Tier 1 Privacy Policy

Member Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 19, 2024

This Member Privacy Policy describes how Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (“TRS”, “we”, or “our”) collects, uses, shares, and protects personal information when you participate in any of our retirement plans (each, a “Plan” and collectively, the “Plans”).  

For questions about our privacy practices, please contact us at webmaster@trsil.org or write to us at:

Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois
Attn: Communications Department
2815 West Washington Street
Springfield, Illinois 62702

When This Privacy Policy Applies

This Member Privacy Policy applies to personal information TRS collects from members, annuitants, and beneficiaries of each Plan. If you use or visit our general website (www.trsil.org), the TRS Website Privacy Policy applies.

Personal Information We Collect

Depending on the nature of your interaction with TRS, we may collect the following personal information about you and your beneficiaries:

  • Contact information, including your telephone number, email address, physical address, and any other information you choose to include when you communicate with us via email, mail, phone, or other channels. 
  • Benefit eligibility information, such as information relating to disability benefit eligibility, sick leave, and health insurance details. 
  • Device information and online user activity via cookies as described in our Website Privacy Policy. 
  • Employment information, including employer name, salary, contributions, and benefit selections. 
  • Financial information, such as your direct deposit information. 
  • Personal details, such as your name, date of birth, Member ID, Social Security number, and username and password. 
  • Survey information in response to questions we may send you, including for feedback and research purposes.

TRS may collect this information about you from third party sources to administer any Plan, including TRS participating employers, medical providers, reciprocal pension systems, and state and federal agencies. 

How We Use Your Personal Information

We use the personal information we collect from you to:

  • Provide any Plan to you, including to administer benefits, verify your identity, maintain your account, track and update contributions, issue payments, and provide important notices.  
  • Send transactional communications (e.g. account statements), respond to your requests and inquiries, and provide support. 
  • Perform internal administration, auditing, and operational functions, operate and improve any Plan, and engage in security and risk management activities. 
  • Comply with legal requirements and industry standards, detect, investigate, and prevent activities that may violate our policies or be fraudulent or illegal, and protect the rights of TRS, you, or others.

We may use and share information in an aggregated or de-identified manner data at our discretion, including for research, analysis, modeling, and improvement of any Plan.

How We Share Your Personal Information

We share personal information we collect:

  • With service providers that we believe need the information to perform a technology, business, or other professional function for us, such as IT services, email providers, accounting, auditing, and tax services, and other professional services. 
  • With your benefit plans, federal or state agencies, and other parties necessary to administer any Plan.
  • For legal purposes where necessary to comply with applicable law, to respond to requests from law enforcement agencies or other government authorities or third parties, as permitted by law and without your consent when it is necessary to protect you, TRS, or our property, in emergency situations, or to enforce our rights.
  • In the event of dissolution or consolidation of a Plan or TRS, your personal information may be shared in the manner specified by applicable law.
  • As required under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act, 5 ILCS 140. 

How We Protect Your Personal Information

We use a combination of physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect the information we collect. While we use these precautions to safeguard your information, we cannot guarantee the security of the networks, systems, servers, devices, and databases we operate or that are operated on our behalf.

TRS requires Social Security numbers (SSNs) for tax reporting obligations associated with payment of benefits and refunds and for internal verification and administrative purposes. You may rest assured that TRS understands identity protection concerns, complies with all applicable identity protection laws, and has policies and procedures in place to protect your SSN. We will never require you to transmit your SSN over the internet unless the connection is secure, or the SSN is encrypted. We will redact your SSN from information or documents before release as part of a public records request. We will only print your SSN on documents and forms that we mail to you as part of an application or enrollment process, to establish, amend, or terminate your account, or to confirm the accuracy of your SSN.

We will not:

  • Sell, lease, loan, trade, or rent Social Security numbers to a third party for any purpose;
  • Publicly post or display Social Security numbers;
  • Print Social Security numbers on any card required to access any Plan;
  • Require you to transmit Social Security numbers over the internet, unless the connection is secure or the Social Security numbers are encrypted; or
  • Print Social Security numbers on any materials that are mailed to you, unless state or federal law requires that number to be on documents mailed, or unless we are confirming the accuracy of the Social Security number.

Update Your Information

You are encouraged to ensure that the information you provide to TRS is kept up to date and to amend any information which is inaccurate or out of date. If you would like to view and correct any information that you have provided, please log into your account or contact us at the contact information provided above. 

Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may make changes to this Member Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Effective Date” at the top of this page indicates when this Member Privacy Policy was last revised. We may also notify you in other ways from time to time about the collection, use, and disclosure of your information described in this Member Privacy Policy.