Tag Archives: post-retirement income

ERS Tier 6 Benefits – A Closer Look

Financial advisers say you will need to replace between 70 and 80 percent of your salary to maintain your lifestyle after retirement. Your NYSLRS pension could go a long way in helping you reach that goal, especially when combined with your Social Security benefit and your own retirement savings. Here’s a look at how Employees’ Retirement System (ERS) members in Tier 6 (who are vested once they’ve earned five years of credited service), can reach that goal. Members who joined NYSLRS since April 1, 2012 are in Tier 6.

formula for a financially secure retirement

Calculating an ERS Tier 6 Member’s Pension

Your NYSLRS pension will be based on your Final Average Earnings (FAE) and the number of years you work in public service. FAE is the average of the five highest-paid consecutive years. Note: The law limits the FAE of all members who joined on or after June 17, 1971. For example, for most members, if your earnings increase significantly through the years used in your FAE, some of those earnings may not be used toward your pension.  

Although ERS members can generally retire as early as age 55 with reduced benefits, the full retirement age for Tier 6 members is age 63.

For ERS Tier 6 members in regular plans (Article 15), the benefit is 1.66 percent of your FAE for each full year you work, up to 20 years. At 20 years, the benefit equals 1.75 percent per year for a total of 35 percent. After 20 years, the benefit grows to 2 percent per year for each additional year of service. (Benefit calculations for members of the Police and Fire Retirement System and ERS members in special plans vary based on plan.)

Say you begin your career at age 28 and work full-time until your full retirement age of 63. That’s 35 years of service credit. You’d get 35 percent of your FAE for the first 20 years, plus 30 percent for the last 15 years, for a total benefit that would replace 65 percent of your salary. If you didn’t start until age 38, you’d get 45 percent of your FAE at 63.

Examples of ERS Tier 6 Pension Calculation

So, that’s how your NYSLRS pension can help you get started with your post-retirement income. Now, let’s look at what the addition of Social Security and your own savings can do to help you reach your retirement goal.

Other Sources of Post-Retirement Income

Social Security: According to the Social Security Administration, Social Security currently replaces about 40 percent of the wages of a typical worker who retires at full retirement age. In the future, these percentages may change, but you should still factor it in to your post-retirement income.

Your Savings: Retirement savings can also replace a portion of your income. How much, of course, depends on how much you save. The key is to start saving early so your money has time to grow. New York State employees and some municipal employees can participate in the New York State Deferred Compensation Plan. If you haven’t already looked into Deferred Compensation, you might consider doing so now.

Crunching the Numbers: A Short Guide to Retirement Calculators

A good estimate of your post-retirement income is essential to retirement planning. But estimating your income becomes a little tricky when you need to calculate income from several sources. Fortunately, there are retirement calculators available to help you.

online calculators

NYSLRS Benefit Calculator

A good place to start is with the NYSLRS online benefit calculator. Most members can create a pension estimate in minutes using Retirement Online. A Retirement Online estimate is based on the most up-to-date account information we have on file for you. You can enter different retirement dates to see how those choices would affect your benefit.

Social Security Calculators

The Social Security Administration (SSA) hosts a variety of calculators that you may find helpful. The SSA’s Quick Calculator, which uses information you enter, provides a rough estimate of your Social Security benefit. The Retirement Estimator, which estimates your benefit based on your actual Social Security earnings record, is more refined, but you’ll need to enter your Social Security number and other personal information.  

You can also calculate when you will be eligible for full Social Security benefits and estimate your life expectancy.

Savings Calculators

If you are saving for retirement, a simple savings calculator can show you how your money can grow over the years. But simple calculators assume a fixed amount of savings each month. In reality, most people increase their retirement savings as their income grows. With more sophisticated calculators, like this 401k Retirement Calculator, you can account for salary increases over time. (Note: The 401k Retirement Calculator works with other types of retirement savings plans, including 457(b) plans like the ones offered by the New York State Deferred Compensation Plan.)

Savings Withdrawal Calculators

Savings withdrawal calculators like this one are designed to help determine how much savings remains after a series of withdrawals. These are especially helpful tools to use when trying to determine how long your retirement savings will last. Enter the starting amount, how much to withdraw and how often, and an expected final balance will be calculated.

While the calculators mentioned above are great planning tools for before and after retirement, remember that their results are only estimates.