Tag Archives: Retirement Online

Estimate Your Pension in Retirement Online

Here is the most important retirement planning tip you’ll receive from NYSLRS: most members can create their own pension estimate in minutes using Retirement Online.

A Retirement Online estimate is based on the most up-to-date account information we have on file for you. You can enter different retirement dates to see how those choices would affect your benefit. When you’re done, you can print your pension estimate or save it for future reference.

estimate your pension

How to Estimate Your Pension

First you will need a Retirement Online account. Once you register and sign in, go to the ‘My Account Summary’ section of your Account Homepage and click the ’Estimate my Pension Benefit’ button.

You can enter the date (or age) that you plan to retire. You can use your current annual earnings or add in expected pay increases. You can also include any service credit you plan to purchase. If you add the birthdate for a beneficiary, you’ll see the estimated monthly payment amounts under the pension payment options that provide a benefit for a survivor.

Remember, the pension amounts you’ll see are just an estimate; it is not a guarantee of what you’ll receive when you retire.

Most Tier 2 through 6 members (more than 90 percent of all NYSLRS members) can use the Retirement Online pension calculator. However, some members may not be able to use the Retirement Online calculator because of their circumstances, for example, if they have recently transferred a membership to NYSLRS, or if they are a Tier 6 member with between five and ten years of service. 

The system will notify you if your estimate cannot be completed using the Retirement Online pension calculator. Please contact us to request a pension estimate if you receive this notification. If you are in Tier 2 through 6, you can use the “Quick Calculator“ on the NYSLRS website. The Quick Calculator generates estimates based on information you provide.

Retirement Online for Retirees Just Got Better

More than 495,000 members and retirees have discovered that Retirement Online is a secure, convenient way to do business with NYSLRS. Now retirees can do even more online.

Retirement Online for Retirees

Check out these new features in Retirement Online for retirees:

Retirement Online for Retirees – New FeatureManage Your Direct Deposit

Ninety-six percent of NYSLRS retirees already receive their pension payments with direct deposit. Now you can use Retirement Online to securely update your bank account information. Whether you’ve switched banks or just need to update your bank account information, you can make those changes online.

If you’re still receiving your pension by mailed paper check, sign up for direct deposit through Retirement Online and get your money faster.

Retirement Online for Retirees – New FeatureView a “Pay Stub” of Your Pension Payment.

You can access full “pay stubs” for your payments from January 2023 onward by clicking the date of the payment you want to view. You can track year-to-date totals and any deductions for health insurance, union dues, tax withholding or disbursements under a domestic relations order. NYSLRS will also send you a notice whenever your net payment amount changes.

Other Retirement Online Features for Retirees

These new features add to what you can already do with Retirement Online:

Update Your Contact Information
Moving? Changing your phone number or email address? It’s easy to keep NYSLRS updated so you won’t have to worry about missing important news and information about your benefits.

You can schedule an address change so you’ll get NYSLRS mail at your seasonal home without interruption.

Manage Your Beneficiaries
Eligible retirees can change their beneficiary for their post-retirement death benefit or change the contact information for an existing beneficiary.

Retirement Online makes it easy to view your beneficiary selections and submit changes instantly.

Coming In 2024 — Print Your Own 1099-R

In January 2024, you will be able to view, download and print your 1099-R tax form in Retirement Online (starting with the 1099-R for your 2023 pension earnings).

Also, starting this summer, you’ll have the option to sign up to receive an email notification each January as soon as your 1099-R is ready to view in Retirement Online. From your account, you’ll be able to download and print the form rather than waiting to receive it in the mail.

If You Don’t Have an Account, Sign Up Today

If you don’t have a Retirement Online account, now is a great time to sign up. Click “Sign Up” on our Retirement Online Sign In page to get started. If you need help, we have step-by-step instructions on registering for your account and how to sign in for the first time. You may also find our Retirement Online Tools and Tips blog post helpful.

Already have an account? Sign in and make sure your email and mailing address are current to ensure that you receive important information from NYSLRS in the coming year.

If it’s been a while, you may need to look up your username or reset your password. If you still need assistance, call our customer service representatives at 866-805-0990, press 2 to access the retiree menu, follow the prompts, and then press 1 for Retirement Online assistance.

Designating Beneficiaries: An Important Decision

When you joined NYSLRS, you may have named one or more beneficiaries to receive certain benefits if you die.

