What is New Mexico NEA-Retired?
New Mexico NEA-Retired is a program for all
educational employees in New Mexico. All educational employees are
eligible for membership and are encouraged to become active in their
organization. New Mexico NEA-Retired
offers special, professional and economic status for every educational
employee through Pre-Retirement or Retired Membership in the
Association. through New Mexico NEA-Retired, you can find a practical
basis for united action with others who are devoted to the welfare of
retired school employees and the cause of public education. Through
New Mexico NEA-Retired, you can also remain active as a volunteer in civic
and educational affairs. New Mexico
NEA-Retired provides retired members with the information they need to
remain active and well informed in local, state and national developments
affecting public schools and school employees. Every New Mexico
NEA-Retired member automatically receives NEA Today and NEA Retired. New Mexico NEA-Retired involves retirees in the political and legislative
activities of the Association at the state and national levels. New
Mexico NEA-Retired members may be called on to help with lobbying issues
directly affecting retirees and benefits. They may also be contacted
to review records and offer advice on support for political candidates.
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The Benefits of New Mexico NEA-Retired
- More effective lobbying for retirement
benefits;
- An unbroken string of services provided
all members by NEA-NM -- services that can be provided only by NEA-NM's
professional staff, including NEA-NM's Attorney Referral Service;
- Representation on the NEA-NM Board of
Directors and NEA-NM EdPAC;
- And probably most important of all -- the
dignity that comes from being part of an active, and still growing,
family of educators.
Members for life receive the notebook, Planning
for the Best Years of Your Life, which is recognized as one of the
best pre-retirement planning guides available. This booklet is not
available except through an NEA-Life membership. And membership for
life is available now while you are still actively engaged in
teaching. Joining New Mexico NEA-Retired before you retire will give
you an opportunity to use the planning guide to prepare for retirement
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NEA-Retired Values Your Experience
Whether you will retire soon from your career
in education or you have recently retired, your experience is valued as a
member of NEA-Retired, the only national retired program designed especially
for educational personnel. It's your way to stay involved in education
and gain important benefits now, when you can use them most.
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NEA-Retired Offers:
- Pre-Retirement Publications and Seminars
-- A NEA-Retired member for life receives a complete set of
pre-retirement publications and can participate in pre-retirement
seminars through his/her unified state association.
- Liability Insurance -- NEA-Retired
members for life who substitute teach are eligible for liability
insurance.
NEA-Retired members are also eligible to
enroll in NEA's Member Benefits program available to NEA-Retired
members. These include:
- NEA-Member Care Program -- A portfolio of
health insurance plans including a Medicare supplement, a Excess Major
Medical, as well as In-Hospital Options;
- Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance --
NEA-Retired members who are 55 or older and retired can use this plan to
obtain the additional life insurance they need with no health questions
asked;
- Money Market and Certificate Deposit;
- Homeowners and Renters Insurance;
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment
Insurance;
- Car Rental Discount Service;
- National Credit Card Service; and an
- Individual Retirement Account.
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Updates
NEA-New Mexico and New Mexico NEA-Retired
have worked to maintain the financial stability of our educational
retirement system since its inception. We have fought many attempts to
weaken the soundness of our retirement. We supported successful
constitutional amendments to protect all state retirement funds from
possible raids by future legislatures.We have worked to successfully increase
retirement benefits over the years. The last major improvement to be
signed into law was an ad hoc cost of living increase passed
in 1999 that increased monthly benefits by $2 per month for every year that
employees had been retired and by $1 per month for each year of covered
employment service by the employee.In 2001 we supported the return to work
provision passed by the legislature and signed by the governor. This
measure that began in January 2002, allows retired educational employees to
return to work for a covered public employer after twelve continuous months
of retirement for educational employment at full pay and full retirement.
Intended to help curb the teacher shortage, this measure is available to all
educational retirees and will be in effect for ten years....top
Pre-Retirement Workshops
New Mexico NEA-Retired leaders are prepared
to carry out pre-retirement workshops for any NEA-New Mexico region in the
state. These workshops are primarily for active employees, but much
useful information can be obtained by current retirees. Many subjects
need to be discussed and researched before the employee is faced with an
actual retirement date. Topics of interest to retirees and potential
retirees include ERA benefits, Social Security, estate planning, financial
planning (where the retiree will live, health benefits) and activities to
occupy the retirement years. It is the goal of New Mexico NEA-Retired
to conduct a minimum of one pre-retirement workshop in each region of the
state each year so members can make informed decisions about their
retirement future. |
