You can:

• Update your information on myCalSTRS.
• Download the Address Change Request form at CalSTRS.com/forms or request a form be mailed to you by calling (800) 228-5453.
• Call us at (800) 228-5453. To use this option, you must have a valid email address.

For your security, when you update your mailing or email address, we will send you a letter and an email confirming the update.

If you are an active member, make sure your address is updated with your employer.

Your employer submitted contributions or changes for a prior year.

• If the information affects a previous fiscal year, the adjustment is shown on your current report.
• If we receive information affecting the current year's report, but it is received too late to add to this year's report, the information will be shown as an adjustment on your report next year.

• Active members: Contact your employer to request a correction.
• Inactive members: Contact your former employer to request a correction.
• Nonmember spouses: Contact CalSTRS Community Property Office at (800) 228-5453, select option 2 and dial extension 1725. You may also contact the Community Property Office directly at (916) 414-1725.

General information on purchasing or redepositing service credit is available in the:

• Purchase Service Credit Now fact sheet.
• CalSTRS Member Handbook.

Your service credit total may not match the time that has elapsed since your initial membership date if you worked part time or had breaks in employment. Your service credit totals are also impacted if you took unpaid leave, refunded your account or have a community property court order affecting service credit that you did not purchase or redeposit.

Your initial membership date is important because CalSTRS uses it to determine your benefit structure and eligibility for some benefit enhancements. Service credit is the accumulated period of time, in full and partial years, during which you receive creditable compensation and make contributions to the Defined Benefit Program and is not solely based on your initial membership date. The maximum service credit you may earn during a school year is 1.000.

If you have questions about the service credit listed in your report, contact us. If you see a discrepancy, contact your employer.

If you elected an option, the factor used in your report is based on the date you elected a preretirement option.

The online retirement estimate calculator uses the retirement date and option election date you entered online. The calculator also uses any additional service credit and unused sick leave information you enter. These factors will likely result in different option factors and different benefit estimate results.

• Active members: Contact your employer. Your employer will notify CalSTRS.
• Inactive members: Contact CalSTRS directly. Submit a photocopy of your birth certificate or passport with a letter stating your birth date is incorrect on page 1 of your Retirement Progress Report. Please include your Client ID in your correspondence and mail the information to:

CalSTRS
P.O. Box 15275, MS 85
Sacramento, CA 95851-0275

• Active members: Submit a name change or correction through your employer. Your employer will notify CalSTRS.
• Inactive members: Contact CalSTRS directly. Submit a Request for Name Change form, along with a photocopy of your Social Security card (block out all but the last four digits), marriage license or court document showing your correct name to verify or change the name on your account. Please include your Client ID in your correspondence and mail the information to:

CalSTRS
P.O. Box 15275, MS 85
Sacramento, CA 95851-0275

Employer contributions to the Defined Benefit Program are paid into the Teachers' Retirement Fund to finance future benefits. These contributions do not affect the amount of retirement benefits you receive, nor are they refundable if you terminate CalSTRS-covered employment. The member contributions and interest shown on your report represent the amount you would be paid if you took a refund of your account balance.

Your Retirement Progress Report does include employer contributions to your Defined Benefit Supplement account. Employer contributions equal to 8% of your earnings for service performance in excess of one year are credited to your Defined Benefit Supplement account.

If you are a 2% at 60 member, employer contributions of 8% of your compensation for certain limited-term payments also are credited to your Defined Benefit Supplement account.

You or your beneficiary will receive all the funds in your Defined Benefit Supplement account—both your and your employer's contributions, interest earned and any additional earnings credit—when you request a termination benefit, retirement benefit or disability benefit.

For certain positions, base hours are not applicable and will be listed as N/A.

If the base hour column is visible but no data is displayed, it is because your employer did not report base hours for that year.

Refer to your employment agreement or collective bargaining agreement for your district's established base hours for your type of employment. If you see a discrepancy, contact your employer.

The Retirement Progress Report is a personalized annual statement for Defined Benefit Program members and Cash Balance Benefit Program participants. Additional information on retirement planning is included.

Your report will be delivered electronically, unless you request to receive it by mail.

Your report will be available online at myCalSTRS in mid-September. We will send you an email notification when it is available to view.

• Log in to myCalSTRS.com and go to Settings, then Your Profile and select the Retirement Progress Report Notification option.

If you requested by July 1, 2022, to receive your report by mail, it will be mailed to you in October.

The information in your Retirement Progress Report provides an overview of your CalSTRS account and beneficiary information. The facts and figures, such as years of service credit, ultimately will be used to calculate your retirement benefit. It is important for you to review this information and verify the accuracy of the information CalSTRS receives from your employer. It is also important to review your beneficiary information to make sure it is up to date.

Included in the report:

• Defined Benefit members—service credit, account balances, retirement estimates (if over age 45) and designated beneficiaries. The report also includes retirement planning information.
• Cash Balance participants—total account balance and total contributions for the fiscal year.

