As you approach retirement, you may have questions about your IPERS benefits, the retirement process and more. We offer many tools and resources to help you make informed retirement decisions with confidence.
Preparing for Your Retirement
This booklet provides a high-level overview of your retirement options and the retirement process.
View document for Regular Members.
View document for Special Service Members.
Nearing Retirement Checklist
As you approach retirement eligibility, the following steps will help you make informed decisions with confidence.
Determine your retirement timeline.
It’s ok if you have a few different retirement dates in mind. We can prepare multiple estimates to help you understand how when you retire might affect your benefit amount.
Attend an IPERS workshop.
IPERS offers many workshops designed to help members plan for retirement and understand IPERS’ benefits. It is beneficial to attend a workshop within five years of retirement. You may attend them as often as you’d like and as space allows.
- Ready, Set, Retire workshop (for state agency employees) – held monthly via livestream.
- Creating a Secure Retirement workshop (for all IPERS members) – held monthly via livestream.
Watch our Understanding Your IPERS Benefits video series:
- Completing Your Retirement Application - This video walks you through the retirement application step by step so you can learn how to complete your application and send it to IPERS with confidence.
- Benefit Estimate and Payment Options - This in-depth video describes IPERS’ different retirement options and how IPERS calculates your benefit amount.
Schedule a one-on-one appointment with an IPERS retirement counselor.
You can schedule an appointment in My Account or call us at 800-622-3849. Watch this video to learn how Schedule Meetings in My Account.
Review your benefit estimate.
You will be mailed a benefit estimate and you can also estimate your benefits in My Account. Contact IPERS if you discover any errors or discrepancies.
Decide if you will purchase service.
During your counseling appointment you can discuss this option.
Choose your benefit payment option.
Review your benefit payment options. Discuss any questions during your appointment with a benefit counselor.