We are very grateful to teachers, school employees and administrators, and other public servants who help our communities run well.
Hats off to you - we are thankful for your dedication and service!
ARE YOU LEAVING MONEY ON THE TABLE?
If you work in a public service sector such as public school employment (teacher, staff, administrator), public works or transportation, government offices, public first-responders (police, fire, EMS, etc.) - you probably have a pension of some sort.
Ohio's State Teacher's Retirement System is abbreviated STRS.
SERS is the Ohio School Employees Retirement System.
OP&F is Ohio Police and Fire Pension Fund.
PERS is the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System.
Postal and other government workers can be covered by CSRS, the Civil Service Retirement System.
While each state has its own acronyms, it is quite common for these pension plans to share similar options. The options can be confusing to navigate (should I take joint life survivorship options or cover my life only, when should I start, should I buy years of service, etc) and they can often include a feature that includes a lump-sum payout, sometimes called a PLOP or DROP.
You don't have to go through retirement planning alone. We can help! We are very familiar with the various options, why you might choose one plan over another, how to invest the lump-sum portions for lifetime income (while still retaining control of the money) and more.
We would be happy to have a no-obligation conversation with you about your options. Planning a year or more in advance is wise, because there are tax strategies you can employ if you plan ahead.
If you work in your local school system, you have an even sweeter "pot" to consider! Along with your pension through STRS or SERS, you are also able to contribute to a 403b plan and/or a 457 plan through your school system.
We serve most local schools (and can help any school employee in Ohio at this time) and can help you see how to save on your taxes, put money aside for retirement, and end up with multiple streams of income when you retire.
If you're in a school setting, it is worth having a conversation!!