Looking Ahead. Great Workshops

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2 Looking Ahead LACERA is here to help you prepare for a secure, active, and enjoyable retirement. Yes, you may be too young to retire now, but it takes planning to have the kind of retirement you want. Ask yourself: When can I afford to retire? How can I maximize my retirement benefits? What about health insurance after retirement? How much income will my spouse have if I die? You can count on LACERA to provide the answers through our workshops and publications. Why Should I Think About This Now? If you take the time now to plan your post-work years, you are much more likely to have the money you need for a fulfilling retirement. LACERA wants to help you plan how and when to retire. It is never too early to plan and prepare for your retirement, and it s less expensive to act now. Who Can I Trust to Explain All This to Me? Whether you are just starting your career, in the middle years, or nearing retirement, take advantage of all the LACERA information resources, including our web site, Call Center, assistance, and Workshops to discover the best way for you to reach your retirement goals. LACERA has nothing to sell you; we just want you to be well-informed as you make the important choices that will affect your future. You can come to LACERA for a workshop, or our Outreach Specialists can present workshops at your workplace. You will also be able to have your questions answered one-on-one. Great Workshops New Member Workshop Which Plan Is Right For Me? If you are a new County employee, we suggest that you attend this workshop to learn about your retirement plan choices. If you are a general member, you ll learn how to determine whether Plan D or Plan E is best for you. (Offered every Wednesday at LACERA; reservations are required.)

3 Mid-Career Workshop Time For A Mid-Course Correction? The earlier you plan for your retirement, the better. That's why LACERA offers a Mid-Career Workshop for those who are more than five years away from retirement. You re welcome to attend as early in your career as you wish. You ll learn about the differences between Plans D and E, Open Window vs. Prospective transfers, and purchasing previous service credit, Additional Retirement Credit, or Plan E Elective COLA. Options like these can significantly enhance your retirement. Preretirement Workshop Am I Too Young? You may be surprised. Ideally, you should attend a half-day LACERA Preretirement Workshop up to five years before your retirement because there are steps you should take that far in advance to fine-tune your plans, maximize your benefits, and customize your choices to fit your dreams. For example, you can take advantage of your remaining work years to purchase service credit or maximize savings in the Horizons 457 Plan or 401(k) Savings Plan. New Member Mid-Career Preretirement Be informed about selecting your plan Anytime in your career is a good time to plan for a successful retirement Attend a workshop 5 yrs before your anticipated retirement date and then again 2 years Where Can I Attend a Workshop? Come to LACERA or we ll come to you. At LACERA in Pasadena Reserve your place at a workshop by calling or The New Member workshop is held each Wednesday, from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., contingent on reservations.

4 The Preretirement workshop is held Tuesday, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Safety Members: the first Tuesday of the month General Members: all other Tuesdays At Your Workplace For your convenience, LACERA representatives can deliver a workshop at your workplace to groups of ten or more. Contact your Personnel Officer if you would like to have a Workshop offered at your location. Personnel Officers can schedule workplace workshops by contacting LACERA Member Services at , Ext. 3384, or welcome@lacera.com. More Resources for You LACERA is ready to answer your questions in person, over the telephone, in our newsletters, via at welcome@lacera.com, and through our web site, Benefit Day Events Don't have time for a workshop? LACERA will come to your workplace and set up a table or booth so you can drop by on your own time during the day to get answers to your retirement benefit questions. A Retirement Benefits Specialist will be available during your breaks, at lunchtime, or before or after work. Just ask your Personnel Officer to contact Member Services at , Ext. 3384, or welcome@lacera.com to set up a Benefit Day event.

5 Public Counter Visit our Pasadena office for a personal consultation with a Retirement Benefits Specialist. The Public Counter is open Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. If you drop in, you ll usually be seen in five to ten minutes. Or, you may call to set up an appointment. Home Visits Should you or your family ever need it, LACERA Outreach Specialists provide in-home or hospital counseling to terminally ill members and their families. Call Center It's easy to get answers to your questions when you speak with one of our Retirement Benefits Specialists. Call Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Publications Want to stay informed about issues affecting your retirement? Our quarterly newsletters, PostScript for active members and Spotlight for retirees, keep you in the loop. Want to learn about plan transfers, reciprocity, purchasing service credit, applying for retirement, direct deposit, power of attorney, and more? Just request one of our many helpful brochures online or by phone. You have 24-hour access to retirement information by visiting The site is full of useful information, including our newsletters and brochures. To view, print, or order our printed materials go to the Brochures & Forms page.

6 What will your retirement allowance be? Use our Interactive Calculators to view your estimated retirement allowance or the estimated cost to transfer plans or purchase Additional Retirement Credit. They are easy to use and will help you plan for your future. How Does My Pension Compare? Even though your County employment is not covered by Social Security, as a LACERA member, your years of hard work are rewarded with excellent benefits. Pension plans like yours that pay a lifetime retirement income are becoming rare in the private sector. Over the past 20 years, the percentage of private companies offering this type of pension has dropped from over 50% to only 20%. Savings programs like IRAs and 401(k) plans provide a fixed amount of money that may run out while you or your spouse are still living. As a LACERA member, you have the best of both worlds. You have the security of a lifetime retirement income from LACERA. Plus, the County provides you with the opportunity to save in the Horizons 457 Plan or the 401(k) Savings Plan; the County also makes matching contributions. Our job here at LACERA is to provide your lifetime retirement income, help you understand your options, and serve you with courtesy, accuracy, and respect. LACERA LACERA administers and manages the nearly $30 billion retirement fund for the County of Los Angeles. We are the largest county retirement system in the U.S., with over 140,000 members. Since 1938 we have been providing retirement, disability, and death benefits to eligible County employees, retirees, and their beneficiaries. We have administered a retiree health care benefits program since Our promise to our members is to Produce, Protect, and Provide the Promised Benefits. Call us today to learn more about your benefits and plan your future.

7 Come to a LACERA workshop, or have a LACERA workshop come to you! New Member Workshops Mid-Career Workshops Preretirement Workshops Get the answers: Which plan should I choose? Should I transfer plans? Can I purchase service credit? When can I retire? How much money will I have? How can I maximize my retirement income? What about health care? Personnel Officers: To schedule an onsite workshop contact LACERA Member Services at , Ext. 3384, or welcome@lacera.com

8 RSD 1552 (1/05) Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association 300 N. Lake Avenue Pasadena, CA