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.

The Teachers’ Retirement System’s primary responsibility is providing retirement benefits, but TRS is also committed to offering exceptional service and a variety of resources to union members including the TRS website, a call-in center, a walk-in center, and many publications describing TRS benefits and services.

Retirement is life-changing and the UFT has many resources to help you navigate this new phase in your life and make educated financial decisions.

Anti-union reactionaries want to destroy the four pillars of our retirement security: a defined-benefit pension, Social Security, the Tax-Deferred Annuity and premium-free health insurance.

We urge you to speak with your family about what to do in the event of a debilitating illness or death. Here is a list of topics you should discuss with family and the legal documents you should have.