Schedule a Ready-to-Retire Counseling Session

3-6 Months Before Retirement

Overview
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ACERA offers one-on-one Ready-to-Retire counseling sessions to members who are within 6 months of their planned retirement date. If you’re not yet within that timeframe, you can still receive personalized guidance—our Member Services representatives are available during business hours by phone or email to answer your questions and help you plan for retirement.

We encourage you to schedule your Ready-to-Retire Counseling Session 3–6 months before your retirement date. Your session will take place during the 90 days before your retirement date. During the session, ACERA will review your retirement application, retirement benefits, payment options, and available deductions. You may also complete related forms.

Note: The counseling session alone does not initiate the retirement process. To retire, you must submit a retirement application to ACERA within the 90-day period before your retirement date.

Complete the form below and an ACERA representative will contact you to schedule your session.

 

If no, we highly recommend you take a few minutes to get a benefit estimate in your ACERA online account.

If no, we highly recommend you watch the Pre-Retirement Webinar video on our Retirement Planning Seminars page or sign up for and attend a live Pre-Retirement Webinar before proceeding with submitting this form.

The date you enter MUST be within the next 6 months.

If your retirement date is more than 6 months away, don’t complete the form. We recommend reviewing the Pre-Retirement Seminar video and emailing us with any questions you have. If you do submit a counseling request for more than 6 months away, we cannot accept your request, and you will be required to submit another request when you’re within 6 months of your retirement date.

 

In-person office appointments are reserved for those who are unable to meet over phone or Zoom. If you are able to meet in either of those ways, we ask that you select phone or Zoom. More information here.

 

If yes and you haven’t already done so, take a few minutes after you submit this form to submit a service credit Purchase Request Form. All service purchase requests must be received at least 30 days prior to your chosen date of retirement.

If yes, you should do 2 things after you submit this form:

  1. Review the information on our divorce page.
  2. Provide the documents to ACERA that are outlined on the divorce page, if you haven’t already done so.

 

If yes, remember that you must retire from all of the linked reciprocal systems on the same day.

If yes, you are planning on filing for disability retirement, please read our Disability Retirement Handbook.