Join AEA/NEA Retired!

Articles
Announcement from NEA for Retired Members
New ATRS Retirement Rules Apply to All Members, Regardless of Retirement Date
Important announcement for retired members about newIRS tax witholding tables

Join AEA/NEA Retired
Congratulations! You've reached that time in your life that so many people look forward to – retirement. Now what?

As a an educational professional, you've dedicated a lot of time, effort and resources to teaching and helping our students. As a member of the Arkansas Education Association (AEA) and the National Education Association (NEA), you've worked hard to help improve the education profession. You certainly don't want to lose sight of all these accomplishments.

The best way to stay connected is to join AEA/NEA Retired. And you can do far more than just stay connected – you can stay active in the education profession. Retired educators agree that AEA/NEA Retired membership provides countless opportunities to: 
• Build leadership skills.
• Connect with students you've taught.
• Improve public education through mentoring, literacy, and intergenerational programs and activities.
• Speak out about the issues that concern your schools and communities, and to advocate for change.
• Help to protect and improve retirement pension, and health benefits-including state pensions, Social Security and Medicare.
• Achieve legislative and political action goals for education and education employees.

Member Benefits
As an AEA/NEA Retired member, you get all the same great benefits that you did as a regular member.
• Medicare supplement and other supplemental health insurance.
• Plans for long-term care insurance.
• MasterCard, VISA, and American Express at no annual fee*, with an accompanying retail purchase awards program.
• Credit Union* and special credit assistance plans.
• Loan and mortgage programs*.
• Rental car and other travel discounts.
• Discounts at businesses across Arkansas and the nation.
• Discounts for attorney's assistance with estate planning, consumer protection and real estate.
• Guaranteed Issue life insurance.
• Home owner's and auto insurance.

*Subject to credit acceptance.

You'll also be able to attend various programs and workshops, including those on money management and mentoring, and special luncheons for retired members during the AEA Professional Development Conference.

Retired members also receive representation on the AEA and NEA Boards of Directors, and during the AEA and NEA Representative Assemblies.

And finally, you'll receive several publications as part of your membership: "Arkansas Educator", "NEA Today", "Today's Education", "This Active Life" and “AEA Retired Newsletter”.

What Does It Cost?
You will pay dues to both AEA and NEA, just as regular members do. You can choose to pay Annual Dues every year, or you can make a one-time Lifetime Dues payment. Whichever you decide, dues can be paid by check or as deductions from your monthly Arkansas Teacher Retirement System (ATRS) check.

Annual Dues:
AEA: $15.00
NEA: $25.00

If you choose to pay through your ATRS check deduction, the total deduction for both dues is $3.33 per month.

Lifetime Dues:
AEA: $200.00
NEA: $200.00

If you choose to pay through your ATRS check deduction, $25 will be deducted each month until a total of $400 has been paid. No other dues will be required by AEA/NEA Retired during your lifetime.

If you would like to join, or if you need more information, call AEA at (800) 632-0624 or (501) 375-4611, ext. 115, and ask for Nancy Kline.

Announcement from NEA for Retired Members

NEA is currently working to remedy an unintended consequence of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that could cause financial hardship for retirees.  Background on this issue is provided below.  While NEA pushes for a legislative fix, we urge all retirees to contact their financial advisors immediately and adjust their withholding.  We ask that you send this information out to your retired members as soon as possible.  
 
Background: The Internal Revenue Service has issued new tax withholding tables to reflect the Making Work Pay credit on earned income that was contained in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  While pension benefits are not considered earned income and NOT subject to the Making Work Pay credit, IRS nevertheless instructed the payers of retirement benefits to use the new federal withholding tables.  Unfortunately, this likely will result in under-withholding on pension income, and retirees, most of whom are on a fixed income, may find themselves unexpectedly owing taxes at the end of the year.  
 
If the IRS does not modify its position on this matter, benefit payers, acting on the new IRS directive, will begin withholding using tax tables that are known to be inappropriate for most retirees.  While pension payers have indicated they will do everything possible to notify retirees of the reason for the change in the net amount of their benefit payment and the potential for under-withholding, the only way benefit recipients can change the withholding amounts is to instruct their pension systems to increase the amount of their withholding.  Furthermore, at the close of 2010, they will have to readjust their withholding to reflect the fact that the tables for 2011 will no longer incorporate the Making Work Pay credit.
 
NEA Advocacy: NEA believes that the IRS should allow the use of the old tables for income that is not eligible for the Making Work Pay Credit.  We are actively involved with AFSCME, the National Council on Teacher Retirement, National Association of State Retirement Administrators, and AARP urging the IRS to use the old federal withholding tables.  In addition, NEA and its coalition allies are actively lobbying Congress and the Administration to take action averting potential problems with the “Making Work Pay Credit” and retiree pension recipients. 
 
NOTIFY RETIRED MEMBERS THAT THEY SHOULD CONTACT THEIR FINANCIAL ADVISORS IMMEDIATELY TO ADJUST THEIR WITHHOLDING.  SUCH ADJUSTMENT IS CRITICAL TO ENSURE THAT THEY WILL NOT OWE UNEXPECTED TAXES AT THE END OF THE YEAR. 
 
We will keep you informed regarding our efforts to change the IRS policy.

AEA-Retired Bylaws (click here)

If you are retired or nearing retirement, AEA/NEA-Retired is your opportunity to have a strong voice through membership in an association of retired professional educators. For information on membership, write or call AEA/NEA-Retired, 1500 West Fourth Street, Little Rock, AR 72201-1064 (501) 375-4611 or toll-free in Arkansas 1-800-632-0624, or e-mail rhutchinson@nea.org.

• Promoting the social, professional and economic status and the general welfare of retired school employees.
• Furthering the advancement of public education in Arkansas and the United States of America.
• Promoting voluntary participation by its members in civic and educational activities.
• Becoming involved in the election of pro-public education candidates to public offices, lobbying for educational measures as well as improved retirement benefits, in conjunction with policy decisions made by AEA and NEA.
• Encouraging and assisting the activities of AEA and NEA at the state, local, and national levels.