Welcome New Members
Welcome, new members of the New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS).
What is NYSLRS? NYSLRS administers retirement benefits for New York State employees, municipal employees and non-teaching school district employees outside of New York City. With more than 1.1 million members, retirees and beneficiaries, NYSLRS is one of the largest public retirement systems in the nation.
NYSLRS administers two distinct systems. They are:
- The Employees’ Retirement System (ERS); and
- The Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS).
NYSLRS is here to help you plan for a financially secure retirement. Your retirement may be far in the future, but decisions you make now will have a big impact on your later years. Here are a few things you should know and do.
NYSLRS Membership
Key Elements
If you’ve just joined NYSLRS it’s important to understand how your membership works and the benefits you are entitled to receive. Learn about topics such as:
How membership contributions work
Getting credit for all of your public service
Transfer or reinstate a previous public retirement system membership
Designate a Beneficiary
Your retirement plan provides you with a death benefit, so it’s important that you designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries.
Sign in to Retirement Online and then click “View and Update My Beneficiaries” to add or remove beneficiaries or to update their information.
For more information, including guidelines for special beneficiary designations, read our publication, Life Changes: Why Should I Designate a Beneficiary?
Learn How Defined Benefit Plans Work
A NYSLRS pension is a defined benefit plan. Under this type of plan, once you are eligible for a pension and apply for retirement, you will receive a monthly payment for the rest of your life. The amount of your pension will be calculated using a formula set by State law.
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