For certain business transactions, such as getting a mortgage or housing, you may be asked to verify your NYSLRS benefit or account information. With Retirement Online, you can get your own verification letter in just a couple quick steps.
Pension Income Verification Letter for Retirees
As a retiree, you may need a letter verifying your pension income — maybe for housing or as part of an application for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).
Retirement Online is the fastest way to get a pension verification letter. Sign in to your account and from the ‘I want to…’ section of your Account Homepage, click the “Generate Income Verification Letter” link.
A pop-up box with a confirmation message will appear. Just click “OK,” and your pension income verification letter will open in a new browser tab, ready for you to print or save.
Mortgage Verification Letter for Members
Members (not yet retired) can quickly generate a mortgage letter in Retirement Online. Sign in to your account and from your Account Homepage, in the ‘I want to…’ section, click the “Generate Mortgage Verification Letter” link.
The letter will show your account summary, including the current balance of your contributions, and if you have a loan, the date of your last loan and current loan balance.
Note for both retirees and members: You can also request a pension income or mortgage verification letter using our secure contact form. Tell us what information you need the letter to include and be sure to provide your personal identification and contact information when you submit the form. In most cases, we’ll mail you a letter within five to seven business days.
Use Retirement Online
Retirement Online is the fastest and most convenient way to conduct business with NYSLRS. Submitting applications through Retirement Online speeds up the process and enables NYSLRS to serve you more quickly.
Retirees and members can view up-to-date account information and quickly update their contact or beneficiary information.
Members can estimate their pension, apply for a loan, request credit for previous service, and apply for retirement. Read our blog post, What Members Can Do in Retirement Online, to learn about these features and more.
If you need help signing in to your account, these tools and tips may come in handy.
Retirement Online is a secure and convenient way for members to do business with NYSLRS. Submitting applications through Retirement Online speeds up the process and enables NYSLRS to serve more customers more quickly. Here’s a look at some of the things NYSLRS members (not yet retired) can do online.
View Your Account Information
Sign in to Retirement Online for easy access to key information about your NYSLRS account. On your Account Homepage, scroll down to the ‘Account Info’ section. There, you can find your date of membership, tier, retirement plan, estimated total service credit and more.
Update Your Contact Information
It’s important that we have your current contact information to make sure you receive the news, letters and statements that we send you. You can change your mailing address, phone number or email address in the ‘My Profile Information’ section of your Account Homepage. Just click “update” next to the item you’d like to change.
You can save time and reduce paper waste by going green and opting to receive information from NYSLRS electronically. Choose “E-mail” next to ‘Contact by,’ and when important information is ready for you to view in Retirement Online, we will send you an email to let you know.
View and Update Your Beneficiary
NYSLRS retirement plans provide death benefits for beneficiaries of eligible members who die before retiring. It’s a good idea to review your beneficiaries from time to time to make sure your choices reflect your current wishes. Retirement Online is the fastest way to add or remove beneficiaries or update beneficiary information. Click “Manage My Beneficiaries” on the right, under “I want to…”
Estimate Your Pension
How much will your pension be? It’s an important question as you’re planning for retirement. In just a few steps, most members can estimate their retirement benefit based on up-to-date account information, then save or print the estimate. Entering different dates and comparing the results can help you choose the retirement date that’s right for you. From your Account Homepage, go to the ‘My Account Summary’ section and click the “Estimate my Pension Benefit” button.
Apply for a Loan
It’s easy to apply for a loan in Retirement Online. If you are eligible to take a loan, you can see how much you can borrow, what your repayment options will be and whether your loan will be taxable — all before you apply. And, of course, if you decide to go ahead with the loan, you can apply online too. Click “Apply for a Loan” on the right, under “I want to…”
After you’ve received your loan, click the “Manage My Loans” button to adjust your payment amount or to make a one-time payment.
Request Credit for Previous Service
If you worked for a participating employer before joining NYSLRS, you may be able to purchase service credit for that time. You can use Retirement Online to request credit for previous public employment (and for military service) and to upload any supporting documentation. Click “Manage My Service Credit Purchases” to get started.
View Your Member Annual Statement
Your Member Annual Statement can help you understand your benefits. It’s a snapshot of your NYSLRS account based on the information we have on file for you as of March 31 each year, which is the close of our fiscal year. From your Account Homepage, go to the ‘My Account Summary’ area, click the “View My Member Annual Statement” button and follow the steps to view, print or save your Statement. While you’re there, consider updating your MAS preference to “email” in the ‘My Profile Information’ area of your Account Homepage to receive your Statements faster.
Generate a Mortgage Verification Letter
If you need to show your NYSLRS account information for a mortgage, just click the link under ‘I want to…’ to the right of ‘My Profile Information.’ You can print a document that shows your contribution balance, and, if you have an outstanding loan, the date of your last loan, the current balance and the interest rate.
Apply for Retirement
When you are ready to retire, Retirement Online allows you to skip the hassle of mailing paper forms or visiting our office. You can apply for a service retirement benefit, choose your pension payment option, sign up for direct deposit and submit retirement-related paperwork online. A big advantage of applying online is that you don’t have to get anything notarized. Read our Applying for Retirementblog post for more information and links to resources.
Other Online Transactions
If you previously were a member of another New York State public retirement system before joining NYSLRS, your service could be recredited and your date of membership and tier restored. You can click “Reinstate a Previous Membership” to get started.
If you leave public employment with less than ten years of service credit, you can use Retirement Online to withdraw your membership. However, this will terminate your membership with NYSLRS, so you may wish to speak with a customer service representative before you submit your withdrawal application if you have any questions. You can call them at 866-805-0990 or message them using our secure contact form.
Retirement Online After You Retire
Retiring soon? Retirement Online will continue to be an essential tool throughout your retirement years. For information about what retirees can do online, read Retirement Online for Retirees Just Got Better.
