Sharing the road with bicyclists

Bicycles, especially children on bikes, are smaller and less visible on the road and so face unique safety challenges. Here are a few things to keep in mind when traveling in areas where adults and children may be present and riding bikes on the road.

• Bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities on most roadways as drivers do.
• Check your blind spots when turning, opening your car door, or backing out of driveways. Bicyclists are difficult to see behind cars or other obstructions.
• When passing a bicyclist traveling in the same direction as you, slow down and move over if you can do so safely. Wisconsin state law requires motor vehicles to give at least 3 feet when passing a person on a bike. But if you can do it safely, give them same amount of space as you would another vehicle.
• Allow the bicyclist to enter and exit intersections first before making a right or left turn into their path.
• Children riding bikes are inexperienced, don’t use proper judgment, and don’t often know the rules of the road. Exercise caution when sharing the road with young bicyclists.
• Watch for bicyclists turning in front of you. Children don’t often use hand signals or look behind them when turning.

Wisconsin Bike Fed partners with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and works year round to make roads safer for people on bikes. Learn more about their programs and get resources for their “Share the Road” campaign.

Information from the National Safety Council, Wisconsin Bike Fed.

Sharing the road with school buses

Fall is a great time to remind motorists about sharing the road safely with school buses, bicyclists, and child pedestrians. Let’s start with a few helpful tips to keep in mind when sharing the road with a school bus:

• The school bus is one of the safest vehicles on the road. Less than 1% of all traffic fatalities involve children on school transportation vehicles. However, children are more at risk when approaching or leaving a school bus. The school bus loading and unloading area is the most dangerous for students.
• It is illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children.
  • All buses use yellow flashing lights to alert motorists they are about to load or unload children.
  • Red lights and an extended stop sign arm signals that the bus is stopped and children are getting on or off. Stop at least 20 feet away, in both directions, from a bus when red warning lights are flashing. (The only exception is if you are traveling on the other side of a divided highway.)
• Do not pass a school bus on the right while it is stopped. Doing so is illegal and could have tragic consequences.
• Keep your distance. Children are most likely to be hit or injured in the area 10 feet around a school bus.

In Wisconsin, when passed illegally, bus drivers are authorized to report violations to law enforcement. In 2024, there were 1,276 traffic convictions for failure to stop for a school bus.

Sources: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, State of Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Beware of senior scams

Scammers are increasingly targeting retirees, including Wisconsin public school employees. Using sophisticated tactics like impersonating loved ones, pretending to be Medicare agents, or using fake numbers that look official, they pressure victims into quick decisions that can lead to significant financial loss.

Protect yourself by watching for these common schemes

High-pressure threats

Phrases like “You’ll lose coverage” or “Act now” are designed to scare you.

Requests for gift cards or wire transfers

No legitimate organization will ask for these.

Fake caller ID

Scammers can mimic numbers from trusted sources.

Random tech support or prize calls

If it’s unsolicited, it’s suspicious.

Too-good-to-be-true offers

Guaranteed returns or miracle cures rarely deliver—and often steal.

What you can do

• Don’t answer unknown calls.
• Never send gift cards or wire money.
• Verify before you trust.

To report a scam

Federal Trade Commission

• ReportFraud.ftc.gov
• identitytheft.gov

Internet Crime Complaint Center (FBI)

• ic3.gov

Perception survey 2025

In December 2024, we sent a survey to a random list of 10,000 members. We appreciate all who responded—getting your feedback helps us to best meet your needs. Here is what we learned.

First impressions

What first comes to mind when thinking about WEA Member Benefits is:

• Retirement/retirement planning (25%)
• Customer service (24%)
• Products/services (22%)

“Secure, highly knowledgeable staff, SUPER friendly.”

Reputation

Member Benefits has an exceptional reputation among members. Eighty-two percent felt we have a Very Good or Excellent reputation.

Meets expectations

Fifty-seven percent of members feel Member Benefits Exceeds or Somewhat Exceeds expectations.

Lives up to brand promise

Member opinion on whether Member Benefits lives up to its brand promise remains excellent at 85% replying Often or Always.

Financial security

The number one personal financial issue for members every year of our survey is preparing for the future (28%), followed by the economy and politics (20%), and paying off debt (13%).

Customer satisfaction

A vast majority of respondents Agree or Strongly Agree that providing excellent customer service is a top priority at Member Benefits.