NYSLRS retirement plans provide death benefits for beneficiaries of eligible members who die before retiring. The “ordinary death benefit” is paid to the beneficiary or beneficiaries that you designated, so it’s important to review periodically to make sure your choices reflect your current wishes. For example, if you just married, you may want to update your NYSLRS account information to name your new spouse as your beneficiary.

Types of Beneficiaries

 There are two types of beneficiaries — primary and contingent beneficiaries:

  • Your primary beneficiary will receive any payable ordinary death benefit. You can list more than one primary beneficiary. If you do, they would share the benefit equally. Or, you can choose different percentages for each beneficiary that total 100 percent. (Example: John Doe, 50 percent; Jane Doe, 25 percent; and Mary Doe, 25 percent.)
  • contingent beneficiary will only receive the benefit if all your primary beneficiaries die before you do. If you list multiple contingent beneficiaries, they will share the benefit equally unless you choose different percentages.

Special Beneficiary Designations

Your beneficiary doesn’t have to be a person. You can name a charity, a trust or your estate as your beneficiary.

designating beneficiaries

When you die, your estate is the money and property you owned. Your death benefit will be given to the executor of your estate to be distributed according to the terms of your will. You can name your estate as the primary or contingent beneficiary of your death benefit. If you name your estate as the primary beneficiary, do not name a contingent beneficiary.

You can name a trust as a primary or contingent beneficiary if you have a trust agreement or provided for a trust in your will. The trust itself would be your NYSLRS beneficiary, not the individuals for whom you established the trust. (You may want to speak with your attorney if you’re thinking about making your trust a beneficiary.)

You can also name any charitable, civic, religious, educational or health-related organization as a beneficiary.

If your beneficiary is a minor child (under age 18) at the time of your death, your benefit will be paid to the child’s court-appointed guardian. You may instead choose a custodian to receive the benefit on the child’s behalf under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (UTMA). Custodians can be designated in Retirement Online or you can contact us for more information and the appropriate form before making this type of designation.

Updating Your Beneficiaries

You can change your beneficiaries at any time. You should also review your named beneficiaries to make sure their contact information is up to date.

  • The fastest way to view or update your beneficiaries is in Retirement Online. You can add beneficiaries, update beneficiary information or remove beneficiaries. Sign in, then click “Manage My Beneficiaries” on the right, under “I want to ….”
  • You can also complete and mail us a Designation of Beneficiary form (RS5127). Read the instructions on the form before entering your preferences. Be sure to include all your beneficiaries on the form. Your new beneficiary designations will replace all your previously named beneficiaries. Though your designations will need to be reviewed and approved, your updated beneficiary information becomes effective when we receive your properly completed, signed and notarized form.

More Information

You can read more about beneficiary designations in our Life Changes: Why Should I Designate a Beneficiary? publication. If you have questions, please contact us.

If you are retired, you may wish to read our blog post Can You Change Your Beneficiary After You Retire?

NYSLRS – One Tier at a Time: ERS Tier 6

When you join the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS), you’re assigned a tier based on the date of your membership. This post looks at Tier 6 members of the Employees’ Retirement System (ERS).

Your tier determines such things as your eligibility for benefits, the calculation of those benefits, death benefit coverage and whether you need to contribute toward your benefits.

ERS has six tiers. Anyone who joined ERS on or after April 1, 2012 is in Tier 6. There were 350,986 ERS Tier 6 members as of March 31, 2022. At 54 percent of membership, Tier 6 is the largest ERS tier.

Most ERS Tier 6 members (unless they are in special retirement plans) retire under the Article 15 retirement plan. Check out the graphic below for the basic retirement information for Tier 6 members in this plan.

ERS Tier 6

Membership Milestones

As of April 9, 2022, Tier 6 members only need five years of service credit to become vested. If you are a vested member in the Article 15 retirement plan, you are eligible for a lifetime pension benefit as early as age 55, but if you retire before the full retirement age of 63, your benefit will be reduced.

If you retire with fewer than 20 years, the benefit is 1.66 percent of your final average earnings (FAE) for each year of service. If you retire with exactly 20 years of service, the benefit is 1.75 percent of your FAE for each year of service (35 percent of your FAE).

If you retire with more than 20 years of service, you’ll receive 35 percent for the first 20 years, plus 2 percent for each additional year. For example, with 35 years of service you can retire at age 63 with 65 percent of your FAE.

Where to Find More ERS Tier 6 Information

For more information about ERS Tier 6 membership, find your NYSLRS retirement plan publication. It’s a comprehensive description of the benefits provided by your specific plan.

You can check your service credit total and estimate your pension using Retirement Online. Most members can use our online pension calculator to create an estimate based on the salary and service information NYSLRS has on file for them. You can enter different retirement dates to see how your choices would affect your potential benefit.

