Understanding Your Retirement

Understanding Your Retirement

Overview
Understanding Your Retirement

If you don’t know when you can retire or how much you will receive once you do, review this section to understand what’s available to you!

Overview

Retirement Will Change Your Life

Retirement Will Change Your Life

Retirement is a major life change and you won’t know how it will affect you until you actually retire. Whether you are thinking about retiring in two months, two or twenty years, watch this brief video to learn more about mentally preparing for retirement and what you may expect during these years. 

Overview

Health Benefits

Retired members are eligible to receive a monthly medical plan premium and a dental plan subsidy to cover some or all of their health care premium. A subsidy is a monthly dollar credit applied to the cost of your medical plan premium. The premium is the monthly cost of insurance coverage for a LACERS retired member and any dependents. Your subsidy may or may not cover the total cost of your monthly premium. If your subsidy is less than your monthly premium, the balance is deducted from your retirement allowance.

Overview

Summary Plan Description

This Summary Plan Description (SPD) is a general description of the main features of the benefits provided by the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System (the Plan), as set forth in the Los Angeles City Charter and the Los Angeles Administrative Code. In the event of any discrepancies between the SPD and the provisions of the Plan, the Plan provisions will govern at all times.

Overview

Leaving City Service Prior to Retiring

Leaving City Service Prior to Retiring

If you are not eligible for a Service Retirement, but are thinking of terminating City Service, you may still be eligible for certain benefits from LACERS. Your eligibility for these benefits will depend on the amount of Continuous Service you have when you leave City Service. 

If you have less than five years of Continuous Service, you can either:

Overview

Family Death Benefit Plan

The Family Death Benefit Plan (FDBP) is a voluntary program that provides a monthly financial benefit that may give your family increased financial protection should you die before retiring. An employee becomes eligible for membership for the FDBP after 18 months of City Service. The cost is only $.95 per pay period.

Family Death Benefit Plan

Overview

Domestic Partnerships & Divorce

To establish a domestic partnership with LACERS, you must file a Declaration of Domestic Partnership or register your domestic partnership with the State of California. The Declaration of Domestic Partnership or State-registered domestic partnership must be filed at least 12 months prior to retirement in order for your domestic partner to be eligible for a Continuance benefit.

Filing a Declaration of Domestic Partnership with Personnel Department, Employee Benefits section is not sufficient to cover the administration of benefits with LACERS.

Overview

Durable Power of Attorney

Durable Power of Attorney

Signing a Durable Power of Attorney may allow someone you select to take care of your financial affairs, including retirement benefits and health insurance benefits, in the event that you become incapable of managing your own affairs, either before or after you retire. Otherwise, it may be necessary to have the court appoint a conservator of your estate, which may be costly.

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