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Supplement Your NYSLRS Pension with Retirement Savings

Your NYSLRS pension can provide a significant portion of your retirement income, but it’s also a good idea to supplement your pension and Social Security with a retirement savings account.

Retirement savings can be an important financial asset when you retire. Savings can enhance your retirement lifestyle and give you the flexibility to do the things you want. Your savings can provide money for you to travel, continue your education, pursue a hobby or start a business. The money you set aside can also be a resource in case of an emergency, act as a hedge against inflation and boost your retirement confidence.

Set a Retirement Savings Goal

How much to save is a personal decision, but here are some things to consider.

Financial advisers often recommend saving 10 to 15 percent of your gross earnings throughout your career to retire comfortably. However, that advice is aimed at people with 401(k)-style defined contribution retirement plans as their main source of retirement income.

As a NYSLRS member, you’re part of a defined benefit plan, also known as a traditional pension plan. Your pension, based on your years of service and earnings, will provide a lifetime benefit. You can estimate your pension in Retirement Online to get an idea of the income it will provide in retirement.

Having a pension means you may not need to save as much as someone with only a 401(k). Use a retirement savings calculator to see how much a retirement savings plan could yield over time, or test the results of different savings amounts.

Below you can see potential savings results of someone who invests 50 dollars every two weeks over 30 years. While the stock market can be turbulent over the long term, stock market returns average about 10 percent a year.

Saving for Retirement

As you get closer to retirement, you should develop a plan to withdraw money from your retirement savings. A withdrawal plan will give you a better idea of the income you might expect from your nest egg.

Here is one possible withdrawal strategy, which was designed to provide retirement income for 20 years. Please note, if your retirement is far in the future, the money you withdraw may not have the same value that it has today. However, while inflation has been high recently, it does cycle and has been lower in the past.

Withdrawing from Retirement Savings

If you find you’ll need to save more to meet your goal, you can make adjustments to help ensure you’ll have enough savings in retirement.

Deferred Compensation – A Way to Save

State employees and many municipal employees are eligible to save for retirement through the New York State Deferred Compensation Plan. Once you’ve signed up, your retirement savings, which may be tax-deferred, depending on your plan, will be automatically deducted from your paycheck. (The Deferred Compensation Plan is not affiliated with NYSLRS.)

Check with your employer’s human resources or personnel office to see if they participate in the Deferred Compensation Plan or if they offer other savings options.

Read More About Retirement Savings

You can find more information about saving for retirement in these posts:

Deferred Compensation:
Another Source of Retirement Income

Many financial experts say that you will need 70 to 80 percent of your pre-retirement income to maintain your standard of living once you retire. For NYSLRS members, a financial plan in retirement is likely to include your NYSLRS pension and Social Security benefits. For greater financial stability, it may make sense to supplement your retirement with personal savings such as a deferred compensation plan.

deferred compensation

What is Deferred Compensation?

Deferred compensation plans are voluntary retirement savings plans like 401(k) or 403(b) plans – but designed and managed with public employees in mind. The New York State Deferred Compensation Plan (NYSDCP) is the 457(b) plan created for New York State employees and employees of other participating public employers in New York.

Once you sign up for the NYSDCP, you can build your own investment portfolio or invest in established investment funds. Your contributions will be automatically deducted from your paycheck, and you can contribute as little as 1 percent of your earnings.

One option for a deferred compensation plan is a tax-deferred account, where you make contributions with pre-tax money. This way, you won’t have to pay State or federal taxes on your contributions and earnings until you start making withdrawals. Your employer also may offer the option for a Roth account, where you make contributions with after-tax money. With a Roth account, you won’t pay taxes on withdrawals in retirement. Find out more about both options.

If your employer is not an NYSDCP participating employer, check with your human resources or personnel office about other retirement savings options.

What Does Deferred Compensation Mean For Me?

Deferring income from your take-home pay may mean less money to spend in the short-term, but you’re planning ahead for your financial future.

You can enroll in a deferred compensation plan anytime — whether you’re approaching retirement or you just started working. Usually, the sooner you start saving, the better prepared you’ll be for retirement.

Give Your Retirement Savings a Boost

If you’re already building your retirement savings, you already understand how those savings, along with Social Security, work together with your pension to help provide financial stability in retirement. Financial advisors call this the “three-legged stool.”

But why not take it a step further and give your retirement savings a boost? Even a small increase could make a big difference over time, while having minimal impact on your take-home pay.

How much of a difference would it make? You can check it out yourself using this online calculator and your own salary and savings information. Calculate the impact of your current savings, then try the same calculation with an additional 1 percent of your earnings. For example, if you’re saving 5 percent of your pay, see what saving 6 percent would do by the time you expect to retire.

retirement savings

Impact on Your Paycheck

Fortunately, adding a small amount to your retirement savings won’t have a substantial impact on your paycheck. For example, if you’re making $60,000 a year, 1 percent is only $600. That’s just $50 a month or, if you are paid every other week, about $23 per payday.

The impact on your take-home pay would be even less if you save in a tax-deferred plan because you won’t have to pay income tax on those earnings until after you retire. The New York State Deferred Compensation Plan’s paycheck impact calculator can help you estimate how increased savings would affect your paycheck. (You don’t have to have a Deferred Compensation account to use their calculator. The New York State Deferred Compensation Plan is not affiliated with NYSLRS.)

When to Increase Retirement Savings?

The sooner you boost your savings, the better off you’ll be. But if you’re not ready to increase your savings right now, then try this: Schedule your increase to coincide with your next raise. That way, you may not even miss the money.

The Right Time to Start Saving for Retirement is Now

When should you start saving for retirement? If you aren’t saving already, right now is the best time to start. If your retirement is a long way off, that means you’ll have more time for your savings to grow. But even if you’re close to retirement, it is never too late to start saving.

Why Save for Retirement?

While retirees tend to spend less than they did while they were working, financial experts say you’ll still need 70 to 80 percent of your pre-retirement income to maintain your lifestyle during retirement.

NYSLRS members have the rare advantage of a well-funded, defined-benefit pension. As a NYSLRS member, once you’re vested, you’re entitled to a pension that, once you retire, will provide you with monthly payments for the rest of your life. Retirement savings can supplement your NYSLRS pension and Social Security, helping you reach that income-replacement goal.

Retirement savings can also be a hedge against inflation and a source of cash in an emergency. A healthy retirement account will give you more flexibility during retirement, helping ensure that you’ll be able to do the things you want to do. It can also provide peace of mind.

Saving for Retirement

Getting Started

For New York State employees and many other NYSLRS members, there’s an easy way to get started. If you work for a participating employer, you can join the New York State Deferred Compensation Plan. If you don’t work for New York State, check with your employer to see if you are eligible. If you are not eligible, your employer may be able to direct you to an alternative retirement savings program.

Once you sign up for Deferred Compensation, your contributions will automatically be deducted from your paycheck and deposited into your account. You can choose from a variety of investment packages or choose your own investment strategy. (The Deferred Compensation Plan is not affiliated with NYSLRS.)