Members may not be able to use the Retirement Online calculator in certain circumstances, for example, if they have recently transferred a membership to NYSLRS, or if they are a Tier 6 member with between five and ten years of service. These members can contact us to request an estimate or use the “Quick Calculator” on our website. The Quick Calculator generates estimates based on information you provide.  

NYSLRS – One Tier at a Time: PFRS Tier 6

When you join the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS), you’re assigned a tier based on the date of your membership. This post looks at Tier 6 members of the Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS).

Your tier determines such things as your eligibility for benefits, the calculation of those benefits, death benefit coverage and whether you need to contribute toward your benefits.

PFRS has five tiers. Anyone who joined PFRS on or after April 1, 2012 is in Tier 6. There are 16,027 Tier 6 members, which accounts for more than 45 percent of PFRS membership, making it the second largest PFRS tier.

About Regular Plans and Special Plans

Under a regular retirement plan, you need to reach certain age and service requirements to receive your NYSLRS pension. If you’re covered by a special retirement plan, there is no age requirement, and you can receive your pension after completing 20 or 25 years of service.

Eighty percent of PFRS members are in plans covered under Sections 384, 384-d, 384-e or 384-f of the New York State Retirement and Social Security Law. Read our Police and Fire Retirement System blog post for information about different PFRS plans.

Check out the graphic below for the basic retirement information for PFRS Tier 6 members.

PFRS Tier 6

Where to Find PFRS Tier 6 Information

For more information about PFRS Tier 6 membership, find your NYSLRS retirement plan publication. It’s a comprehensive description of the benefits provided by your specific plan.

You can check your service credit total and estimate your pension using Retirement Online. Most members can use our online pension calculator to create an estimate based on the salary and service information NYSLRS has on file for them. You can enter different retirement dates to see how your choices would affect your potential benefit.

As of April 9, 2022, Tier 5 and 6 members only need five years of service credit to be vested. Tier 5 members with five or more years of service can estimate their pension benefit in Retirement Online. If you are a Tier 6 member with between five and ten years of service credit, you can contact us to request a benefit estimate.

Make Sure You Receive Your Member Annual Statement

Member Annual Statements are distributed to NYSLRS members each spring. It’s important that you make sure your contact information is correct to ensure you receive your Statement, which you can access in Retirement Online or have mailed to you.

Note for retirees: Retiree Annual Statements were mailed at the end of February.

Use Retirement Online to Check and Update Your Contact Information

The fastest way to check your contact information, and update it if needed, is through Retirement OnlineSign in to your Retirement Online account, go to the ‘My Profile Information’ area of your Account Homepage and click “update” next to your mailing address or email address to make corrections. Use a personal email, not a work email address.

Member Annual Statement

If you need assistance with Retirement Online, please call our Customer Service Representatives at 866-805-0990.

You can also update your contact information using our secure contact form. Be sure to complete all fields and provide your old and new contact information.

If your new mailing address is a PO Box, you must update your address in Retirement Online or complete and mail us a Change of Address Form (RS5512).

Your employer can’t update your NYSLRS contact information. So even if you updated it with your employer, you’ll need to update it with NYSLRS too.

Get Your Member Annual Statement Faster

You’ll receive your Member Annual Statement faster if you choose to receive it through Retirement Online. If you choose this option, you’ll receive an email that directs you to Retirement Online to see your Statement once it’s ready. To change your Statement delivery preference, go to the ‘My Profile Information’ area of your Retirement Online Account Homepage and click “update” next to ‘Member Annual Statement by.’

You can also receive other NYSLRS correspondence through Retirement Online by clicking “update” next to ‘Contact by.’ If you choose ‘Mail’ or don’t select a preference, you will receive letters by mail. Note: For security purposes, certain correspondence will only be sent by mail.

Please share this post with friends, family or coworkers who are NYSLRS members so they can also review their contact information.

NYSLRS Membership Basics

Whether you just joined or you’re a longtime member, you likely have questions about your NYSLRS membership. What is vesting? What are final average earnings? What tier are you in, and why does it even matter?

