The countdown to retirement continues. Here are a couple of things you should do four-to-six months before your retirement date to make sure you stay on track.
Locate Proof of Your Birth Date
Before NYSLRS can pay out any retirement benefits, we will need proof of your date of birth.
For most people, locating that proof is no big deal — a photocopy of your driver’s license will do. But if you don’t have proof of your birth date readily available, this is a good time to look for it or arrange to get a replacement. This is especially important if you need to write to an out-of-state registry or a foreign country for the necessary document.
If you intend to leave a lifetime pension benefit to a beneficiary after your death, we will need proof of their birth date as well.
In most cases, we will accept a photocopy of your proof of date of birth, and you can submit it when you apply for retirement online or by mail. If you mail us the original, we will return it to you.
Acceptable documents for proving your date of birth include your:
- Birth certificate
- New York State driver’s license
- Passport or passport card
- Marriage certificate, if it shows your age on a given date or the date of birth
- Baptismal certificate
- Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD-214)
- Naturalization papers
The National Center for Health Statistics’ website contains information for each state on where to write for your vital records.
Review Your Retirement Budget
In our Countdown to Retirement – 12 Months to Go blog post, we recommended that you calculate your retirement income and expenses. But circumstances can change in six months, so now is a good time to review your post-retirement budget and make any necessary adjustments. At this point, you may have a clearer picture of your retirement income or you may be aware of expenses that you didn’t consider earlier. A budget review will help ensure that you are still on track to retire on your terms.
If you missed it, be sure to read the first post in our series, Countdown to Retirement – 18 Months to Go. You’ll also want to keep an eye out for the final installment of this series.