The Daily Bulletin Archive

A New York State Pension and Retirement Education Program (PREP) seminar will be held Wednesday, December 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Buffalo Airport Hotel, 4600 Genesee Street, Cheektowaga, NY 14225. There is no fee to attend, and your spouse or companion is welcome to attend, but you must make a reservation in advance.

Many retirees wish they began focusing on financial and retirement planning much earlier in their lives. Don’t let that happen to you! No matter how far along you are in your career, careful financial and retirement planning is critical. That’s why the Pension & Retirement Education Program (PREP) seminar is so valuable. This seminar will help you understand your New York State Teachers' Retirement System (NYSTRS) benefits while also providing essential retirement-planning tips, which will help you develop a plan to achieve your retirement goals.

Make your reservation via your online MyNYSTRS account at NYSTRS.org or by calling (800) 348-7298, extension 6180 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Seminars fill quickly, so book early! When calling to make a reservation, have the following information at hand: your Empoyee ID or Social Security number, email address, and phone number (and the same information for your spouse or companion if they are a NYSTRS member and will attend with you).

Topics covered during this half-day seminar include the following:

•  NYSTRS Benefits: Your pension, disability coverage, loans, vesting, and death benefits

•  Financial Planning: Saving early, catching up, withdrawals, and financial advisors

• Social Security: Benefits, eligibility rules, when to collect, and earning limits

• Estate Planning: Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care proxies, and living wills

• The Retirement Process: Retirement options, "resigning" vs. "retiring," choosing a retirement date, retirement checklist, monthly payments, taxes, and earnings limitations on NYS public employment

Helpful tips:

• Bring your latest annual Benefit Profile with you to the seminar. (You may print it from MyNYSTRS.)

• If you make a reservation but cannot attend, please call the number above to cancel (or cancel via MyNYSTRS) so we can offer your spot to another member.

• PREP seminars do not include individual retirement counseling. Visit the Retirement Planning/Benefits Consultations page at NYSTRS.org to learn how to schedule an individual consultation.