Apply for Retirement
Retirements are always effective on the first day of the month.
Your Application for Retirement begins in your Division. Let your supervisor know 60 or more days before the date you want to retire. Your Division’s administrative staff will type your application on Department letterhead. After you and your Division Director sign the letter, your Division is responsible for delivering the application to the Retirement Plan Office, John Ferraro Building (JFB), Room 357, no less than 30 calendar days prior to your retirement date. Thirty days prior is mandatory per the City Charter; the Retirement Plan Office cannot accept a late application.
In addition to the Application for Retirement, you should complete the “Personal Data Sheet” for Retirees. Please deliver the “Personal Data Sheet” directly to the Retirement Plan Office. You should not submit this form to your Division.
Retirement Deadlines
[Top]Important Retirement Deadlines for 2021
| Retirement Date | Last Day to Apply | Last Day to Withdraw |
|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2021 | December 2, 2020 | December 24, 2020* Retirement Office will close at 12:00PM |
| February 1, 2021 | December 31, 2020* | January 25, 2021 |
| March 1, 2021 | January 29, 2021* | February 22, 2021 |
| April 1, 2021 | March 2, 2021 | March 25, 2021 |
| May 1, 2021 | April 1, 2021 | April 23, 2021* |
| June 1, 2021 | April 30, 2021* | May 25, 2021 |
| July 1, 2021 | June 1, 2021 | June 24, 2021 |
| August 1, 2021 | July 2, 2021 | July 23, 2021* |
| September 1, 2021 | August 2, 2021 | August 25, 2021 |
| October 1, 2021 | September 1, 2021 | September 24, 2021 |
| November 1, 2021 | October 1, 2021* | October 25, 2021 |
| December 1, 2021 | November 1, 2021 | November 24, 2021 |
| January 1, 2022 | December 2, 2021 | December 23, 2021* Retirement Office will close at 12:00PM |
*Earlier due to weekend and/or holiday.
Retirement Counseling
[Top]Approximately 10 to 14 days before your effective retirement date, the Retirement Plan Office will send a letter to your home address. The letter shows how much money you can expect per month under each of the available options.
Review the letter carefully and select the option that is best for you. If you need help understanding the options, please call the Retirement Counselor whose name and phone number are on the letter. Your counselor will review the information with you and schedule an appointment for your personal counseling session in our office.
Your Eligible Spouse/Domestic Partner is encouraged to attend with you
At your counseling appointment, we will review the following:
- Birth certificates, Marriage certificate, Domestic Partnership registration, if applicable
- Retirement formula
- Contract for your selected option (default Option Full, if none selected)
- Beneficiary designation form
- Re-employment after retirement acknowledgment form
- Electronic direct deposit form
- Federal and California state tax withholding instructions
- Vacation and Accumulated Time Off claim forms (Processed by Paymaster)
- Health Plans enrollment form (Processed by Health Plans Office)
- Wage garnishment, if applicable
Retirement Options
[Top]The Plan provides several retirement options for you to choose from at retirement. Every option provides an Eligible Spouse/Domestic Partner monthly continuance after your death. Some options provide an Eligible Spouse/Domestic Partner monthly continuance and a named Beneficiary monthly continuance after your death.
You have up to 10 calendar days after your retirement to change your option. After the 10 days, you will not be able to change your option.
| Retirement Options Table | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Option | Monthly Allowance | Eligible Spouse/Domestic Partner Continuance | Beneficiary Continuance | Refund of Unused Contributions |
| Full | Largest | Up to 50% | No | No |
| A | Reduced | Up to 50% | No | Yes |
| B | Reduced | Up to 50% | 100% | No |
| C | Reduced | Up to 50% | 1% to 99% | No |
| D | Reduced | 100% | No | No |
| E | Reduced | 51 to 99% | No | No |
Required Documents
[Top]An original or certified copy of your birth certificate, your Eligible Spouse/Domestic Partner’s birth certificate and your marriage certificate or your domestic partnership registration form will be required at your counseling session. We will photocopy these documents and return the originals to you. Please see the List of Acceptable Proofs of Date of Birth.
If you have been divorced, we may need a copy of your divorce papers to determine if your former spouse has a community property interest in your retirement allowance.
Canceling Your Retirement Application
[Top]You may cancel your request to retire after it has been received by the Retirement Plan Office by sending us a letter to that effect, which must be received and date stamped in our office no less than 7 calendar days prior to your retirement date.
If you are under age 60, your request to withdraw your application must be routed through your Division and approved by your Division Director.