Single Life Allowance (Option 0)

This is the basic retirement benefit. It provides for the maximum benefit payment to you each month for the rest of your life. Under this selection, all payments cease upon your death. When you die (even if it is only one year, or sooner, after retiring), nothing will be paid to any beneficiary.

Cash Refund — Contributions (Option ½)

(Available only to members with annuity savings contributions on deposit)

This option will provide you with a reduced monthly benefit for your lifetime. At your death, the unpaid balance of your accumulated annuity savings contributions will be paid to your beneficiary or your estate. If all of your accumulated annuity savings contributions have been expended, all payments will cease upon your death. The mandatory contributions made by Tier 5 and 6 members are not annuity savings contributions.

Cash Refund — Initial Value (Option 1)

(Available to Tier 1 members only)

This option will provide you with a reduced monthly benefit for your lifetime. It guarantees that if you die before receiving retirement benefit payments that equal the initial value of your benefit, the balance of the initial value will be paid to your beneficiary or estate in a lump sum. “Initial value” is an actuarial term for the value of your retirement benefit at the time of retirement.

If you live long enough, you will receive your initial value amount and more in your monthly retirement benefit. However, if you die after the full initial value amount has been paid out to you, no benefit is payable to your beneficiary.

Joint Allowance — Full*

This option will provide you with a reduced monthly benefit for your lifetime, and is based on your birth date and that of your beneficiary. After your death, your beneficiary will receive the same monthly amount you were receiving (without COLA) for life. If your beneficiary dies before you, all benefit payments will cease upon your death.

Joint Allowance — Half*

This option will provide you with a reduced monthly benefit for your lifetime, and is based on your birth date and that of your beneficiary. After your death, your beneficiary will receive monthly payments equal to one-half of the amount you were receiving (without COLA) for life. If your beneficiary dies before you, all benefit payments will cease upon your death.

Pop-Up/Joint Allowance — Full or Half*

These options will provide you with a reduced monthly benefit for your lifetime. If you die before your beneficiary, we will continue paying the same monthly amount or one-half that amount (without COLA), depending on which option you elect, to your beneficiary for life. If your beneficiary dies first, your benefit will be increased to the amount you would have received if you had selected the Single Life Allowance at retirement, and all payments will cease upon your death.

Five Year Certain and Ten Year Certain

These options will provide you with a reduced monthly benefit for your lifetime, with the additional guarantee that if you live for less than five years or ten years after retirement, depending upon which option you elect, payments in the same amount you were receiving (without COLA) will be made to your beneficiary for the balance of the five- or ten-year period. You may change your beneficiary within the five- or ten-year period.

Alternative Options

If the options described here do not meet your needs, we will consider written requests for other payment methods. These requests must be outlined in detail by you and then approved by us for legal and actuarial soundness.

*If you elect this option, you must submit proof of your beneficiary’s birth date. You can designate only one beneficiary and you cannot change your designation after your retirement. If your beneficiary is your spouse at the time of your death, he or she will be eligible for 50 percent of your COLA.

Learn more about COLA.