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Your pension options

As a member of TRS or BERS, you have options for the distribution of your retirement allowance under the Qualified Pension Plan. As with other major financial decisions, the choice depends on your situation and your finances at retirement.

History of the UFT pension plan

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...

Tax-deferred annuity can boost retirement income

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. 


It’s a good time to review your pension

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.

Planning for retirement

The most common retirement date by far for UFT members is July 1 because it coincides with the end of the school year. If you’re planning a July 1 retirement, you should have already begun to prepare. Fortunately, the UFT has done much of the heavy...

The importance of service credit

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.

3 reasons to love our pensions

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.

Purchasing prior service credit

If you were employed by New York City or New York State prior to working for the city Department of Education, you may be able to buy prior service credit that would increase the size of your prospective service pension and may more quickly qualify...

Five-year vesting

All TRS and BERS members are now considered vested after they have completed five years of service in the pension system.

TRS self-service website

The TRS website was built to enable members to manage their accounts on their own schedules, and TRS routinely adds features.