Did you know you can put extra money into your Wisconsin Retirement System account so you have more income for retirement? Additional contributions earn the same rate of interest as your employee-required contributions. Use the WRS Retirement Benefits Calculator to see how additional contributions may affect your retirement benefit.
Ways to Contribute
There are three ways you can make an additional contribution to your WRS account:
- Make an online payment.
- Send a check or money order directly to ETF along with the Additional Contributions Remittance (ET-2545) form.
- Arrange a payroll deduction with your employer if available.
If you participate in the Variable Trust Fund, 50% of your additional contributions will be put in your Variable Fund account.
Instructions for Online Payment
- You must be an active (working) employee of a WRS employer to make additional contributions.
- You will need your ETF ID.
- Payments initiated by 8:00 p.m. CST will be considered received for the current business day. Payments initiated after 8:00 p.m. CST will be considered for the next business day. The online payment site is administered by US Bank. US Bank will automatically email a receipt confirming the transaction has been processed. This does not confirm the deposit has been successfully completed. Some payments could be rejected by the bank, taking up to three days. If rejected and not successfully re-entered and fully processed by 8:00 p.m. CST on December 31, deposits will not qualify for interest earnings in the new year.
Click on the link below to get started.
Note: On your bank statement, the online payment shows up as “WRSETFAddl". No fees are charged for making payments or using the online payment site. Any fees for returned payments or overdraft charges are the responsibility of the member.
Important Deadlines for Year End
To earn the rate of interest effective January 2025, the following transactions must be completed—with no subsequent bank rejections or holds—by the deadlines below:
- Online payment must be successfully submitted by 8:00 p.m. (Central Time) on Dec. 31, 2024.
- Checks mailed to the U.S. Bank lockbox must be received by the bank no later than Dec. 31, 2024.
- Checks dropped off at ETF must be received by 4:30 p.m. (Central Time) on Dec. 30. 2024.
The amount of money that you can contribute each year (for both required and additional contributions) is set by Internal Revenue Service annual 415(c) contribution limits. You may not exceed the limit set for the year. See this year's limit in the Maximum Additional Contribution Worksheet (ET-2566) and the past three years in the IRS Benefits and Compensation Limitations (ET-8873) form. Please consult with your tax advisor if you have questions on how much can be contributed for a given year.
The WRS does not accept rollovers for the purpose of making additional contributions.