Pension & Retirement Education Program

PREP seminars are designed to help members of all ages prepare for retirement.

Contact Us

800-348-7298, ext. 6180
[email protected]

Many retirees wish they began focusing on financial and retirement planning much earlier in their lives. No matter how far along you are in your career, careful financial and retirement planning are critical. That’s why our Pension & Retirement Education Program (PREP) seminar is so valuable.

The PREP seminar helps members understand your NYSTRS benefits and offers tips for retirement planning. This information will help you develop a plan to achieve your retirement goals and dreams.

Each free half-day session runs from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. (registration begins at 8 a.m). Topics include:

  • NYSTRS Benefits: Pension, disability coverage, loans, vesting and death benefits.
  • Financial Planning: Saving early, catching up, withdrawals and financial advisors.
  • Social Security: Benefits, eligibility rules, when to collect and earning limits.
  • Estate Planning: Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care proxies and living wills.
  • The Retirement Process: Retirement options, "resigning" vs. "retiring," choosing a retirement date, retirement checklist, monthly payments, taxes and earnings limitations on NYS public employment.

PREP seminars often fill up, so book early. Can't attend a seminar now? We begin taking reservations for our three PREP schedules during the year in mid-September (fall schedule), mid-December (winter/spring), and mid-May (summer).

The PREP seminar is not designed for individual retirement counseling. To schedule a one-on-one consultation, visit the Benefits Consultations page.

Directions to various locations
Location Address Dates Directions
Lake George Fort William Henry
48 Canada St.
Lake George, New York 12845 		Tuesday, Aug. 19 Directions
Mount Kisco Hotel MTK
1 Pat Reilly Way
Mount Kisco, New York 10549 		Thursday, Aug. 21 Directions
Plainview Holiday Inn Plainview – Long Island
215 Sunnyside Blvd.
Plainview, New York 11803 		Wednesday, Aug. 20 Directions
Stony Brook Hilton Garden Inn Stony Brook
1 Circle Road
Stony Brook, New York 11794 		Tuesday, Aug. 19 Directions

  • There are two ways to make a reservation:

    1. Online using your MyNYSTRS account. After logging into your account, visit the Tools/Schedule a Consultation or PREP page.
    2. By calling NYSTRS at 800-348-7298, ext. 6180.

    When calling for a reservation you must provide your EmplID or Social Security number, email address and home phone number (and the same information for your spouse/companion if they are a member and will attend too).

    Please bring your latest Benefit Profile with you to the seminar. For the most up-to-date estimate of your retirement benefits, use our online MyNYSTRS Pension Estimator. This tool allows you to create estimates using various retirement dates.

    If you make a reservation but cannot attend, please call the number above to cancel (or cancel using your MyNYSTRS account) so that we can offer this reservation to another member.

Your Benefit Profile

Your most important retirement-planning tool. Watch our Benefit Profile Tutorial.