“WEA Member Benefits is one of the best in the country. Knowledgeable, safe, and staff is available to support and answer questions.”

Net Promoter Score

The Net Promoter Score, a measure of likelihood to recommend an organization, is trending up from the past two surveys (51%). A score above 50% is considered excellent. According to a recent report, we have a significantly higher average score than the insurance carrier and investment industries have currently.

Top advice from members

The largest percentage of member advice for David Kijek, President and CEO, focused on service and outreach (31%). Suggestions include more in-person visits to schools and personalized communication, and clearer information about available benefits.

A number of respondents gave us kudos and thanks, such as:

“Thanks for all you do to support teachers, administrators, paras, and staff.”

“Thank you for your service, newsletters, webinars and all the friendly staff I’ve interacted (with). I especially have loved talking to staff that were formerly in public education themselves.”

David Kijek adds, “We’re glad to know how much we’ve continued to provide the excellent customer service you value—that is so important to us. We hold your opinions in high regard and will keep working to make improvements so we can best serve you.”

No participants of this survey were compensated for their reviews.

Help keep your teens safe this summer

AAA is reminding parents and teens to be aware of the sharp increase in teen fatalities from auto accidents that happens each year during the “100 Deadliest Days” — the span of time between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Teen driver statistics

According to a AAA review of crash data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 13,135 people in the U.S. have been killed in a crash involving a teen driver between 2019-2023. Over 30% of those deaths occurred during the 100 Deadliest Days. An average of 8 people are killed per day in teen-involved driving crashes in the summer compared to 7 per day during the rest of the year. 

The National Road Safety Foundation points out several reasons why teen fatalities increase during the 100 Deadliest Days.

• School is out and teens are spending more time behind the wheel.
• The inexperience of teen drivers.
• Distracted driving accounts for 60% of teen crashes. Distraction includes, but is not limited to, multiple passengers, phones, and eating/drinking.
• Speeding is a factor in nearly 30% of fatal crashes involving teen drivers (AAA).
• Drunk driving. Even though the national drinking age is 21, some teens still drink and drive.

Steps parents can take to increase safe teen driving behavior

• Set very specific household rules around driving. Talk with teens early and often about being safe behind the wheel. This can include creating a parent/child driving contract that relates to things like:
  • Everyone buckles up for every trip.
  • Never drive impaired. It’s not only dangerous, but also a crime.
  • Teen passengers are the biggest distraction to teen drivers, and cell phones are second. Set rules covering these and other potential distractions.
  • Follow posted speed limits.
  • Limit nighttime driving, which is riskier for novice drivers. Drowsy driving is also an issue for many teens who don’t get enough sleep.
• Enroll your teen in online and in-person driving classes. Make sure they get at least 50 hours of supervised practice driving under a variety of conditions.
• Be sure you know your state’s laws regarding passenger restrictions for teen drivers.
• Teach your teen defensive driving skills. Making these skills a habit can help reduce the chances of an accident. Pick up tips online or find a formal course.
• Consider a “do not disturb” rule. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety also has new research that finds when the “do not disturb” feature on teens’ phones are activated to silence distractions, it can be effective in reducing interactions with their smartphones when driving. Distracted driving is a major safety concern.
• Be a positive example: Maintain appropriate space around your vehicle, adjust your speed to conditions, and adhere to the same guidelines you give your teen.

Helpful resources

• For talking points to use with your teens and more in-depth driving tips, download the free Passport to Safe Driving toolkit from The National Road Safety Foundation.
• For guidance on drawing up a contract with your teen, check out this sample parent/teen driving agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Remember, teens’ inexperience behind the wheel makes them more likely to engage in risky behavior. It’s critical for parents to play an active role in guiding their teens to embrace safe driving behaviors.

Severe weather WATCH vs WARNING

WATCH
A severe thunderstorm or tornado watch gives you advance notice that conditions are favorable for dangerous weather. When your area is in a watch, stay alert for changing weather. During a watch, there will be information about what type of weather you might see and the chance of it actually occurring. Risk levels can range from a few storms with hail and high winds to a particularly dangerous situation when deadly tornadoes can occur. Follow your local news for updates.

WARNING
A warning is issued when severe weather is about to strike in your area. For severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and flash floods it means the weather event is happening now and you need to take action immediately.

