MyTMRS Privacy & Security
Updated 2023-11-16
Our Commitment to You
At Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS), protecting your personal information is very important to us. We understand the importance of safeguarding your personal information and the trust you place in us as your retirement benefits provider. While your privacy is paramount to TMRS, we also comply with the Texas Public Information Act, in addition to multiple other privacy and security-related laws and regulations governing TMRS’ activities.
This Privacy Notice explains:
- how TMRS collects your personal information and why;
- how we use personal information and with whom we might share it;
- how we protect and safeguard personal information; and
- the choices you have regarding your personal information.
The rights discussed in this Privacy Notice and the steps we take to protect your personal information apply to all of your interactions with Texas Municipal Retirement System including online via MyTMRS®, our toll-free customer service number, fax, and in-person interactions with any of our TMRS representatives. This Privacy Notice also covers the personal information we receive on your behalf from your employer. All changes to our privacy practices will be reflected in this Privacy Notice, available on our website and in your MyTMRS account.
What Information Do We Collect and Why?
Providing retirement benefits requires us to collect a great deal of personal information about our participants, depending on several factors. TMRS collects your information through forms that you complete or obtain from our websites including MyTMRS and City Portal, from your submissions through fax, and submissions by your employer online or via fax or mail. If you would prefer to submit forms through fax, mail, or in-person, please see information on how to contact TMRS below.
The following describes the types of information we collect to support the services we provide, and why we collect it.
Application and registration: When an account is opened upon employment with a participating municipality or when you register with us for online access via MyTMRS, we collect personal information such as your name, address, phone number, email address, Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number, and date of birth.
Your Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number is just one of the ways we identify you and your account to ensure that we only discuss your personal account information with you. Both the IRS and Texas law require that we have a Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number for every TMRS account. Other information collected helps us to provide you with information about your account and perform calculations on your account (i.e. estimates).
Beneficiaries and trusts. To fully serve your needs, we may collect information on your designated beneficiaries for your retirement account and supplemental death benefits, if applicable. The information collected will include their Social Security number and relationship to you. If payments are to be made to a trust, we require information specific to the type of trust, such as the powers of the trustee(s), bank account information of the trust, trustee names and mailing addresses, and beneficiaries.
Disability. In the event a participant of TMRS applies for “Occupational Disability” retirement, TMRS will collect information from the employer and the participant. Such information will include job duties with applicable limitations, self-reported claim information by the participant, and health information.
Public Safety and Military. TMRS serves many different municipalities and participating organizations, some of which may have unique provisions. If you are a participant of one of these municipalities or participating organizations, we may also collect insurance information, or information regarding your military service, including dates of service and DD Form 214 or other discharge papers, as appropriate.
Direct deposit. TMRS makes service retirement payments via Direct Deposit, except in certain circumstances. TMRS will collect your personal information, and the information of your financial institution including name and phone number, type of account, account number, and routing number to make these payments. We may also collect a voided check to ensure accuracy.
Date of birth validation. At retirement, all participants’ dates of birth require validation. We may collect a copy of your Birth Certificate if available, but we may also collect information about your Baptismal Record or Family Bible Record, in completion of an Affidavit. Such information would include the name and location of church and include photocopies of the records.
Account changes: We collect your personal information when you ask us to update or change your account information with TMRS. Such account changes may be used to update your contact information, or be related to a death, marriage or divorce, or changes in your beneficiaries, bank accounts, trusts, etc.
Financial transactions and experience: Once you have an account with us, we collect and maintain personal information about your account activity, including your deposits, balances, and federal tax withholding. When you receive payments from your account, either by withdrawal (refund) or retirement, we report it to the IRS.
Automated Data Collection and Similar Technologies
Website usage: When you visit TMRS online, our systems may use small text files known as “cookies” saved on your computer, and graphic interchange format files (GIFs), or other similar web tools to enhance your web experience.
Server requests: Our servers log the following data automatically:
- The Domain Name System (DNS)
- Internet Protocol (IP) address
- The date and time of your visit
- The pages, tools, and services used
- Your computer’s web browser, operating system, and other technical information
- Any exception you may have encountered during your visit
TMRS uses Google Analytics™ to collect information related to the performance and usage of its website. This information is regarded as general interest and demographic, is reported to TMRS in aggregate, and does not personally identify you.
