[ Your TRS Pension ]

Know your service milestones

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Q:
As a newer teacher, retirement is still a long way off. What are some service milestones I can look forward to along the way?
A:

Although retirement isn’t on your horizon yet, several important milestones occur over the next few years. Your death benefit coverage begins after one year of continuous service credit, entitling your designated beneficiary to both the balance of your member contributions and a death benefit if you die before retiring. After two years of service credit, you’re eligible to purchase prior service credit. And at five years of service credit, your pension is vested, meaning it’s guaranteed.

For details, visit the active members/service milestones page at nystrs.org for specifics.

Q:
That’s good to know. In the meantime, is there anything I should check to ensure that my pension information is accurate?
A:

It’s always a good idea to read your annual benefit profile when you receive it toward the end of the year. Check that your beneficiary designation and NYSTRS records are current and correct. To update your beneficiaries, log in to your MyNYSTRS account and visit the my retirement/beneficiaries page, or file a notarized Designation of Beneficiary for In-Service or Post Retirement Paragraph 2 Death Benefit (NET-11.4) form at nystrs.org.

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Did you know?

The New York State Teachers’ Retirement System has thousands in unclaimed funds and abandoned accounts. To see if you’re owed a refund, visit nystrs.org/unclaimed-funds.