• Consider purchasing a weather radio. NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) broadcasts official National Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts, and other hazard information 24/7. You can find weather radios at hardware stores or on Amazon.
• Make a plan. Ready.gov can assist you in creating a tailored family plan to help you during a weather emergency. Answer basic questions with your family and their needs in mind, create an evacuation plan, and fill out a Family Emergency Plan that you can email as a PDF file. And be sure to practice your plan. Visit ready.gov/plan to get started.

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WEA Member Benefits vs. WEA Trust

Sometimes WEA Member Benefits (us) has been confused with WEA Trust (not us). Here is a simple table to help clarify what each of us does so you know where to go to find the help you need.

WEA Member Benefits	WEA Trust
Has never offered group health insurance.	Offered group health insurance until January 1, 2023.
Offers individual retirement savings options, personal insurance policies, and financial planning services.	Offers group life, long-term care, disability, and vision insurance to employers.
Explore this website for more information.	Visit weatrust.org for more information.

Life happens

Here’s why it’s so important. The named beneficiaries on your retirement accounts supersede your will. This is not limited to accounts you have with us. It’s true for any retirement savings account, 403(b), 401k, IRA, and your WRS pension account, as well as your bank accounts, brokerage accounts, life insurance, and annuity policies.

The who’s who of beneficiaries

Primary beneficiary

…is entitled to the proceeds of the account upon death of the account owner. In Wisconsin you aren’t required to name your spouse as a beneficiary on your account. However, because of Wisconsin’s marital property law, your spouse could claim their right to 50% of your account even if he/she is not named as a beneficiary. A spouse is like the king or queen of beneficiaries—they have more rights than non-spouses and greater flexibility with an inherited retirement account, allowing them to liquidate the assets or roll them over to their own retirement plan or IRA.

Contingent beneficiary

…or secondary beneficiary receives benefits at the time benefits are to be paid only if the primary beneficiary has died.

Many people fail to change their beneficiary designations after a marriage or divorce. Be sure to review your designations annually to ensure they are current and in line with your intentions. You may want to consult your attorney to ensure that you understand all aspects of your decision.

Log into yourMONEY to review and update you beneficiaries, or give us a call at 1-800-279-4030.

Be alert for online scam tactics

The ways in which scams are perpetrated continually shift due to the rising use of technologies (such as social media), consumer behavior patterns, world events, and other factors. According to a report by the Institute for Marketplace Trust, a division of the Better Business Bureau, online scams rose 87% between 2015 and 2022, while phone scams dropped 42%. In 2022, online scams are most prevalent overall (55%), with a higher percentage of people losing money when targeted this way (75%). Nearly 83% of those targeted online said they paid via credit card, online payment system, or bank account debit.

The top two areas that people are targeted while online are while using social media (25%) or doing online shopping (24%).

However, not all scams begin online. Scammers use other means to push people online, such as sending a link in a text, a phone call, or in the mail. Text messages are especially risky, with an $800 median dollar loss across all scam types as of October 2022. But scams perpetrated directly online that included a monetary loss were reported more than all other methods.

Eighty-two percent of online scammers used impersonation as a tactic, and half of those pretended to be a trustworthy business (Amazon, Walmart, Apple, Microsoft, etc.). People who lost money to an impersonation scam were almost twice as likely to lose money as those exposed to other types of tactics.

How can you protect yourself from online scams?

Tips from the Better Business Bureau

• If the deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Price is often a strong motivator for people to buy—be cautious about a ‘great’ deal.
• Make sure the shipping company is legitimate. Go to their website and use the code you receive to make sure it’s the real deal, and search bbb.org on the company name.
• Avoid an impersonation scheme—be cautious about who contacts you. Ask for verification and do your research with a trusted source. Be skeptical about unsolicited offers, and don’t believe everything you see—scammers are great at mimicking logos, official seals, fonts, etc.
• When you’re visiting a website, check the URL to make sure it’s correct. Sometimes even one character can be off. Watch for bad grammar in the content, make sure the
• URL starts with ‘https’ and has a secure lock. You can also use an online domain age checker to be sure it’s not a brand new site. And check that they have their full name/address/contact info on their website, not just an online form.
• NEVER click on unsolicited text messages.
• Avoid making quick purchase decisions. And don’t base your decision solely on others’ reviews.
• Use secure and traceable transactions. Those who used a credit card or PayPal were most likely to recover their funds from a scam.