As a CalSTRS member, you participate in a hybrid retirement system consisting of traditional defined benefit (Defined Benefit Program), cash balance (Defined Benefit Supplement Program) and voluntary defined contribution (CalSTRS Pension2®) plans.

Your service retirement benefit under the Defined Benefit Program is based on your years of service credit, your age at retirement and your final compensation. The more service credit you have, the higher your monthly retirement benefit will be.

Near retirement checklist

You’re eligible to retire if you're age 55 with at least five years of service credit—or fewer, if you retire under the special circumstances of concurrent service retirement (or age 50 with at least 30 years of service credit if under CalSTRS 2% at 60).

• Familiarize yourself with the federal Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset rules if you or a spouse paid into Social Security through non-CalSTRS covered employment.
• Transfer eligible unused sick leave from a previous employer, if you have any, to your current employer.
• Sign up for a CalSTRS and Your Retirement group benefits planning session to receive personalized benefit estimates prepared by a CalSTRS benefits specialist.
• Submit the Preretirement Election of an Option form if you want to provide a lifetime monthly benefit to someone should you die before retirement.
• Make sure your one-time death benefit recipient information is current.
• Complete and submit your Service Retirement Application online using myCalSTRS for faster processing up to six months before your retirement date. If you have a complex application, you can still complete it online, then print, sign and mail or fax it to us.
• Look for your Learn and Discover: Near Retirement booklet from us in the mail and learn about important considerations as you get closer to a well-earned retirement.