10/03/2026
A good question came up in a meeting this morning: “Can I take the money in my TRS account and invest it somewhere else?”
It’s a great question, and one I get periodically. Here’s what you should understand...
If you’re still working in a TRS-covered position, you generally can’t just withdraw, borrow from, or roll over that balance. Even if you eventually leave TRS employment and choose to refund the account, you’d be giving up the service credit tied to it, along with potentially giving up a future lifetime pension.
Could an investment account potentially grow more? 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦.
But before giving up 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 (your TRS pension), I’d think very carefully about what you’re exchanging it for.
TRS and your personal retirement savings can serve two very different purposes.