Retirement benefits are a valuable portion of your total compensation package. The true value of your MPERS retirement benefit may not be recognized until you get closer to retirement age and start wondering how you will fund your retirement.
Retirement Eligibility
Your eligibility for retirement depends on your age and the amount of creditable service you have earned. The retirement laws in effect on the date you leave state employment determine both your eligibility for a benefit and the provisions used to calculate the benefit.
Once you retire, you will receive a monthly retirement benefit from MPERS for your life. If you are married and select a survivor option, your eligible surviving spouse will receive a lifetime survivor benefit, in the event of your death.
Benefit Formula
Your retirement benefit is calculated using a formula consisting of:
- Your highest 36 consecutive months of pay
- Your years and months of creditable service
- A multiplier that is set by law
Generally speaking, there are three sources of retirement income:
- Your retirement benefit from MPERS
- Your Social Security benefit
- Your personal savings (such as the Deferred Compensation Plan)
By familiarizing yourself with your future estimated benefits from MPERS and Social Security, you will be better able to assess how much you will need in personal savings to achieve your desired standard of living during retirement.