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We talked with Treshayla Wilson, an expert from the Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner, to get holiday spending tips on how to spend wisely, avoid scams and plan for the next holiday season!

Mentioned in this episode:

NerdWallet 2025 Holiday Spending Report

Additional resources:

Learn to use a credit card with Empower Learning

ReportFraud.ftc.gov

identitytheft.gov

*title generated with help from ChatGPT

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Feel empowered to save for retirement this National Retirement Security Month. Hosts Suzanne and Crystal speak to Texa$aver Retirement Plan Advisor (RPA) Mike McLellan about investing at any age, consolidating plans, a magic number to double your money and more on Empower Hour.

Mentioned in this episode:

Texa$aver.com

Schedule a meeting with a Texa$aver Retirement Plan Advisor

The magic number: Americans say they need $1.06 million to retire

Learning curve

How scattered retirement accounts can hurt your financial future 

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Hosts Dani and Crystal are joined by Jeff, a member of our Specialty Operations Services team, to answer member questions found on a popular forum based social media platform.

Helpful contacts:

Contact the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) by calling (877) 275-4377 (TTY: 711), Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT. If your question doesn’t need an immediate answer visit the Contact ERS webpage and submit a question to be answered over email.

Contact a Texa$aver℠ 401(k) / 457 Program Retirement Plan Advisor (RPA) by calling (800) 634-5091 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT or schedule an appointment with an RPA.

Helpful resources:

• Find your ERS retirement group
• Employees and survivors premium rates
• Retiree premium rates
• Withdraw Your ERS Retirement
• Know before you go – Money MattERS article

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ERS' own wellbeing expert, Lacy Wolff, joins the hosts Dani, Angelica and Suzanne to discuss trends in member attitudes towards their finances, their financial stressors and helpful ERS resources.

Mentioned in the episode:

ERS Buena Vida Podcast

Buena Vida 

ERS Money Talks newsletter

Wellness webinars

Money Mindsets & the Marketing Trap with Nick Daugherty

From $40K Debt to Financial Freedom: Kari Karber's Journey

Steps to make your emergency savings fund

HealthSelect wellness resources

HealthSelect condition management programs

Texa$aver

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The 89th legislative session has ended and health insurance premiums will go up September 1, which is the start of the new plan year. The hosts talk with Blaise Duran, director of group benefits at ERS. They discuss why premiums are increasing, who's affected and the ways ERS works to help keep those costs low. 

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Life insurance is important for many families. That's why we want you to know exactly how it can help protect your loved one's financial security. And with Summer Enrollment coming up with the chance to add or change your coverage, it's a good time for us to talk with Securian's Lynn Gordon, who demystifies this complex and important benefit.

Covered in this episode:

• Term life insurance vs. permanent/whole life insurance
• Understanding evidence of insurability (EOI)
• The importance of naming beneficiaries
• Reevaluating the need for coverage as your life and financial situation changes
• What happens with your term life insurance when you retire and the process when you die.
• Resources

lifebenefits.com/plandesign/ers

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It's not all cruises and flowers (although those are nice, too!). Beneplace's Tom Murphy talks about how to save an average of $5,000 per year on regular household items and also those big-ticket purchases. Topics include:

• Popular ways to save with the Discount Purchase Program
• Deals popular with State of Texas employees
• How shopping habits change with the economy
• The benefit of discount programs to employees and employers
• Shopping success stories
• Fun Life Rewards

Mentioned in this episode: discountprogramtxers.com

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Treshayla Wilson of the Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner joins ERS' Crystal and Suzanne to talk about scams, swindles and safety. 

Hear about the top scams to avoid now, how to spot one and how to protect your personally identifiable information. Know where to go if you fall victim to a scam. 

Covered in this episode: 

• State of scams today
• How to protect yourself from scams
• Scam #1: Student/teacher login phishing scams
• Scam #2: Facebook and social media login scam
• How to protect your personally identifiable information
• Scam #3: Government/IRS impersonation scams
• Scam #4: Toll text scams
• How and why to report scams; helpful resources

Mentioned: 

Texas Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner https://occc.texas.gov/

Federal Trade Commission https://www.ftc.gov/

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The hosts Suzanne, Dani and Angelica are joined by Texa$aver Retirement Plan Advisor Nik Frye to talk about retirement planning, the value of meeting with a retirement plan advisor and what to expect during a Retirement Readiness Review. So whether your retirement is a few days or a few decades away, there's something for you in this episode.

Mentioned in this episode:

www.texasaver.com

Texa$aver dashboard

Meet with a Retirement Plan Advisor scheduling tool

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Talking State of Texas Retirement with ERS Benefits Educator Jennifer Thompson

We discuss the state pension plan for groups 1, 2 and 3. Learn why your pension is valuable, how it’s calculated, things to consider when life changes and much more.