Please inform your employees that all retirement benefits initiated on or after January 1, 2021, will be paid via direct deposit. Not only is this method more efficient but it is also more secure. This paperless option allows their benefit payment to be transferred to their account faster and with ease. This process will be mandatory and members will no longer have the option to opt-out of direct deposit. Currently, we issue more than 99% of existing retiree and survivor payments by direct deposit.