Prep for retirement by attending a NYSTRS seminar

I’d like to attend a New York State Teachers’ Retirement System Pension & Retirement Education Program (PREP) seminar to plan for my retirement. How do I register?

Smart move. It’s always a good idea to get a jump on financial and retirement planning. Attending a PREP seminar will help you understand your NYSTRS benefits and provide essential retirement planning tips. Topics covered include information about your pension, disability coverage, loans, vesting and death benefits, financial planning and Social Security. The sessions also discuss estate planning and the general retirement process.

Free PREP seminars are held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. statewide, but you must register in advance. For information, or to register, visit nystrs.org and search for “PREP” or call 800-348-7298, ext. 6180. When calling for a reservation you’ll need your EmplID or Social Security Number, email address and home phone number — and the same information for your spouse/companion if they’re a member and plan to come too. When you attend the seminar bring your latest benefit profile with you.

If I don’t want to attend a PREP seminar in-person does NYSTRS offer remote options?

Yes, they do. During the COVID-19 pandemic NYSTRS produced video versions of the PREP seminar modules. These are posted on the PREP page of the NYSTRS website along with the PREP workbook, which is broken into chapters that correspond with the video modules. You can also set up a one-to-one appointment through your MyNYSTRS account. From MyNYSTRS, go to Tools > Schedule a Consultation to book either a phone or video consultation. Since appointments are usually booked several months out, there’s also a special scheduling section if you’re planning to retire this year.

Other online resources include NYSTRS’s Ready to Retire page with links to retirement-planning publications, videos and forms. If you have a MyNYSTRS account, you can also run projected benefit estimates and securely contact system representatives with specific questions. For general questions, email the system’s Information & Communication Center at communit@nystrs.org or call 800-348-7298, ext. 6250.