Information and Greetings for February, 2022

In light of the continuing Covid situation,
there will be no PARTA gatherings or activities in the foreseeable future.

We continue to be available to you at the contacts above for any questions or concerns you have about anything related to your retirement situation.

President’s Message

Although we don’t have any activities/events planned, there are other opportunities offered by ARTA committees and other branches that are available to PARTA members. Check in this newsletter or on the ARTA website for presentations that might be of interest to you.

I remind you to contact the ARTA office staff who are ready to help you in any way they can.
ARTA offices are closed and staff work from home.

ARTA Office Contacts:
Phone: 780-822-2400
Location: 15505 137 Ave. T5V 1R9

A great source of information is the ARTA website.
Type ‘ARTA’ in your search bar and it will come up.

Alberta Auto Insurance Changes

Starting January 1, 2022, all automobile policies in Alberta will include mandatory coverage for Direct Compensation Property Damage (DCPD). This coverage will make claiming damages to your vehicle faster and easier, as you will now deal with your insurance company directly, regardless of fault. There is no action required. As DCPD coverage is a change to the way that vehicle damage claims are handled in Alberta, it will automatically start on January 1st, 2022.

Here are the links for additional information from a presentation Laurie Bauer hosted for the HARTA Branch:

Pre-Retirement Information for Practising Teachers

Prior to your president attending the virtual Parkland ATA Local 10 Meeting on January 12, I received some information, approved by a member of the ARTA staff, to share with members of Parkland Teachers’ ATA Local 10 who are considering retirement in the near future.

Under normal circumstances, it is advised to contact the ARTA office directly to set up an appointment to get accurate information about retirement plans. However, during the Covid pandemic, the ARTA offices are closed and staff work from home.

This does not diminish their ability to help retiring/retired teachers get the correct information they need to make sure their transition from practicing to retired teacher is smooth and accurate.

Some Helpful Contacts:

Retirement Planning:
arta.net
780-822-2400 (Ask for Member Services)

About Your Teacher’s Pension Plan:
atrf.com or member@atrf.com
780-451-4166

How to Resign:
teachers@ab.ca (Barnett House)
780-477-9400

CPP and OAS:
servicecanada.gc.ca
1-800-959-8281

ARTA-TW Insurance Degree Scholarships

ARTA Certificate/Diploma Scholarships

In keeping with its continuing support for education, ARTA has two annual scholarships that are awarded to students continuing their post-secondary studies:
Applications are welcome from direct relatives (children, grandchildren, 1st and 2nd generation nieces and nephews) who are sponsored by current ARTA members.
The scholarships are limited to those applicants who have successfully completed the first, second or third year of an undergraduate or transfer program leading to a first degree.
Applicants who have previously received a Degree Scholarship or a Certificate/Diploma Scholarship through ARTA do not qualify for a subsequent scholarship.

Insurance Degree Scholarship à ARTA News à (Information/Application here)

ARTA diploma scholarship à (Information/Application found here)

Applications may also be obtained by contacting:

Alberta Retired Teachers’ Association

HARTA’S Devices Workshop

This information presentation on Windows 10 will be conducted virtually.

Presenter: Stan Gerber
1:00 pm, Wednesday, February 16
Meeting ID: 886-3313-9926 – Passcode: 681579
Phone: 1-587-328-1099

To Register, Contact:
Ron Thompson at rmthompson@shaw.ca.
Phone: 780-986-8349

Alberta Teachers’ Retirement Fund (ATRF)

Iona tuned into the virtual ARTA Financial Wellness Seminar – An Update
on Jan. 27 and really advises you all to check into the ATRF website to find out about your pension and other financial information pertinent to retirement.

Type ‘ATRF’ in your search bar and it will come up.
You will find: The Annual Report, How COLA will affect your 2022 Pension and other useful information about the financial structure of the fund and the cost of administration.

We hope that this format for the newsletter is more user-friendly than the last month’s.

If you have any comments – negative or positive – we certainly would like to hear from you.

The main focus of the letter is to put you in touch with sources for information and keep you up to date with ARTA’s activities and how their work may serve you as a member.

PARTA has several members who serve on ARTA committees and bring a wealth of knowledge and help to all the members of the organization. We really thank you for your work.

Today, in the cutest voice, my 8-year-old neighbour asked me to start recycling so I could help her save the planet.” I chuckled and asked, “And why do you want to save the planet?” “Because that’s where I keep all my stuff,” she said.

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