COLA vs benefit indexing

Your pension is designed to grow over time to help keep up with inflation. All Plan 2 and Plan 3 retirees are eligible for a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) every July. However, only Plan 3 and LEOFF 2 members can qualify for benefit indexing, which helps your pension grow with inflation before you retire. Here are…

Do you have pension funds you don’t know about?

That might sound like an unnecessary question but read on to see why we’re asking. Our Retirement Specialists take calls from DRS customers who are often unaware they have retirement funds waiting for them in their accounts. There are several reasons this happens: Imagine her surprise Melissa is a Retirement Specialist at DRS who loves…

The basics of retiring with DRS

Once you’ve reached the required age and years of service for your plan, you can apply for your pension retirement through DRS. We have a complete retirement checklist as well as live and recorded seminars to guide you through the retirement process, but basically it goes like this: 1. Make sure you qualify for retirement. Do you meet the age requirements?…

Think pennies, save more: A simple shift that can enhance your retirement savings

There are two ways to contribute to Washington’s Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). You can choose to invest a set dollar amount every month, or you can opt to invest a percentage of your gross pay. DCP is a savings program, that helps you invest for the retirement lifestyle you want to achieve. One way to…

7 podcast episodes to get you ready to retire

One of the biggest challenges of prepping for retirement is understanding all the different pieces — like choosing the right health care, understanding the jargon and getting a clear picture of your finances. Since retirement looks different for everyone, it’s important to take the time to figure out what’ll work best for you. Luckily, our…

Plan 3 transfer window open in Jan.

Each January, active members who joined Plan 2 before a certain date have the option to transfer to Plan 3. Plan 3 has two parts: a pension account and an investment account. Your employer pays into your pension fund, while your contributions go into an investment account that you control. Plan 3 rules allow you…

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