Register Today! Pre-Retirement Workshop Webinar IMRF's Pre-Retirement Workshops are now available in a webinar format. They will be one-hour interactive webinars, with the opportunity to ask questions. The  Pre-Retirement Workshops are free to IMRF members! These webinars are for IMRF members who are within five years of retirement. They will address the steps you must take before and during the IMRF retirement application process. For more information, or to register for a Pre-Retirement Workshop webinar, click here.

How to Participate in the 2020 IMRF Board Election This fall, IMRF will hold elections for two  Employee Trustees , one  Executive Trustee,  and one  Annuitant Trustee . Interested candidates can learn more about the terms, procedures, and qualifications for each of the open positions by clicking here . If you wish to nominate someone for one of these positions, the nominating petition forms are available here . The most efficient ways to submit your nominating petitions are through your Member Access account using Secure Message , or attached to an email sent to IMRFTrusteeElection@imrf.org . Please take the time to vote in this fall's Board of Trustees election!

I'm Leaving My IMRF Employer - Should I Take a Refund of My IMRF Contributions? If you have left your IMRF employer and will not continue to participate in IMRF, you can leave your contributions on deposit with IMRF, or you may be able to take a refund. There are specific criteria for taking a refund, and not everyone qualifies for a refund. Leaving your contributions on deposit with IMRF makes sense if you are vested or if you think you may work for another IMRF or reciprocal system employer in the future. When you take a refund of your IMRF contributions, you lose all of your service credit, and you give up your right to any future IMRF pension and death benefits. If your hours are reduced or you are furloughed but still in an employment relationship with your IMRF employer, you cannot take a refund of your IMRF contributions. You can file for a refund ONLY if you are no longer working, in any position, for the employer with whom you made these contributions AND if you are no longer working for any employer in an IMRF-qualifying position. For more information on whether taking a separation refund or leaving your contributions on deposit is right for you, click here.

IMRF Provides More Online Member Services

During 2020, IMRF is beginning a planned, incremental transition toward becoming a more web-centric organization. This means that starting this year, IMRF will rely more on the web and less on paper to provide customer service to its membership. With this initiative, IMRF aims to: Help more members utilize online Member Access to communicate and do business with IMRF. Save money on printing and mailing costs, benefiting all IMRF stakeholders. Become a better steward of our global environment by consuming less paper. “With this new approach, we’re excited to provide members with more timely, relevant information that reaches them where they are,” said Dawn Seputis, IMRF Customer Service Director. For more information about IMRF's transition to web-centric service delivery, click here .

Are You Planning to Work After You Retire? If you plan to work part-time, as a consultant, or in any other capacity after you retire, here is some important information to keep in mind. IMRF’s Board of Trustees recently passed a resolution regarding the Separation of Service requirement for IMRF retirees. This resolution will apply to retirees whose pension payments begin January 1, 2021 or after. It says: In order to qualify to begin receiving pension payments, you must stop working for any IMRF employer in any capacity, and You must not enter into an agreement or pre-arrangement to return to employment in any capacity with any IMRF employer prior to retirement or for at least 60 days after your first pension payment. This includes plans to return as a part-time employee, an independent contractor, or a leased employee. Retirees who violate this policy will be required to pay back all pension payments received, because they did not truly separate from service. This resolution was passed to comply with both the Illinois Pension Code and the Internal Revenue Code which governs IMRF's Qualified Plan status. To read more on the recently passed Separation of Service Resolution, click here. For more information on IMRFs Return to Work policies, click here.

Member Access - Did You Know?

You Can Change Your Beneficiaries in Member Access! Do you need to make a change to your beneficiaries? You can make the change quickly and easily in your online Member Access account. After you log into your Member Access account, click on Change Beneficiaries under Quick Links in the column on the right side of the page.

If you do not already have a Member Access account, you will need a Registration Key to create one. The Registration Key is 16 characters and can be found toward the end of the annual Statement of Benefits IMRF mailed to you in February. You can also request that a new Registration Key be mailed to you by clicking here .   For information on everything Member Access has to offer, and for instructions on how to conduct your important IMRF business using Member Access, click here .

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