Pension and Retirement

                        February 2008      March 2008
Variable A             66.717                     65.133
Variable B             19.505                     19.506 more...

The UFT offers many pension services to members. If you need more information about your pension plan or do not understand any correspondence or materials from the TRS or BERS, the UFT has a myriad of services to help you. They include:

General Pension Questions & Borough Office Consultations:

For In-Service Members:

You can get answers to questions by phoning one of our borough offices any weekday afternoon, excluding holidays. If you call during the school day you can leave a message and you will get a call back. If you have several questions, planning a career change, resignation, or retirement you should make an appointment for a PRELIMINARY CONSULTATION at any borough office listed below. This private conference will give you an estimate of your retirement allowance and answer your many questions about retirement benefits. We advise that every-one have a minimum of one preliminary borough consultation before your final consultation. You may have more than one preliminary consultation during your career.

Bronx (718) 379 - 6200
Brooklyn (718) 852 - 4900
Manhattan (212) 598 - 6800
Queens (718) 275 - 4400
Staten Island (718) 605 - 1400

For Retirees -

Your questions can be answered by calling our Retiree Pension Department at (212) 598-9536 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily. Consultants are there to answer your post-retirement questions about your pension including your deferred TDA accumulations.

Publications - Workshops - Pension clinics--generally held at UFT HEADQUARTERS, 50/52 Broadway, on the first Friday of the given month. Check exact times and locations in the New York Teacher. Final Consultations

A regular column in the New York Teacher/City Edition.

• A pension newsletter-PensioNews.

• Pension handbooks.

• Speakers for chapter meetings or faculty conferences. Ask your chapter leader to call the borough office to arrange for a speaker.

• Timely borough-wide meetings on pension and retirement developments. Check exact times and locations in the New York Teacher.

• Ready-Or-Not pre-retirement planning program - helps to prepare you for the many aspects of retirement. Registration information can be found in the New York Teacher.

In the term before you retire, you should schedule an appointment for a final consultation in order to:You are entitled to only one final consultation available during your career. To make an appointment call (212) 598-6866, 6867 OR (212) 777-7500 between 10:00a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Meetings are scheduled in the borough office most convenient to you. It is advisable that if you are married, your spouse accompany you. A single person could be accompanied by a trusted confidant.

• Estimate your retirement allowance;
• Discuss using the Teachers' Retirement System as a means for protecting heirs and beneficiaries;
• Discuss removing contributions, where permissible, from the system at retirement;
• Aid you in completing the retirement application;
• Learn about health and welfare fund benefits;

Answer all of your other retirement related questions.