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Your NYSLRS Pension—A Defined Benefit Plan

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As a NYSLRS member, you are enrolled in a defined benefit plan, also known as a traditional pension plan.

If you are vested and retire from NYSLRS, you will receive a monthly pension payment for the rest of your life. Your pension will be calculated using a preset formula based on your earnings and years of service.

Your individual contributions to NYSLRS will not affect the pension you receive when you retire. Member contributions support the benefits earned by current and future retirees and are an important asset of the Common Retirement Fund.

Defined benefit plans are supported by contributions from both members and employers. With defined benefit plans, retirement assets are pooled and the investment risk is shared. These plans are usually administered by professional managers, whose long-term investment strategies help to reduce the impact of market turmoil. NYSLRS employs an experienced group of investment managers.

The New York State Common Retirement Fund, which holds and invests the assets of NYSLRS, is one of the largest public pension plans in the United States, providing retirement security for over 1.2 million NYSLRS members, retirees and beneficiaries. The Fund has consistently been ranked as one of the best managed and best funded plans in the nation.

understand your defined benefit plan

Defined Contribution Plans—And Their Risks

Defined benefit plans are often confused with 401(k)-style retirement savings plans, which are known as defined contribution plans.

With a defined contribution plan, the employee, the employer or both contribute to an individual retirement account for the employee, and the money in the account is invested. In most cases, the employee decides how and where the money is invested (or the plan may offer pre-packaged investment options). At retirement, the employee will be able to draw from the accumulated value of contributions and investment returns, minus any fees.

The amount of money the employee has at retirement often relies on the investment returns of the individual account. So, market downturns, especially near retirement, can negatively affect the value of the benefit. Employees depending on defined contribution plans run the risk of outliving their savings.

NYSLRS’ Defined Benefit Plans

We administer nearly 300 retirement plan combinations. NYSLRS retirement plans:

  • Provide a guaranteed benefit for life.
  • Offer a pension based on final average earnings and years of service.
  • Provide a right to pension benefits (vesting) with five years of service credit.
  • Build a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) into pensions to help offset the effect of inflation.
  • Include disability retirement and death benefits.

We strongly encourage you to review your retirement plan publication for a complete description of your benefits. Visit our Find Your NYSLRS Retirement Plan Publication page and follow the steps listed.