FRS Employer Electronic Newsletter


Volume 2: Issue 3

Issue Date: April 3, 2003

 

Now that the Choice Periods for current employees have ended, we remain committed to keeping participating employers up-to-date on what's happening in the Florida Retirement System (FRS). This newsletter series will be emailed quarterly in an effort to keep you posted on issues and administrative operations.

It includes the following sections:

IMPORTANT CHANGES AND REMINDERS

Information About FRS Policies and Procedures

Your evaluations from the Employer Update Seminars held in February provided very good reviews on the MyFRS Financial Guidance Program. In your comments, many of you asked that we provide you with more detailed information on the administration and procedures for the FRS, particularly the Investment Plan. So, we will be providing articles with each quarterly issue of this newsletter on various topics to help you better understand the policies and procedures for the program. If you have specific issues or procedures that you would like addressed, please send them to us.

This month you will find articles in the attached document on:


You may wish to download and print these articles and save them in a notebook for future reference. You will also be able to find them under the Employer tab on MyFRS.com.

New Quarterly Investment Plan Newsletter

Starting with the first quarter of 2003, we'll be mailing Investment Plan participants a newsletter to accompany their quarterly statement. In addition to providing a performance update on all Investment Plan funds, the newsletter — called News on Investing for Retirement — will include articles on other investing topics. The quarterly statements and newsletters are expected to mail mid-April. You can find these newsletters and performance summaries on MyFRS.com, starting in mid-April, by clicking on the Investment Plan tab (on the left side of the home page), then Investment Fund Summary link in the left navigation bar, and then Quarterly Summary of Investment Fund Results link in the left navigation bar.

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SPOTLIGHT ON...

We Have a BIG-SCREEN TV Winner!

Congratulations to Gail Orio, who has won the 43" Hitachi big-screen TV for Group 3 and 4! Gail works for the Lee County Board of County Commissioners.

Gail was automatically entered in the big-screen TV promotion after she made an active retirement plan election. Thanks to all of you who have encouraged employees to weigh all their options and make an active choice!

We Have a LAPTOP Winner!

Congratulations to Ed Lowe, the third winner of a state-of-the art Dell Latitude C100 laptop computer! Ed, who works for Monroe County Fleet Management, was one of about 20,000 Group 3 employees who attended a MyFRS Financial Guidance Program Retirement Choice Workshop.

These workshops received excellent ratings and proved to be a great way for employees to learn not only about the new Investment Plan but also more about how the Pension Plan works. Now that the Choice Period for current employees has ended, you might want to encourage your employees to learn more about their retirement plans by attending one of the ongoing financial planning workshops in your area. You can learn more about these workshops and see the current list of locations, dates and times on MyFRS.com.

We Have More Prize Winners!

The following Group 3 or 4 employees won prizes for logging on to the retirement plan Choice Service on MyFRS.com during their Choice Period:

$500 Visa Gift Card Winners

  • Murray Munsen, Broward County Board of County Commissioners
  • Signe Page, Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners

MyFRS Financial Guidance Program Polo Shirt Winners

  • Johnie Gibson, Seminole County Sheriff's Office
  • D. Chesley, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners
  • Sandra Vanhoose, Town of Jupiter
  • Nancy Dewitt, Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners
  • Gustavo Molina, Miami-Dade County
  • Mansoor Lajmiri, Pasco County Board of County Commissioners
  • Roberta Robinson, Broward County Board of County Commissioners
  • Joan Bailey, Orange County Supervisor of Elections
  • Daniel Slyker, Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners
  • D. Moorer, Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners

Some Awards for Group 3 and 4 Employers

It's that time again! A handful of Group 3 and 4 employers who have been working especially hard promoting the MyFRS Financial Guidance Program and helping arrange the Retirement Choice Workshops have been rewarded.

The following people will receive Sharper Image E-Awards Points in April. These points can be redeemed through the special MyFRS Financial Guidance Program Awards Program Web page on sharperimage.com for some pretty exciting prizes:

  • Donna LePore, Seminole County
  • Jeri Hurtt, Clay County
  • Cathy Familo, Pasco County
  • Julie Johanson, Broward County
  • Ron Ziegler, Hillsborough County
  • Debra Laster, Palm Beach County
  • Larry Lunder, Palm Beach County
  • Dan Gonzales, Miami-Dade County
  • Jan Moore, Palm Beach County
  • Gail Coel, Sarasota County
  • Melinda Harrison, Lake County

If you're on this list, you'll be notified via email in mid-April about how many points you can redeem and how to collect your prize.

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 myFRS Financial Guidance Program

ARTICLES AND IDEAS TO SHARE

Attached is an article you can forward to your employees or include in your publications to encourage employees to use the Advisor Service. This article emphasizes the importance of financial planning in times of uncertainty.

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EMPLOYER RESOURCES

When you need help or have questions about the plans or the choice options, we have several resources available to assist you.

  • The MyFRS.com Web site. Click on the "Employer Services" tab in the upper right corner of the home page to get information specifically geared toward employers. If you're a state agency employer who needs access to a list of your employees who have joined the Investment Plan, you will receive a monthly report from COPES containing this information.
  • The FRS Employer Assistance Line, toll-free at 1-866-FRS-2121 (1-866-377-2121). Representatives are available 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Eastern time)/8 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Central time), Monday through Friday, except holidays. Remember, this telephone number is for employers only! Employees should call the MyFRS Financial Guidance Line at 1-866-44-MyFRS (1-866-446-9377).

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