Your Beneficiary Designation is Very Important

One of your most important responsibilities as an active contributing member is to maintain a current beneficiary designation. You may name beneficiaries to receive in the event of your death both the contributions accredited to your TRS account and the TRS life insurance benefit. Failure to designate your spouse as primary beneficiary, or in the absence of a spouse, any legal dependent, can result in loss of valuable benefits for your survivors. A beneficiary is not required to be a relative and members may designate their estate as beneficiary.

If you marry after becoming a member, your spouse automatically becomes your primary active account beneficiary and your previous primary beneficiary designation is void. To designate your new spouse as beneficiary of your life insurance benefit, however, you need to submit a new beneficiary designation form to TRS. Divorce voids any previous designation of your spouse as a beneficiary and, unless there is another appropriately designated beneficiary remaining, your estate becomes your primary beneficiary by operation of law. If you are married and designate a beneficiary other than your spouse, your spouse will not be eligible for survivorship benefits.

To obtain a beneficiary change form for your life insurance benefit, see Forms for Active Members.