Member Benefits
Welcome! You are now a Member of one of the strongest retirement systems in the country – the Texas Municipal Retiremet System.
Since 1948, over 900 cities across Texas have joined TMRS to provide retirement benefits to hundreds of thousands of employees like you. Your city has partnered with TMRS to provide you with a secure retirement. As a Member, you can receive a monthly retirement benefit for life.
Apply for Retirement
When you are ready to retire and begin receiving your monthly benefit, follow these simple steps.
Estimate your monthly retirement benefit
Using the Estimates tool on MyTMRS, you can compare estimates for various retirement dates and TMRS retirement benefit options. Your age and your birthdate impact the amount of your monthly retirement benefit, so always run an estimate for your next birthday.
Choose your retirement date
Your retirement date must be the last day of the month and cannot precede the termination of your city employment.
Complete your retirement packet
Download the TMRS Service Retirement Packet that contains all the forms you need to complete to retire. Your completed forms must be received by TMRS no later than your retirement date.
Receive your retirement confirmation
TMRS will send you a letter confirming your retirement and monthly benefit amount after processing your application.
Please note that if you are planning to work for another TMRS participating city immediately after you retire, you cannot start working at that city until after your TMRS retirement date.
Calendar Year 2023
January | 31 |
February | 28 |
March | 31 |
April | 28 |
May | 31 |
June | 30 |
July | 31 |
August | 31 |
September | 29 |
October | 31 |
November | 30 |
December | 29 |
Fact Sheets
Fact Sheets explain common TMRS benefits. Contact TMRS if you have any questions about these or any other benefits.
- Apply for Retirement
- Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Overview
- Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) Calculation
- Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA): New Repeating Option
- Death in the Line of Duty
- Designate Your Beneficiary
- Disability Retirement
- Divorce and Your TMRS Benefit
- Employees Eligible To Enroll in TMRS
- Employment With Other Texas Retirement Systems
- Estimating Your Retirement Benefit
- How to Use MyTMRS
- Income Replacement in Retirement
- Making a Plan Change
- Military Service: TMRS Time Credit
- Prior Public Service Time Credit
- Refunding Your Account
- Retirement Benefit Options
- Return To Work
- Social Security's Windfall Elimination Provision
- Supplemental Death Benefit
- Thinking About Retiring?
- TMRS Is Your Retirement Plan
- Updated Service Credit
- Vesting with TMRS
En Español
- Acreditación de tiempo por el servicio público anterior
- Adquisición de derechos con TMRS
- Beneficio suplementario por fallecimiento
- Calculacion del ajuste del costo de vida (COLA)
- Cómo calcular su beneficio de jubilación
- Crédito por Servicio Actualizado
- Cómo utilizar MyTMRS
- Designe a su beneficiario
- Divorcio y su beneficio de TMRS
- Empleo con otras sistemas de jubilación de Tejas
- Ingresos de reemplazo en la jubilación
- Muerto en acto de servicio
- Nueva opción de COLA repetivo
- Opciones de beneficios por jubilación
- ¿Pensando en jubilarse?
- Piense antes de reembolsar
- Regreso al trabajo
- Resumen del ajuste del costo de vida (COLA)
- Servicio militar - credito de tiempo
- Solicitud de jubilación
- TMRS es su plan de jubilación
- La "Windfall Elimination Provision" del IRS
Forms
For a list of all of our current forms for Members, click here.
If you have any questions about how to use the forms, don't hesitate to call our Member Services Center at 800-924-8677.
Refunding Your Account
During your employment with a TMRS participating city, you contribute into a TMRS account, and each year TMRS applies 5% interest to the account balance. When you stop working for a TMRS participating city, you can either:
- leave your account balance with TMRS to continue to earn interest, or
- withdraw (refund) your personal contributions and the interest credited to your account. Your refund does not include any city matching funds.
Things to Consider
Refunding is an option, not a requirement.
If you are not vested, you can leave your contributions in your TMRS account for up to five years, and your account balance will continue to earn 5% interest each year. After five years, you must refund your account, and your TMRS membership will terminate.
If you are vested, you can leave your contributions in your TMRS account, and they will continue to earn 5% interest each year until you retire. Then, when you retire, your account balance will be matched by your former employing city, and you will receive a monthly retirement benefit for life and possibly the life of any designated beneficiaries.
If you are vested and refund your TMRS account balance, the refund will not include any city matching funds, and you will forfeit forever the opportunity to receive a lifetime retirement benefit.
Given the ramifications of the decision to refund your TMRS account balance, you should consult with a financial or tax advisor before you decide to do so.
How to Refund
If you do decide to obtain a refund, you must complete the Refund Application, which requires a signature from your last employing city.
Refund Process
TMRS cannot issue a refund until we receive your final TMRS city contribution, which can take up to eight weeks. If you return to work for a TMRS participating city before your refund is issued, your refund application will be cancelled.
Refund Status
You can check your refund status online 24/7 using MyTMRS or by contacting the TMRS Member Service Center at 800-924-8677.
How Refunds are Taxed
You can defer paying income tax at the time TMRS issues your refund by rolling your funds over into an IRA or other qualified plan. If you don’t, the IRS requires TMRS to withhold 20% of your refund. Depending on your age at the time you end employment and receive your refund, the IRS may assess an additional 10% early withdrawal tax when you file your taxes. See the Special Tax Notice Regarding Plan Payments attached to the Refund Application for more information.
This information is also available as a fact sheet.
Schedule a Counseling Session
You can schedule a counseling session with a TMRS representative to answer your questions about your TMRS benefits, estimate your monthly retirement benefit, or discuss your retirement options.
We offer both in-person counseling in our office and online counseling from the privacy of your home or anywhere. For online counseling, all you need is a computer or mobile device. A webcam or phone camera is not required but will allow you to see your representative and any documentation they share with you.
Your family members and financial advisor are welcome to attend.
Click the button below to schedule your counseling session today.
Attend a Webinar
Learn more about TMRS by attending a webinar.
Attend a Webinar