Having your beneficiary's Social Security number^ on file with TRS prevents unnecessary delay and complications at the time death benefits become payable.

TRS cannot distribute death benefits from a member's account until we have identified and contacted all designated beneficiaries on file. And, while other demographic information may be incomplete in our records or become outdated over time, the Social Security number is the most reliable way of confirming the identity of your beneficiaries and initiating contact with them.

You are not required to enter Social Security numbers at the time you enter your beneficiary designations. However, if you don't, TRS may follow up with you periodically to remind you to provide this information.

^If your beneficiary does not have a Social Security number, then an alternative number such as the Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) may be used instead. If your beneficiary is a charity or organization, the Employer Identification Number (EIN) may be used.