Second Chance For Members

As of July 1, 2026, active TRF My Choice members who are fully vested with five years of participation now have the option to make a one-time irrevocable change, and opt-in to the TRF Hybrid Plan.

TRF My Choice members who make this change will keep the funds in their TRF My Choice account.

• You are fully vested in these funds and will continue to be responsible for their investments.

• These funds can be used to purchase service in the TRF Hybrid Plan.

Purchasing Service

You may purchase service up to the amount of full years of participation in the TRF My Choice Plan while you are actively employed once you have earned one year of Hybrid service. Service purchase is not required and there is no time limit to purchase service during active employment.

The cost to purchase My Choice years of participation may be significant. INPRS is working to create an estimate calculator, but it is not yet available. For now, use the TRF Service Purchase Calculator, using the “Substitute Teaching” service type to get an approximate one-year estimate. This estimate is not official, but it will give you an idea of the cost.

Considering Your Options

The opportunity to change your INPRS retirement plan participation from the TRF My Choice Plan to the TRF Hybrid Plan increases your options as you work and plan for retirement. To further explain how this plan change might work, we have provided two example scenarios.

Vested My Choice Member, No Prior Hybrid Service

Tera has worked as a second-grade teacher for six years and is participating in the TRF My Choice Plan. She is vested in the TRF My Choice Plan and her account balance is $24,000. She plans on teaching for the remainder of her career and wants to participate in the TRF Hybrid Plan so she can also earn a pension.

She decides to use her Second Chance opportunity to join the TRF Hybrid Plan, so she completes the request form and brings it to her employer to make the election. Her employer submits the completed form to INPRS, and the change is made as of the effective date submitted to INPRS. Now, each day she works, she earns TRF Hybrid service credit and a 3% contribution to her defined contribution account.

Tera is 100% vested in the $24,000 balance in her TRF My Choice account. While actively employed, she can purchase service using these funds, her personal funds, and her employer can contribute to her service purchase, too. Tera needs to earn one year of Hybrid service credit before she can purchase service,  so she makes a note to request a service purchase estimate from INPRS in a year. When she does, she’ll ask for several scenarios, up to the maximum amount of allowable purchased service, which is equal to the service she’s earned in the TRF My Choice plan, or six years. Any service she purchases will be creditable service, meaning it adds to her earned service toward vesting in the TRF Hybrid Plan.

Vested My Choice Member, with Prior Hybrid Service

Andrew started his career in city government and earned two years of PERF Hybrid service before going into teaching. He’s just reached vested status in his TRF My Choice Plan and wants to make the election to participate in the TRF Hybrid plan. Since his PERF and TRF Hybrid service credit combines when INPRS calculates his eligibility to retire, Andrew wants to start earning service credit toward his pension.

When he submits his form to his employer, his retirement plan will change to TRF Hybrid as of the effective date submitted to INPRS. After this change, the service credit he earns on the job will be in the TRF Hybrid Plan. When he calculates his eligibility to retire, his TRF Hybrid and his prior PERF Hybrid service will combine, meaning he only needs to earn eight more years of creditable service to reach vested status.

For now, he’s not interested in purchasing service, but he knows that there’s no rush. He’s fully vested in the TRF My Choice contributions he’s earned already and there’s no deadline to request an estimate or purchase service as long as he’s still employed with his current employer. If he decided that he’s interested in purchasing service, it will be creditable, meaning it will be added to his earned service toward vesting in the TRF Hybrid Plan. Plus, he’s already earned more than one year of service credit in the Hybrid plan, so he’s eligible to purchase service whenever he’s ready.

If Andrew were to purchase two years of service now, he would have a total of four years of creditable service – two from his work in city government as a PERF Hybrid member and the two he purchased. In this scenario, he would only need to earn six more years of creditable service to be vested in his pension benefit.

Making the Change

You are responsible for initiating the change from the TRF My Choice Plan to the TRF Hybrid Plan. To elect Second Chance, you must:

• Follow the instructions on this form (PERF-TRF My Choice Second Chance Member Election (State Form 9900433), then

• Bring the form to your employer to complete, then

• Your employer will be responsible for listing the effective date of the election and submitting the form to INPRS.

You may make your Second Chance election at any time during active employment. There is no time limit to make your election while you are actively employed.

A member of INPRS’s Member Advocate Team will contact you by email to let you know the plan membership change has been completed.

Members who make the Second Chance election will see both their TRF My Choice and TRF Hybrid Plans listed under “My Plans” while logged in to their secure accounts.

PERF My Choice Second Chance

As of July 1, 2026, PERF My Choice members who are vested in the PERF My Choice Plan and are employed by an employer who has submitted a resolution allowing this election will be eligible to participate in the PERF Hybrid Plan as of the effective date of the employers’ resolution allowing this option.

