Articles about Your Retirement that may be useful to Massachusetts retirees.
New Meeting Locations in Largo & Ft. Myers Beach
FEBRUARY 24, 2016: The Association will be on Florida’s Gulf Coast during the week of March 1st for two membership meetings. For longtime members, please note that our meeting location has changed. We will no longer meet in St. Pete, but rather at a new location in Largo, FL.
Members can expect to hear updates on the Social Security Windfall and Offset laws, retiree health insurance, life insurance, veterans benefits and a host of other legislative initiatives.
On Wednesday, October 7th, our Association will hold its first ever Springfield-Area meeting. The meeting begins at 11:00 AM at the Dante Club in West Springfield. All members are invited to attend. Guests are also welcome.
Dante Club
1198 Memorial Ave.
West Springfield, MA
Work Continues On Remaining Applications
On August 31, approximately 600 former state employees, who retired under the Employee Retirement Incentive Program (ERIP), will be receiving their first pension payment, retroactive to June 30, 2015. According to the ERIP law (Chapter 19, Acts of 2015), the State Retirement Board had 120 days (4 months) from the date of retirement (June 30) to issue pensions to the ERIP retirees.
Members Can Save at Least 6% Off Arbella Premium
MAY 2015 VOICE: Last year the Association began exploring the possibility of offering discount programs to members. Our first such program, a discounted BJ’s Wholesale Club membership, was unveiled in December and proved a great success.
Since then, we’ve listened to the requests of members and have worked to develop new programs.
Offer Extended Through June 30th!
JUNE 5, 2015: Mass Retirees is happy to announce that our exclusive discount program with BJ’s Wholesale Club has been extended through June 30, 2015. Retirees must be a dues paying Mass Retirees member in order to qualify for the program.
MAY 2015 VOICE: For those members with insurance needs outside of Massachusetts, the Association is now in the process of establishing a similar discount program with national insurance providers.
WASHINGTON — Concerned about the rising prevalence and sophistication of identity theft, most private health insurance companies have abandoned the use of Social Security numbers to identify individuals. The federal government even forbids private insurers to use the numbers on insurance cards when they provide medical or drug benefits under contract with Medicare.
Mass Retirees will hold its annual Somerville, MA meeting on Friday, April 10th. The meeting begins at 11:00 AM and lasts approximately 90 minutes. All members are welcome to bring a guest. Door prizes will be drawn for those in attendance.
Holiday Inn Somerville, 30 Washington St., Somerville, MA
Friday, March 27, 2015
11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Double Tree By Hilton (Formerly Four Points Sheraton)
99 Erdman Way
Leominster, MA
Rt. 12, Fitchburg Leominster
Exit 12 off Rt. 2
Blizzard May Cause Postal Delays
JANUARY 29, 2015: Tax documents for retired Massachusetts public employees are now in the process of being issued by the 10 retirement systems.
The IRS gives retirement boards (and all employers) through January 30th to issue 1099s to those retirees and surviving spouses who received a retirement allowance in 2014. Some systems have already mailed the forms to retirees. All members should receive their 1099 document by the end of the first week of February.