If you are uncomfortable with tracking technologies and accepting cookies on your computer, you may opt-out of Google Analytics™ by accessing this link: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/.
You may also limit our use of cookies on your computer through your browser settings.
Automated Data Collection Helps Us Serve You in the Following Ways The personal information we collect is primarily used to establish and maintain your account with us and intended to improve your overall experience by helping us:
- Administer your account
- Provide the services you have requested or are entitled to
- Process applications and transactions
- Verify your identity
- Manage your communication preferences
- Recognize you when you return to our website
- Maintain your web session while you browse
- Monitor website usage and topics of interest
- Analyze aggregated demographic and geographic information (this information is not used to personally identify you)
Third-party websites
You may notice that we occasionally link to third-party websites from our website or portals. These websites are not under our control. They operate independently and maintain their own privacy policies and statements. Consult the policies and statements for these websites, social media platforms, plugins, or widgets to ensure your privacy outside of TMRS’ environment.
How We Use Your Personal Information
Texas Municipal Retirement System collects and stores your personal information to provide the benefits you request or that you are entitled to receive, for security reasons, and for website analytics and enhancement. We only collect personal information provided specifically by you. We may also receive your personal information from the municipalities in which you are or were employed.
- We do not give, sell, or transfer any of your personal information to a third-party unless you provide consent to us to do so, it is necessary to provide the benefits you’ve requested or are entitled to receive (including sharing information with your employing city), or we are required to do so by law or regulation.
- We may contract with third-party service providers to facilitate our services. These providers undergo a thorough assessment process and are contractually obligated to protect your information according to the same or more rigorous standards than those adopted by TMRS.
- Only TMRS employees or authorized contractors, such as auditors or actuaries, have access to personal information collected to administer retirement benefits, as needed.
How We Secure Your Information
TMRS uses reasonable physical, technical, and administrative measures for protecting your personal information. Further, when collecting, transferring or storing sensitive information such as financial information or Social Security numbers, we use a variety of additional security technologies and procedures to help protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. When accessing TMRS online, the “https://” and padlock icon in the address bar will confirm you are on our secure site, protected by industry-standard encryption.
TMRS believes that data security is a partnership. We encourage participants to use only secure methods to send sensitive personal information to TMRS, such as through the MyTMRS portal or via mail or via fax. Participants should avoid using email to send sensitive personal information as it is a less secure transmission method. Additional tips for TMRS participants to help keep personal information safe include:
- Keep your equipment and software updated and using anti-virus and anti-spyware software;
- Log out of your account when you are not actively using it;
- Be cautious when using public wi-fi networks; and
- Use strong login credentials and passwords.
If you feel your information has been compromised, contact TMRS immediately.
Your Options to Ensure Your Information Is Accurate
We are committed to keeping accurate, up-to-date records to help ensure the integrity of the information we maintain about you.
- You may request access to your personal information.
- You may change the personal information that we have stored in our system.
- You may request corrections to your personal information that we have stored in our system.
We will always seek to accommodate your request in a timely manner. However, we may require additional documentation or we may be unable to make the requested changes if those changes require a disproportionate technical or practical cost, or if the request conflicts with our legal obligation or business requirements.
If you identify an inaccuracy in the personal information maintained by TMRS or if you need to make a change to it, please contact TMRS Member Services or log in to your MyTMRS account to correct it.
The Right to Access Information under the Texas Public Information Act
The Texas Public Information Act ("Act"), found in Chapter 552 of the Texas Government Code, gives the public the right to request access to certain TMRS information that is public under the Act. Although the Act makes certain information available to the public, some exceptions exist. For example, information contained in TMRS records concerning an individual participant, including retirees, annuitants, beneficiaries or an alternate payee, is generally confidential under the Act in accordance with Sections 552.0038 and 855.115 of the Texas Government Code.
If you have questions regarding how the Act applies to specific TMRS information, please contact TMRS.
More information about the Act is available from the Office of the Attorney General.
How to Contact TMRS:
By phone or fax:
Toll-free Customer Service: (800) 924-8677
Local Customer Service: (512) 476-7577
Fax: (512) 476-5576
By mail:
P.O. Box 149153
Austin, TX 78714-9153
In Person:
2717 Perseverance Drive, Suite 300
Austin, TX 78731