Benefits Counseling

Learn about the different types of benefits counseling sessions offered by CalSTRS.

CalSTRS and Your Retirement: Are you eligible to retire?

Learn about your CalSTRS benefits and the services available to you in an interactive setting. This session covers:

• Eligibility:
  • Age 50 with at least 30 years of service credit.
  • Age 55 with at least five years of service credit.
• Beneficiary options and how to protect your loved ones.
• Personalized benefit estimates.

What Members are Saying:

CalSTRS rep is very helpful. He had prepared folders with the CalSTRS benefit numbers for each individual. He answered questions about CalSTRS, how to complete retirement forms and submit them. Very helpful session.

The ‘group counseling’ was still very individually focused. Everyone was able to have case-specific questions answered for themselves. I left the session having a much clearer understanding of my options and timelines.

Being in a group setting opened up questions and answers that I might not have considered during an individual session.

Scheduling a Benefits Counseling Session

Important: Benefits counseling sessions are scheduled six weeks in advance in most cases.

Gather the following personal information before scheduling a session:

• Identification.
• Your projected retirement date.
• Your employment status.
• The number of unused sick leave days you have accrued.
• Your annual contract days.
• Information about electing a beneficiary option.
• Highest salary from other California public retirement systems (if applicable).

To register:

• In-person Session – View Local Counseling Offices.
• Telephone Session – View Telephone Counseling Service.

CalSTRS and You: Are you an early or mid-career educator?

Learn about your CalSTRS benefits and the services available to you in an interactive setting. This session covers:

• CalSTRS benefits.
• Online tools, available 24/7.
• Your financial future.

What Members are Saying:

I got a lot of information and the presenters were great … good sense of humor as well as providing useful information and answering questions clearly.

The presenter proved to be both reliable and professional. He was able to answer all questions posed to him. I would recommend him as a presenter for more group counseling sessions.

The counselor was friendly, professional, very helpful, well-informed, and answered all of our questions. Thank you for your help in providing this service.

Scheduling a Benefits Counseling Session

Important: Benefits counseling sessions are scheduled six weeks in advance in most cases.

To register:

• In-person Session – View Local Counseling Offices.
• Telephone Session – View Telephone Counseling Service.

Retirement Application Roundtable: Are you ready to fill out your retirement application?

In this session, we will help you finalize and submit your Service Retirement Application to CalSTRS.

Be sure to bring your spouse or partner to sign your application.

What Members are Saying:

The efforts of the CalSTRS counselor and scheduler made this process very comfortable.

Filling out the retirement form in the group was very helpful to be sure that I was doing it correctly. Leader was well informed and presented effectively.

… I really appreciated the expert information and support I received at my meeting.

Scheduling a Benefits Counseling Session

Important: Benefits counseling sessions are scheduled six weeks in advance in most cases.

To register:

• In-person Session – View Local Counseling Offices.
• Telephone Session – View Telephone Counseling Service.

Other Sessions: Availability based on local demand and specific circumstances.

Other sessions may include topics such as:

• Are you considering a disability benefit?
• Do you have a Cash Balance account?
• Is this your second CalSTRS retirement?
• Are you retiring this year?

Scheduling a Benefits Counseling Session

Important: Benefits counseling sessions are scheduled six weeks in advance in most cases.

Gather the following personal information before scheduling a session:

• Identification.
• Your projected retirement/disability date.
• Your employment status.
• The number of unused sick leave days you have accrued.
• Your annual contract days.
• Information about electing a beneficiary option.
• Highest salary from other California public retirement systems (if applicable).

To register:

• In-person Session – View Local Counseling Offices.
• Telephone Session – View Telephone Counseling Service.