- Enrollment campaigns.
- Member communications and reminders.
- General education about optional group life coverage.
Materials include customizable digital content, educational tools and printable resources you can share directly with employees.
All materials are specific to VRS Optional Group Life Insurance and are intended to help employees better understand their coverage options and make informed decisions.
Join Upcoming VRS Training Webinars
VRS offers a variety of live webinars to help benefit administrators build knowledge and stay up to date on important topics. Review the upcoming schedule below and register for sessions that meet your needs.
If you’re a newer benefit administrator, this four-episode webinar series is designed to give you a high-level introduction to VRS structure and benefits.
Join us for one of these upcoming sessions:
Upcoming Webinars
- Onboarding New Employees
July 9, 2 - 3 p.m.
Register - Understanding the Hybrid Retirement Plan
July 14, 2 - 3 p.m.
Register - Understanding Contributions
August 6, 10 - 11 a.m.
Register - Health Insurance Credit
August 18, 2 - 3 p.m.
Register
Recordings of many VRS training webinars are available on the VRS employer website, so you can watch at your convenience and revisit topics as needed.
FY 2027 Updates to Handbooks and Websites
VRS made updates to member handbooks and websites, as is typical for a new fiscal year.
Discard any printed handbooks you have on hand, as they are now out of date and no longer produced. Current handbooks are available online via the Publications page. Check the publication date on the back cover to ensure you’re using the 2026 version.
You may order printed copies of the VRS Member Guide, which is designed for new hires. Other handbooks and guides are available on the VRS website for employees to view or download.
