Social Security is not ONLY a retirement plan. It's the single most efficient, multi-faceted social insurance program ever developed in this nation. As an anti-poverty measure, nothing has been more effective. But it's been mischaracterized by its opponents.

If you are planning to retire at the end of June, this is the time to start thinking about what you need to do. Members of TRS and BERS often retire immediately after the school year ends. If you are considering this major step, you should attend to the following items now.

Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits for more than 67 million Americans will increase 2.8 percent in 2019, the Social Security Administration announced in October.

One of the many benefits of our Teachers’ Retirement System is that we each have the ability to borrow against our retirement funds.

Here is some important information about death benefits offered by the Teachers’ Retirement System and the Board of Education Retirement System for in-service members in Tiers 3, 4 and 6.

Members of the Teachers’ Retirement System or the Board of Education Retirement System have a voluntary, supplemental savings plan, the Tax-Deferred Annuity, that can help ensure their retirement security.

The majority of UFT members participate in a defined-benefit pension, the gold standard of retirement plans. A defined-benefit pension guarantees a lifetime annuity — regular payments based on a formula. This formula takes into account your years of service, your salary and your age. With a defined-benefit pension, you don’t have to worry about the vagaries of the stock market. The amount of the pension benefit remains the same each month throughout your retirement.

If you are thinking of joining the ranks of working retirees, here are some guidelines so you don’t put your retirement benefits at risk.

The Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) and the Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) have designed their TDA programs so you have choices in how to handle your money when you retire. Here are some things to consider about these three alternatives as you ponder what works best for you.

One of the many benefits of membership in the Teachers’ Retirement System is that members can borrow against their invested retirement funds.