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THE AVERAGE UFT MEMBER

A defined-benefit pension: A UFT member who retired in 2015 with 30 years of service received an average pension of $70,000. This is guaranteed annual income for life, not subject to the fluctuations of the stock market and safeguarded by the state constitution.

Retiree health benefits: Retirees receive a basic city health plan plus supplemental healthbenefits from the UFT Welfare Fund plus reimbursement of Medicare Part B premiums plus Supplemental Health Insurance Plan benefits for a nominal fee.

Additional savings: Over 70 percent of UFT members enrolled in the Teachers’ Retirement Systemare socking away additional savings in a Tax-Deferred Annuity savings account. The average retiree TDAaccount is $357,000. The Teachers’ Retirement System invests this money so these accounts are secure, intelligently invested and low cost.

Social Security: New York City public school teachers also draw Social Security in their old age. Teachers in 12other states are not covered by Social Security.

Social services: Two full-time geriatric social workers and a staff of trained caseworkers provide freeprofessional service to help retirees and their families deal with hospital stays, choosing a nursing home, bereavement and short-term counseling.

Continuing education: More than 23,000 retired UFT members participated last year in courses, seminars and trips organized by the Si Beagle Learning Centers in the New York metropolitan

THE AVERAGE AMERICAN

No retirement plan: 47% of working Americans are not offered aretirement plan of any kind by their employer. A defined-benefit pension soon a rarity: Between 1990 and 2010, the share of the country’s private-sector employees with a defined-benefit pension plan fell from 42 percent to 22 percent.

Little retirement savings: 75 percent of Americansnearing retirement in 2010 had less than $30,000 in their 401(k) and other retirement accounts. Half of 55- to 64-year-old Americans have less than $14,500 in retirement savings.

Hardest for blacks and LatinosTwo-thirds or more of African-American and Latino households nationwide have no retirement savings.

A source of anxiety: 75% of Americans say they are worried about retirement.

Sources: Forbes, toomuchonline.org, CBS Money Watch, AARP, NCPERS, ESCA