How to Complete and Submit the Alabama RSA Retirement Application

The Alabama RSA retirement application is a two-part packet. You complete Part I yourself and send it to the Retirement Systems of Alabama between 30 and 90 days before your effective retirement date, which must fall on the first day of a month. After the RSA processes Part I, it mails you Part II, which shows your calculated benefit amounts and contains the form where you choose your payment option. Miss the Part II deadline and the default Maximum Benefit locks in permanently, so both halves matter.¹

The 30-to-90-Day Window

Your retirement date has to be the first day of a month. Working backward from that date, the RSA must receive your completed Part I no earlier than 90 days out and no later than 30 days out.¹ The RSA publishes retirement application deadline calendars each year on the TRS and ERS forms pages that spell out the earliest and latest submission dates for every monthly retirement date.² Pull the current calendar and mark both ends of your window before you start filling anything out.

Get the Right Packet

Download the Service Retirement Application Packet Part I from the TRS or ERS forms page on the RSA website, or ask RSA member services to mail you a paper copy. Do not grab the disability retirement packet by mistake; using the wrong one sends you back to the start.

The TRS packet contains three forms: the TRS Application for Service Retirement, a PEEHIP Insurance Authorization form, and an RSA Direct Deposit Authorization form.³ The ERS packet contains the ERS Application for Service Retirement and the RSA Direct Deposit Authorization form.¹

Filling Out the Application

Fill in every field. The RSA returns incomplete forms to the member for completion, and any time lost that way comes out of your 30-to-90-day window.¹

Type or print your full legal name, Social Security number, RSA member identification number, and the effective retirement date you want, which is always the first of a month. Then work through the employment history: every public employer you worked for and the corresponding years of service. Be precise with dates. Discrepancies between the contributions you certify on the application and what the RSA has on record can affect both your benefit amount and your eligibility.¹

Designate your beneficiary next. You will need the beneficiary’s full name, Social Security number, date of birth, and relationship to you. If you are naming more than one person, download the Multiple Beneficiaries Attachment form from the RSA website and attach it.¹

Direct Deposit Authorization

Complete the first page of the RSA Direct Deposit Authorization form yourself, then hand it to your bank or credit union to fill in the routing and account details on the second page. A properly completed Direct Deposit Authorization received by the RSA before the 13th of any month takes effect that same month.¹

PEEHIP Insurance Authorization (TRS Only)

TRS members complete the PEEHIP Insurance Authorization form included in the packet to enroll in retiree health coverage through the Public Education Employees’ Health Insurance Plan. Sign where indicated and submit it with the rest of Part I.³ ERS retirees handle their health coverage separately through the State Employees’ Insurance Board.

Notarization Is Preferred, Not Required

The RSA prefers a notarized signature on the retirement application, but it is not an absolute requirement. If you cannot get to a notary, send the signed application in anyway within the 30-to-90-day window. The RSA’s own guidance for both TRS and ERS reads: “If you are unable to have your document notarized, you should still submit your signed Application for Retirement to the RSA 30 to 90 days prior to the retirement date.”⁴ Don’t let a missing notary stamp cost you the deadline.

Where to Send Part I

Mail the original completed forms to the address on the packet. For both TRS and ERS, that address is:

TRS (or ERS)
P.O. Box 302150
Montgomery, AL 36130-2150³

If your deadline is tight, you can also fax or email a copy while the original is in the mail. For TRS, fax to 877-517-0021 or email trs.info@rsa-al.gov. For ERS, fax to 877-517-0021 or email ers.info@rsa-al.gov. The RSA emphasizes that you should always mail the original document, whether or not you also send a fax or email copy.⁵ TRS members can also upload completed forms through Member Online Services at mso.rsa-al.gov.³

Canceling Before It’s Final

If you change your mind, you must give the RSA written notice before your effective retirement date. Once that date passes, the application becomes irrevocable and you cannot undo it.¹

Part II: Choosing Your Payment Option

Once the RSA processes Part I, it mails you Part II. Inside is a retirement allowance report with your calculated benefit amounts under each payment option, and the Retirement Benefit Option Selection form you must return. The retirement process is not complete until that form is back with the RSA. If it does not arrive before your effective retirement date, you automatically receive the Maximum Benefit, and that default is irrevocable.¹

The options set out in Alabama law are:⁶

Maximum Benefit: the highest monthly payment, paid for your lifetime only. When you die, monthly payments stop and your beneficiary receives only a prorated payment covering the days of the month you were alive.⁷
Option 1: a slightly smaller monthly payment than the Maximum. If you die before your annuity payments equal your account balance at retirement, the remaining balance goes to your beneficiary as a lump sum.⁷
Option 2 (100% Survivor Benefit): a reduced monthly payment during your lifetime, with your one designated beneficiary receiving the same monthly amount for the rest of their life after your death. The reduction depends on the age difference between you and the beneficiary.⁷
Option 3 (50% Survivor Benefit): like Option 2, but your beneficiary receives half your monthly benefit after your death. The reduction to your own payment is smaller than under Option 2.⁷
Option 4: a custom arrangement setting the beneficiary’s monthly benefit at an amount you choose, within actuarial limits and federal tax law. The RSA Board of Control must approve it.⁷
Option 5 (Partial Lump Sum): a one-time cash payment of up to 24 months of your Maximum Benefit at retirement, combinable with any of the other options, with your ongoing monthly payment reduced accordingly. Not available to disability retirees.⁶

Under Options 2, 3, and 4, you cannot change your designated beneficiary after retirement unless the beneficiary dies before you or the two of you divorce. Even in those situations, any replacement beneficiary takes effect only two years after you file the new designation.⁶

When Payments Begin

The RSA deposits retirement benefits on the last working day of each month. Your first payment lands on the last working day of the month your retirement takes effect, so a January 1 retirement date produces a first deposit on the last business day of January.⁸

1
Retirement Systems of Alabama. ERS Service Retirement Application Packet Part I
2
Retirement Systems of Alabama. TRS Forms
3
Retirement Systems of Alabama. TRS Service Retirement Application Packet Part I
4
Retirement Systems of Alabama. TRS
5
Retirement Systems of Alabama. ERS
6
Alabama Legislature. Alabama Code 36-27-16 – Retirement of Employees and Retirement Allowances
7
Retirement Systems of Alabama. ERS Tier 2 Member Handbook
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Retirement Systems of Alabama. ERS Tier 1 Active Members