There are important things you need to do in the final months leading up to your retirement date. Our Countdown to Retirement Series will help you remember what to do and when to do it.
Last month we talked about what you should do when you’re 12 months away from retirement. This post goes over what to be aware of at 8 months out, when you should start reviewing what other sources of retirement income you’ll have available besides your New York State & Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) pension.
Review Your Post-Retirement Income
There’s a good chance your pension alone will not provide you with the same level of income during retirement as you had while you were employed. This is why it’s important to review any other sources of income you may have available to you in retirement, such as:
- Yield from personal savings
- Social Security income (see the Social Security Administration’s website to review your online statement and use their Retirement Estimator tool)
- Dividends from stocks, mutual funds, etc.
- Life insurance income
- Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
- Real estate
- Proceeds from a deferred compensation plan (see the New York State Deferred Compensation Plan) or
- Salary income from post-retirement employment.
Some experts say that you’ll need at least 80 percent of your pre-retirement income to keep your current standard of living. You also may be retired for 15 to 20 years, or longer. It’s important to have a financial plan in place in case you need extra income once you’re retired, so take some time to review what you’ll have available.
Counting Down
Your planned retirement date is less than a year away. Check back for more Countdown to Retirement posts on issues such as your eligibility for post-retirement health insurance coverage and what to do after you’ve filed your Application for Service Retirement form.If you have any pre-retirement questions, please contact us.
Thank you – this is very helpful and I look forward to future articles regarding the
“countdown” to retirement.
Thank you. We’re glad you enjoyed it. Keep an eye out for more posts in this series.
very interesting and informative…I have three more years and it did not know something you just told us…thank you!!!
We’re glad you found it helpful. Keep an eye out for more posts in this series.
I would like to have an estimate as I was laid off by Nassau County (NC) in 2011. Worked for a school district for only 6 months in late 2013 and early 2014. Then rehired by NC in late 2014. I’m told they close the 5 year look back yet my last highest years won’t count because of the lower yearly salary in school district. So I am getting hurt twice…. once by a NC lay off and again by NYSLRS system of 5 year look back.
Generally, to calculate your final average salary (FAS), we find the consecutive set of years when your earnings were highest. While it’s usually based on the years right before retirement, they can come from anytime in your career.
For account-specific information and to request an estimate, we recommend emailing our customer service representatives through our secure email form, which allows us to safely contact you about your personal account information. One of our representatives will review your account to address your concerns. Please allow five to seven business days for a response.