New to NYSTRS? Welcome!

(Sept. 1, 2009) – NYSTRS typically adds about 17,000 new members to its ranks each year. If you're one of them, welcome to one of the top-ten public pension funds in the country!

Your membership means you are working toward a guaranteed pension in retirement — an asset that took on even greater significance during the recent economic downturn. While people without a defined benefit pension like the one provided by NYSTRS saw their retirement assets plunge, retired New York State public school teachers continued to receive the monthly benefit promised to them at retirement.

As a new member, considering you will not be collecting a retirement benefit for quite some time, this topic may not be of particular interest to you right now. But it should be.

If nothing else, understand this: Your eligibility for retirement, disability and death benefits is contingent upon your tier of membership and earnings, as well as the achievement of certain milestones related to your age and total service credit. That's why it's never too early to review your records and set retirement goals.

Maximizing your NYSTRS membership is actually very easy, thanks to the various services and tools we offer you at every stage of your career. The following is a sampling of them.

Your Benefit Profile
Your personalized Benefit Profile is an essential tool to plan for retirement. Mailed to you annually following your first year of employment, it's a summary of your membership status and provides estimates of your future benefits.

Since your benefit eligibility and calculations are based largely on your salary and service credit, it's important that you carefully review this data in your Profile. If you notice errors ask your employer to make corrections now.

NYSTRS.org
Visiting our Web site is a quick and easy way to get the latest news and information related to your benefits. Here you can: print forms and publications from our library; watch benefit-related videos; see schedules for benefits consultations and Retirement Planning Seminars; and, check the status of legislation.

What's more, with a MyNYSTRS account you can review your personal membership information and your Benefit Profile online, and you can access self-service tools to schedule appointments, change your address and apply for a loan. To create an account, you'll need to know your NYSTRS EmplID. This seven-digit number can be found on all official correspondence you receive from NYSTRS.

Handbook and Other Publications
The Active Members' Handbook offers a wealth of membership information and in-depth explanations about building service credit, member contributions, establishing benefits and contacting NYSTRS. It's an important tool to help you make informed decisions about your future.

The brochure Your First Look at NYSTRS is ideal for new members. Looking to the Future is a guide to NYSTRS' services and publications at each stage of your career. The brochure You Deserve the Credit offers a look at various types of service credit that members may be eligible to claim and/or purchase.

Grow Your Nest Egg

Although your NYSTRS pension may be the largest component of your retirement nest egg, it probably won't provide the only funds you rely upon to lead the life you dream of in retirement. We cannot overstate the importance of investing for retirement beyond your pension.

The earlier you start setting financial and retirement goals, the better position you'll be in to achieve them. Visit the Active Members page for financial planning resources and discuss your retirement goals with your certified financial advisor.

Once again, welcome to NYSTRS!

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