It's our goal to provide all TRS members with a positive experience when it comes to accessing our resources, services and facilities. This includes options such as bringing a guest to your appointments and designating another individual to manage your TRS benefit information and planning on your behalf. The following information describes various accommodations we offer when communicating with TRS. If you are seeking a particular accommodation for an office visit that is not described below, please let us know when you schedule your appointment.
Bringing a Professional to Your Appointment
You're welcome to bring a financial counselor, attorney, family member, or other advisor to your TRS benefit counseling appointments. You may find this helpful if you need additional assistance completing paperwork, asking questions or understanding the information, rules and processes. If you intend to bring a guest, please advise us when scheduling the session so we can ensure enough space for all participants.
Phone Authorization
There may be times when you want to authorize your spouse or relative to speak with TRS and receive information about your account. You will need to be available on the call so that we can ask you a series of questions that will allow TRS counselors to talk with your designee.
Power of Attorney
A power of attorney allows you to designate a person, known as your agent or sometimes attorney-in-fact, to act on your behalf. You may grant your agent a wide range of powers, including the authority to take actions on your TRS account. This means your agent could, for example, update your personal information, select benefit options and make decisions on tax withholding. Please make sure the power of attorney you execute addresses all the matters you would like your agent to address on your behalf.
TRS only accepts a power of attorney that is durable, which means the authorization states that it will remain in effect or come into effect if you become incapacitated. Even if you have executed a power of attorney, keep in mind that you can still act on your own behalf on TRS matters.
If you are an agent who wants to act on behalf of a TRS member, TRS needs a copy of the power of attorney under which you are acting before we can permit you to act on behalf of the member.
Lastly, please note that TRS will not allow a medical power of attorney to make changes to your health care coverage or pension benefits. A medical power of attorney only permits the identified agent to make health care decisions for you. These are decisions that usually come up between the agent under the power of attorney and the principal's doctor, hospital or other medical care giver. However, a medical power of attorney does not give your agent the authority to make insurance or retirement plan decisions.
Guardianship
Guardianship is a legal process used to protect individuals who are unable to care for their own well-being due to age, disability or injury. A court will appoint a legal guardian to care for and manage matters for the individual, known as a ward, who is in need of special protection.
If you are the guardian of a TRS member, you will need to provide us with the guardianship order and current letters of guardianship that verify that you have authority over the ward's TRS account, so we can assist you and the member you represent. Lastly, please note if a court has appointed a guardian over a TRS member, generally that means the member is no longer able to act on their own behalf at TRS.
Requesting Additional Accommodations
If you're accessing our resources, services or facilities, and are needing an additional accommodation not listed here, please let us know. When making your appointment, please inform the counselor of the accommodations you need.
TRS Ombuds
If you have an issue regarding the accommodations, please contact the TRS Ombuds at ombuds@trs.texas.gov.