• See the Glossary of Terms used in your report.
• See “Your CalSTRS basics” in the Member Handbook.

Yes, use your myCalSTRS account at myCalSTRS.com to view current and past reports.

You can change your delivery preferences for future reports online on myCalSTRS or by paper form:

• myCalSTRS: Log in to myCalSTRS and go to Settings, then Your Profile. Scroll down to the Preferences section and select the Edit link next to Notifications. Uncheck the check box to receive your report online only or check the Retirement Progress Report check box to receive your report by mail.
• Form: Download the Retirement Progress Report Delivery Preference form at CalSTRS.com/forms or call 800-228-5453 to have a form mailed to you.

Mail your completed form to:

CalSTRS
P. O. Box 15275, MS 85
Sacramento, CA 95851-0275

Fax your completed form to 916-414-5474.

The Defined Benefit Program provides a traditional defined benefit pension. Your pension is based on a formula of service credit, an age factor and final compensation. It's not based on how much you contribute or how well CalSTRS investments perform. You must have five years or more of service credit and be eligible to retire to receive this benefit, unless you are retiring concurrently with another retirement system.

The Defined Benefit Supplement Program is a cash balance plan that provides additional income in retirement. Your contributions and your employer's contributions earn a guaranteed annual interest rate. At retirement, you receive all the funds in your account. Contributions on earnings for service in excess of one year of service credit, as well as limited-term payments for CalSTRS 2% at 60 members, are credited to your Defined Benefit Supplement account.

For additional information, see “Your Defined Benefit Program membership” in the Member Handbook.

The California Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 made significant changes to the benefit structure for members first hired to perform CalSTRS creditable activities on or after January 1, 2013. As a result, CalSTRS has two benefit structures:

• CalSTRS 2% at 60: Members first hired on or before December 31, 2012.
• CalSTRS 2% at 62: Members first hired on or after January 1, 2013.

The 2% refers to the age factor, which is the percentage of your final compensation you will receive as a retirement benefit for every year of service credit. The maximum age factor is 2.4%.

There are several other benefit differences for members under the CalSTRS 2% at 62 benefit structure compared to those under the CalSTRS 2% at 60 benefit structure besides the age factor. For additional information, see the Member Handbook.

The Employer Detail screen that accompanies your report on myCalSTRS displays base hours if you are a community college instructor or adult education program instructor. The base hour column will not display if you are a preK–12 instructor.

Base hours are the number of hours you are required to work in one school year to earn 1.000 year of service credit in that position. For community college instructors and adult education instructors, base hour requirements for full-time and part-time instructors are different and must be at least the minimum time required by law.

CalSTRS receives base hour information from your employer, so be sure your employer determines your base hours properly. Different assignments, even with the same employer, may have different base hour requirements. Refer to your employment agreement or collective bargaining agreement for your employing district's established base hours for your type of employment. If you see a discrepancy, contact your employer.

If you make contributions on earnings for service in excess of one year of service credit, you're eligible for a return of your contributions that exceed the contribution rate for Defined Benefit Supplement compensation—8% for CalSTRS 2% at 60 members and 9% for CalSTRS 2% at 62 members.

Any excess member contributions you made during the school year are reported on your Retirement Progress Report in the Special messages section. You can find a breakdown of your excess contributions by employer on your myCalSTRS account (select Services, then Excess Contributions).

CalSTRS will return any excess contributions to your employer. Your employer is responsible for returning your excess member contributions to you, less any authorized adjustments or tax withholding. CalSTRS will process the transactions in late September, but it may take 30 days or more for the funds to be transferred to employers.

The timing of any excess member contributions returned to you by your employer will vary. Please contact your employer if you have questions.

Contributions and interest from compensation paid in the California public school system may be rolled over to a qualified IRA or an eligible employer plan that accepts rollovers upon terminating employment and requesting a refund.

Defined Benefit Supplement payments may also be eligible for rollover to a qualified IRA or an eligible employer plan that accepts rollovers up to 180 days after your last date of creditable service.

The Tax Considerations for Rollovers booklet includes more detailed information on rollovers.

Three options are available:

• Keep your account contributions and interest with CalSTRS. Continue earning interest on your account. You will be eligible to receive a lifetime monthly retirement benefit when you are: Age 55 with five or more years of service credit (CalSTRS 2% at 60 and CalSTRS 2% at 62) or age 50 with 30 or more years of service credit (CalSTRS 2% at 60 only).
• Retire concurrently with certain other California public pension systems.
• Take a refund of your account contributions and interest. If you take a refund, you forfeit all rights to your CalSTRS retirement, survivor and disability benefits, unless you return to CalSTRS-covered employment.

For additional information, see “Your Defined Benefit Program membership” in the Member Handbook.

Refund: Consider the Consequences has more information on refunds.