House Ways and Means Testimony on Social Security and Public Servants 

 NEA's Letter to House committee on GPO/WEP

 Shortchanged in Retirement: Continuing Challenges to Women's Financial Future

 Women 80% More Likely to be Impoverished in Retirement

 401(k) Plans' Inefficiency Struggles Will Grow

 Working After Retirement … New Rules

 CalSTRS Member Handbook - How Will You Spend Your Future?

Are you prepared for your retirement? Do you know all you need to know? Take a look at the Retirement Readiness Assessment to learn what you need to know about your retirement.

• Retirement Readiness Assessment

NEA-Retired

California Alliance for Retired Americans

Alliance for Retired Americans

Help Defend a Fair Shake for California's Middle Class

 Medicare Enrollment

 Medicare Supplement Insurance

Two-page flyer that explains the quality public education system all students in California deserve and the advocacy positions of CTA on issues such as class size, access to preschool, a well-rounded education, and affordable college.

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The National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) updated its most recent ‘Pensionomics’ report: Pensionomics 2016: Measuring the Economic Impact of Defined Benefit Pension Expenditures, making a strong case that defined benefit pension plans help support our local communities where retirees spend their pensions dollars. Some key takeaways are that the spending from pension plan benefits support:
 
1)      7.1.million American jobs that paid 354.8 billion in wages.
2)      $1.2 trillion in total economic output nationwide.
3)      $627.4 billion in value added (GDP).
4)      $189.7 billion in federal,  state, and local tax revenue.

Numerous additional studies and reports show that educators fare better with a defined benefit plan. The studies clearly reveal that the overwhelming majority of classroom teaching in California is performed by long-career teachers and proves that the CalSTRS plan design rewards lifetime educators who will benefit from a traditional pension.

Check the "Pensions" TAB at the top of the page to access the additional studies and reports.

Having a secure retirement means that California educators can focus on their jobs, CTA Advocate Jennifer Baker emphasized during a Capitol Weekly Public Pension conference in Sacramento. She noted that the average CalSTRS retiree recovers only 52% of her or his salary in an annual pension, and many teachers have no Social Security. 

Even those who do have Social Security have their federal benefits reduced by two elements of national law: the Government Pension Offset (GPO) and the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), said Baker. CTA and NEA have been working tirelessly to persuade Congress to change these unfair federal rules.

CalSTRS 2015-16 Sustainability Report - Global Stewardship at Work - This report is an overview of the relative data and assessment of the material topics covering July 1, 2015-June 30, 2016 and, in some cases, calendar year 2016 is noted. This is CalSTRS' third annual sustainability report and was prepared in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative's G4 framework. Read the Report

Case Studies clear up misperception that Defined Contribution plans “save money” over traditional pensions - National Institute on Retirement Security released a Public Pension Resource Guide that provides readers with facts and data on the important role that public pensions play in the economy — for employees and retirees, public employers, and taxpayers alike. Check out the Guide 

Issue Brief Outlines the Reality of the Retirement Crisis - Issue Brief by the Center for American Progress illustrates the reality of the retirement crisis. Millions of Americans are at risk of not having enough money to maintain their standard of living in retirement, and the problem is only getting worse. Read the Brief

 Read the Retirement Research & Information Archive