Secure Your Future

When you retire, you have three choices for handling your money in your Tax-Deferred Annuity: 1) Defer; 2) Convert your TDA into a monthly annuity; or 3) Withdraw all the funds. Most TRS and BERS members elect TDA deferral status.

New pension plan tiers come into existence when the state Legislature enacts new laws that change benefits, contribution rates and service requirements. But a pension tier is never set in amber. Over the past 40 years, legislative amendments to each pension tier narrate a tale of continuous advocacy by the UFT, NYSUT and other public employee unions.



If you are a member of TRS or BERS, you have a voluntary, supplemental savings plan in addition to your define benefit pension. This savings plan with low fees allows you to build personal savings on a tax-deferred basis. 


The start of a new school year is a good opportunity to review the basics of membership in the Teachers’ Retirement System or the Board of Education Retirement System.

As UFT members employed by the city Department of Education, it is important to understand the crucial role pension plans play in attracting and retaining talented educators and other school staff and ensuring financial security in retirement.

A key factor in calculating your retirement allowance under the Qualified Pension Plan (QPP) is your Total Service Credit. It helps to determine whether you’re eligible to retire and the amount you’ll receive when you do.