As of the effective date of their employers’ resolution allowing the Second Chance option, PERF My Choice members who are fully vested with five years of participation will have the option to make a one-time irrevocable change, and opt-in to the PERF Hybrid Plan.

PERF My Choice members will keep the funds in their PERF My Choice account.

• You are fully vested in these funds and will continue to be responsible for their investments.

• These funds can be used to purchase service in the PERF Hybrid Plan.

Purchasing Service

You may purchase service up to the amount of full years of participation in the PERF My Choice Plan. Service purchase is not required and there is no time limit to purchase service while you are actively employed once you have earned one year of Hybrid service.

The cost to purchase My Choice years of participation may be significant. INPRS is working to create an estimate calculator, but it is not yet available. For now, use the TRF Service Purchase Calculator, using the “Substitute Teaching” service type to get an approximate one-year estimate. This estimate is not official, but it will give you an idea of the cost.

Considering Your Options

The opportunity to change your INPRS retirement plan participation from the PERF My Choice Plan to the PERF Hybrid Plan increases your options as you work and plan for retirement. To further explain how this plan change might work, we have provided two example scenarios.

Vested My Choice Member, No Prior Hybrid Service

Beth has worked as an accountant in city government for six years and is participating in the PERF My Choice Plan. She is vested in the PERF My Choice Plan and her account balance is $32,000. She’s developed a passion for city government and now plans on working in public service for the remainder of her career and wants to participate in the PERF Hybrid Plan so she can also earn a pension.

Her employer recently updated their resolution with INPRS to allow their employees that are active members of the PERF My Choice Plan the opportunity to make a one-time irrevocable change, and opt-in to the PERF Hybrid Plan. She decides to use her Second Chance opportunity to join the PERF Hybrid Plan, so she completes the request form and brings it to her employer to make the election. Her employer submits the completed form to INPRS, and the change is made as of the effective date submitted to INPRS. Now, each day she works, she earns PERF Hybrid service credit and a 3% contribution to her defined contribution account.

Beth is 100% vested in the $32,000 balance in her PERF My Choice account. Once she earns one year of Hybrid service, she can purchase service using these funds, her personal funds, and her employer can contribute to her service purchase, too. Since she needs to earn one year of Hybrid service before being eligible to purchase service, she makes a note to request a service purchase estimate from INPRS in a year. When she does, she’ll ask for several scenarios, up to the maximum amount of allowable purchased service, which is equal to the service she’s earned in the PERF My Choice plan, or six years. Any service she purchases will be creditable service, meaning it adds to her earned service toward vesting in the PERF Hybrid Plan.

Vested My Choice Member, with Prior Hybrid Service

Alan started his career in city government and earned two years of PERF Hybrid service before accepting a position with another government unit that only offered the PERF My Choice Plan. He’s just reached vested status in his PERF My Choice Plan and wants to make the election to participate in the PERF Hybrid Plan, which his employer started offering after Alan became employed. Since he has prior PERF Hybrid service, Alan wants to start earning service credit toward his pension.

When he submits his form to his employer, his retirement plan will change to PERF Hybrid as of the effective date submitted to INPRS. After this change, the service credit he earns on the job will be in the PERF Hybrid Plan. When he calculates his eligibility to retire, his newly earned PERF Hybrid service will combine with what he’s already earned, meaning he only needs to earn eight more years of creditable service to reach vested status.

For now, he’s not interested in purchasing service, but he’s eligible to do so now because he’s already earned at least one year of Hybrid service. He’s fully vested in the PERF My Choice contributions he’s earned already and there’s no deadline to request an estimate or purchase service as long as he’s still actively employed with his current employer. If he decided that he’s interested in purchasing service, it will be creditable, meaning it will be added to his earned service toward vesting in the PERF Hybrid Plan.

If Alan were to purchase two years of service now, he would have a total of four years of creditable service – two from his work in city government as a PERF Hybrid member and the two he purchased. In this scenario, he would only need to earn six more years of creditable service to be vested in his pension benefit.

Making the Change

You are responsible for initiating the change from the PERF My Choice Plan to the PERF Hybrid Plan. To elect Second Chance, you must:

• Follow the instructions on this form (PERF-TRF My Choice Second Chance Member Election (State Form 9900433), then

• Bring the form to your employer to complete, then

• Your employer will be responsible for listing the effective date of the election and submitting the form to INPRS.

You may make your Second Chance election at any time during active employment. There is no time limit to make your election while you are actively employed.

A member of INPRS’s Member Advocate Team will contact you by email to let you know the plan membership change has been completed.

Members who make the Second Chance election will see both their TRF My Choice and TRF Hybrid Plans listed under “My Plans” while logged in to their secure accounts.