New York State Teachers' Retirement System

 

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Items of Interest for Our Active Members

NYSTRS benefits are discussed in faculty rooms at hundreds of schools across the state. But if you want to be sure you have all the facts necessary to make informed decisions about your benefits, your best source of information is right here.

Benefits

NYSTRS membership provides three core benefits to active members: service retirement, disability retirement and death benefits.  The links below provide eligibility requirements and calculation methods for each of these benefits.

Service Retirement 

Disability Retirement

Death Benefits

Additional information is available in the Benefits section of our Active Members' Handbook. 

Service Credit 

Your total service credit impacts your eligibility for NYSTRS benefits — and often the amount of those benefits.  The links below explain the types of service that can gain you credit and help you reach important service milestones.

Additional information is available in our publication You Deserve the Credit.

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Planning for Retirement

Planning for retirement can be extremely complicated because there are so many issues to consider and decisions to make.  NYSTRS provides a variety of tools to help your planning go more smoothly. Learn more about these resources and get answers to frequently asked retirement questions on our Retirement Planning page.

To help you build a solid investment foundation for your retirement, you may also want to consult other financial planning resources.

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Forms and Publications

You may download a host of NYSTRS forms, including those to change your address and name, claim prior service, and file for retirement, on our Forms page.

NYSTRS produces a variety of publications to help our members plan for retirement at each stage of their career. Visit our Publications page to access the many pamphlets, handbooks and newsletters we offer you.

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Contact NYSTRS

To request a System form or publication, call our automated Hotline at (800) 782-0289.

To speak with a NYSTRS representative, call (800) 348-7298 or (518) 447-2900 from the Albany area and use the following extensions:
 

General Information Ext. 6250
Loans Ext. 6080
Prior Service Ext. 6030
Retirement Estimates Ext. 6020
Video Consultations & Appointments in Albany Ext. 6100
Withdrawals Ext. 6090

Please Note: When contacting the System, please provide your EmplID (Employee Identification Number), which can be found on your Benefit Profile and in most correspondence you receive from us. If you can't locate your EmplID, we can mail it to you. To keep your personal information secure, we cannot provide your EmplID by telephone or facsimile.

Additional Resources

The following Web sites provide valuable information to our active members.

American Savings Education Council — Shares strategies for achieving financial independence.

Certified Financial Planner — Offers a free Financial Planning Resource Kit.

Employee Benefits Security Administration — Provides helpful tools through their Retirement Savings Education Campaign.

MyMoney.gov — The federal government's Web site dedicated to helping Americans understand more about their money — how to save it, invest it, and manage it to meet their personal goals.

New York State Banking Department — Maintains a clearinghouse of financial education information.

New York State United Teachers — Statewide organization representing teachers, higher education faculty and other school-related professionals.

SavingsBonds.com — Helps you learn the value of your U.S. savings bonds and buy bonds on line.

Social Security Administration — Clarifies Social Security benefit issues.  (You can also call SSA at 800-772-1213.)

1040.com — Shows how your pension would be affected if you move outside New York State.

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