Tag Archives: apply for retirement

Countdown to Retirement – 1-3 Months to Go

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Congratulations! After years of hard work and planning, the big day is almost here. It’s time to file for retirement.

You must submit your service retirement application 15 to 90 days before your retirement date.

Countdown to Retirement – 1-3 Months to Go

Filing Online

Online filing offers a secure and convenient way to apply for a service retirement benefit. You can upload needed documents instead of having applications notarized and taking them to the post office. You can also check on the status of your application once you submit it through Retirement Online. To get started, sign in to your Retirement Online account, scroll to the ‘My Account Summary’ section and click the “Apply for Retirement” button.

From there, you’ll go through a series of screens where you’ll be able to:

  • Choose your retirement date;
  • Get an estimate of the pension payment options available to you;
  • Select a pension payment option and beneficiary;
  • Have federal taxes withheld;
  • Sign up for direct deposit; and
  • Upload required documents, such as proof of date of birth.

After you click the “Submit” button, do not close your browser until you receive a confirmation message saying your application has been successfully submitted.

Once you submit your application, you will see a summary page that will include all the information that you have submitted through Retirement Online. Review this information to be sure that your online application is complete and your chosen option benefit and beneficiary information are accurate. This is very important since there are specific deadlines for selecting or changing a pension option and beneficiary.

If you don’t have a Retirement Online account, you can sign up today.

Filing by Mail

If you prefer, you can submit a paper retirement application. Complete an Application for Service Retirement (RS6037) and mail it to NYSLRS. (Do not give your retirement application to your employer.) Your application must be signed, notarized, and received by NYSLRS. We recommend that you mail your application “certified mail, return receipt requested.”

If you have received a recent pension estimate and you know which pension payment option you want, you should include your pension payment option form when you mail your retirement application. If you have not received an estimate, we will send you one, along with an option form, after we receive your application, but you must select an option within the deadlines required by law.

If you file by mail, you must also send us the following documents:

 We cannot start paying benefits until we receive proof of your date of birth.

If you have questions about filing for your retirement benefits, you can schedule a pre-retirement telephone consultation. To make an appointment, call 1-866-805-0990 (or 518-474-7736 in the Albany, NY area), press 2, then follow the prompts.

Read the Rest of Our Countdown to Retirement Series

This is the final installment of our Countdown to Retirement series. Missed our earlier posts? Catch up with them here:

Retirement Online Makes Applying for Retirement Fast, Easy

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You can file for a service retirement benefit using Retirement Online. This feature makes applying for retirement faster and easier than ever before. If you don’t already have an account, sign up today.

applying for retirement

File for a Service Retirement Online

After signing in to your Retirement Online account, scroll down to the ‘My Account Summary.’ On the right, under the heading ‘I want to…,’ click the green “Apply for Retirement” button.

From there, you’ll go through a series of screens where you’ll be able to:

  • Choose a retirement date;
  • Get an estimate of your pension and the payment options available to you;
  • Select a payment option (many provide a continuing benefit for a beneficiary after you die);
  • Sign up for direct deposit; and
  • Attach required documents, such as proof of date of birth.

A big advantage of filing for retirement online is that you do not have to get anything notarized.

After you click the “Submit” button, it is important that you do not close your browser until you receive a confirmation message that states your retirement application has been successfully submitted.

Filing for Service Retirement by Mail

You can still print an Application for Service Retirement and pension payment option election form and mail them to NYSLRS. If you mail the application, we recommend “certified mail, return receipt requested.” When we receive the form, the postmark date will serve as the filing date.

If you use regular mail, the filing date is the date we receive it. However, if you were to die after your application is mailed, but before we receive it, a legible postmark will serve as a filing date. (If you mail it from a post office, you can ask for a hand cancellation, which may help ensure the postmark is legible.)

If you plan to mail your application, you may want to read our blog post, Your Checklist to Apply for Retirement.

For More Details, Read Your Retirement Plan Booklet

Your service and disability retirement benefits and death benefits are based on your tier, plan, service credit, and other factors. For details about your available benefits, please read your retirement plan booklet, available on our Publications page, or you can call our Contact Center at 866-805-0990 if you have questions.

NYSLRS

Doing Business with NYSLRS from Home

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When we first launched Retirement Online, we were proud to provide our members and retirees a new, convenient way to review their benefit information and do business with NYSLRS. But as a result of recent upgrades, Retirement Online now offers a variety of time-saving features that make doing business from home a snap.

Doing Business with NYSLRS from Home

What Can You Do in Retirement Online?

Retirement Online gives you an easy and secure way to review your NYSLRS benefit information and conduct transactions in real time. In many cases, you can use Retirement Online instead of sending forms through the mail or calling NYSLRS. Here’s a quick look at some of its features:

  • Update Contact Information
    Do you have a new mailing address, email address or phone number? Make sure NYSLRS can get in touch with you by updating your contact information.
  • Update Your Beneficiary Information
    You can designate beneficiaries for your death benefits, and also make updates to existing beneficiaries.
  • Create a Pension Verification Letter or Mortgage Letter
    If you’re a retiree and need to provide proof of your retirement income, you can generate and print an income verification letter from your account. If you’re a member and need to verify your retirement account information, you can generate and print a mortgage letter when you need it.
  • Update Your Last Name
    If you changed your last name recently, you can change it online instead of submitting a Name Change form.
  • Change Your Correspondence Preference
    Would you prefer to receive emails from NYSLRS instead of mail? You can update your correspondence preference and receive an email notification from NYSLRS whenever we have updated information to send you. (Please note that some information, such as tax forms, will be sent by mail for security purposes.)
  • Estimate Your Pension (Members Only)
    You can estimate your pension benefit based on up-to-date account information, then save or print the estimate for your records.
  • Manage Loan and Service Credit Payments (Members Only)
    Need to pay back a loan or purchase service credit? You can adjust your payment amount or make a lump sum payment.
  • Apply for Retirement
    Ready to retire? You can file your service retirement application right from home.
  • Apply for a Loan (Members Only)
    Eligible members can apply online to take a loan out against their NYSLRS contributions.

If you don’t already have a Retirement Online account, sign up today. If you need help with Retirement Online, please refer to our Retirement Online Tools and Tips blog post.