NYSLRS Membership

Basic Concepts of NYSLRS Membership

While NYSLRS administers many different retirement plans, the core concepts of our memberships are the same. Your pension will be calculated using a preset formula based on your earnings and years of service. To better understand your NYSLRS benefits, you should become familiar with these four basic concepts:

  • Tier. Your tier is based on the date you joined NYSLRS and helps determine the benefits available to you. If you’re a new NYSLRS member, you’re likely in Tier 6. Tier 6 members joined NYSLRS on or after April 1, 2012.
  • Service Credit. Generally, you earn a year of service credit for each year you work for a participating NYSLRS employer. Part-time work is prorated. Your total service credit at retirement is a major factor in determining the amount of your pension.
  • Vesting. You become vested after you earn five years of service credit. It’s a significant milestone, because once you’re vested, you’re eligible for a NYSLRS pension when you reach retirement age, even if you leave public service.
  • Final Average Earnings. Final average earnings are the average of your earnings during the period when your pay is highest. It’s another major factor in determining the amount of your pension.

Your NYSLRS Pension and Other Benefits

As a NYSLRS member, you are part of a defined benefit retirement plan. This means your NYSLRS pension will be a lifetime benefit based on your final average earnings and service credit, not on the contributions you make toward your retirement.

Your NYSLRS membership also provides other important benefits, including:

More Information

We want to make sure you have the information you’ll need to plan for your retirement and make critical decisions about your future. Here are some resources available to you:

Retirement Online is the quickest way to access account information such as your tier, retirement plan and estimated total service credit. If you don’t already have one, sign up for a Retirement Online account now.

Explore the NYSLRS website to learn more about your NYSLRS membership. Our Welcome New Members page explains more about the benefits that are available to you. Your retirement plan publication offers a comprehensive overview of your benefits, and you can find it with our Find Your NYSLRS Retirement Plan Publication tool.

If you have questions about your account or your NYSLRS benefits, please message us using our secure contact form.

Welcome, New Members

Welcome new members to the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS).

What is NYSLRS? NYSLRS administers retirement benefits for New York State employees and municipal and non-teaching school district employees outside of New York City. With nearly 1.2 million members, retirees and beneficiaries, NYSLRS is one of the largest public retirement systems in the nation.

NYSLRS is here to help you plan a financially secure retirement. Retirement may seem like a distant concern, but decisions you make now will have a big impact on your post-work life. Here are a few things you should do now as a new member:

Checklist for New Members

new members checklist

Learn About Defined Benefit Plans

Your NYSLRS pension is a defined benefit plan. This means that, once you are eligible and apply for retirement, you are guaranteed a monthly pension payment for the rest of your life. The amount of your payments will be calculated using a formula set by State law.

Defined benefit plans should not be confused with 401(k)-style retirement savings plans, which are known as defined contribution plans. The value of these plans is limited to the contributions made to an individual’s account and the investment returns on those contributions. And, unlike your NYSLRS pension, these plans do not guarantee a lifetime benefit.

While a 401(k)-style retirement savings plan can supplement a pension and Social Security benefits, it does not provide the same level of financial security as a defined benefit plan.

Sign Up for Retirement Online

If you haven’t already, sign up for a Retirement Online account. You can use Retirement Online to look up your estimated total service credit, name a beneficiary for your death benefit, purchase past service credit and more. This online tool will be an important resource throughout your career, especially as you plan for retirement when you can use our benefit calculator to estimate your pension.

Find Your Retirement Plan Publication

Your retirement plan publication is an essential resource that provides comprehensive information about your NYSLRS benefits. You can look up your specific plan using our Find Your NYSLRS Retirement Plan Publication tool. All you need is your benefit plan code and Tier, which you can find in Retirement Online.

Designate a Beneficiary

Your retirement plan provides you with a death benefit, so it’s important that you designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries. You can designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries through Retirement Online or by mailing us a Designation of Beneficiary form (RS5127).

Understand Service Credit

Your NYSLRS pension will be based on factors such as your tierretirement planage at retirementfinal average earnings and your service credit. You’ll earn one year of service credit for every year of full-time employment with a participating employer. Part-time employment is prorated. If you worked for a public employer or served in the U.S. armed forces before you were a member of NYSLRS, you may be eligible to receive credit for that past service. Because it is a major factor in calculating a NYSLRS pension, additional service credit would increase your pension in most cases. You can request this service through Retirement Online or by mailing us a Request to Purchase Service Credit (Including any Military Service) form (RS5042).

Start Saving for Retirement

Your pension is only one part of a secure financial future. It’s a good idea to save additional money for retirement. Healthy retirement savings will give you more flexibility to do the things you want to do in retirement. They also can be a hedge against inflation and a source of cash in an emergency. You don’t want to wait to start saving; the sooner you do, the more time your money has to grow.

More Information

Visit our Welcome New Members page for more information about NYSLRS and your benefits.