Archived News

A review of how NYSTRS served members in 2015.

Defined benefit (DB) plans like those administered by NYSTRS continue to outperform 401(k)-style defined contribution (DC) plans, according to a December 2015 study published by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College.

Timothy M. Southerton, a teacher from the Sayville Union Free School District, was unanimously re-elected to the Board at the Annual Delegates Meeting.

New actuarial assumptions to take effect with next valuation. System remains well funded, posts positive returns. 

Stats show members work many years to earn benefits.

If you are among the thousands of new members who recently joined NYSTRS, welcome!

The employer contribution rate (ECR) applicable to 2015-16 school year salaries will be approximately 24% lower than the previous year’s rate, which translates into a cost savings for New York’s public schools and the taxpayers that fund them.

In conjunction with the launch of a new website, NYSTRS refreshed its mobile app for smartphones, tablets and computers.

NYSTRS.org has a fresh new look and improved navigation! The result: A website where the information and tools you want are more accessible than ever.

Eligible retirees receiving a monthly NYSTRS benefit will receive a 1.0% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) beginning with their September 2015 payment.

Do you have prior New York State public service? If yes, purchasing it can have a positive impact on your pension.

If you're contemplating retirement when the school year ends, be sure to review the NYSTRS publication Countdown to Retirement.

Pension plans like the one administered by NYSTRS are a far more cost-efficient means of providing retirement income compared to individual defined contribution accounts.

You already know the New York State Teachers' Retirement System (NYSTRS) provides a secure pension for public educators in the Empire State.

If you received a new mobile device for Christmas, Hanukkah or other occasion, be sure to download the new NYSTRS app. The app can be added to any Apple or Android smart device.

Pension provisions in a new federal spending bill do not impact your promised NYSTRS benefits. The bill largely pertains to multiemployer plans, which are funded by several employers in a specific industry, such as trucking or construction.

For the second time in four years, delegates attending the Annual Meeting of NYSTRS Delegates in Saratoga Springs Nov. 9 and 10 had the unusual privilege of electing multiple teacher members to the System's Retirement Board.

One of the best ways to track and verify your salary information is to regularly review the Benefit Profile you receive from NYSTRS annually. Your 2014 Profile is coming soon.

Pensions & Investments, a highly respected trade publication, released its annual rankings of the top pension funds this week and NYSTRS was again among the top 10 of all funds.

Did you know independent studies consistently point to NYSTRS as among the best-funded plans in the nation? NYSTRS was also one of six retirement systems featured in a nationwide study titled Lessons from Well-Funded Public Pensions: An Analysis of Plans that Weathered the Financial Storm

The Retirement System's investment portfolio returned 2.8% net of fees for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2012 – in line with returns posted by peer pension funds.

On average, pension costs for state and local governments are just shy of 3% of total spending, according to a February brief issued by the National Association of State Retirement Administrators (NASRA). The  calculations are based on the most-recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau.

NYSTRS models excellence in several key areas critical to the long-term health of public pension funds, according to a study released today.

Despite the market volatility of the past few years, NYSTRS remained among the best funded public pension systems in the nation and possibly the best funded teachers' system, according to the National Association of State Retirement Administrators.

Public pensions are under attack from special interest groups challenging long-standing accounting principles and concluding public pension plans are underfunded. Our response: Don't believe everything you read.

Not only have public pension plans seen their overall health improve in recent months, they're also outperforming their private-sector counterparts and seeing better than expected returns on investments.

How can you tell us not to worry about our pension when the economic news is so bad?" That was the reaction we received from some members.

You may have seen or heard that public employee pensions are "too expensive" and should be replaced. The non-profit National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) is among the many groups that do not agree.