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On December 3, 2021, the recordkeeper for PERA's 401k, 457 and DC plans will change from Voya to Empower. This is a result of a request for proposals and PERA staff and the Board looking at the submissions. Your investing choices will remain the same, you'll simply login to Empower's website which should hopefully provide … Continue reading PERAPlus 401k/457/DC: New Recordkeeper, Same Fees (almost)
Most Colorado educators are generally aware of the formula that calculates their PERA pension benefit: Years of Service Credit x 2.5% x Highest Average Salary (HAS) They also are generally aware of which HAS Table they use so they know when they qualify for a "full" retirement (non-green-shaded areas of your HAS Table). If you … Continue reading Colorado PERA Retirement Options 1, 2 and 3
First, a caveat. Health care - and health insurance - are complicated and nuanced topics that are heavily influenced by individual circumstances and options. The following post should be generally applicable for folks who are in a similar situation as we are, but you should always investigate the particulars for your situation carefully. This post … Continue reading Health Insurance: PERACare vs. the ACA Marketplace
Update 12-20-24: The WEP and the GPO have been repealed. Like many teachers, the first time I heard about the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), my first response was, “That’s not fair!” Why should my Social Security benefit (by WEP) or Social Security Survivor’s Benefit (by GPO) be reduced simply because … Continue reading Are the WEP and GPO “Fair”?
Update 6-16-24: I've revised and added to this post. So please read the updated post instead of this one. Many school districts have a salary schedule for teachers where your pay increases based on a combination of the number of years you have taught in the district ("steps") and the educational level you attain ("lanes"). … Continue reading Salary Schedule Lanes: How Much Difference Do They Really Make?
Inspired by some of the work Ben Johnson has been doing, I decided to revisit two posts I've previously done on the retirement plans (401k/403b/457) available through Littleton Public Schools and Douglas County Public Schools. (Note that the expense ratios are slightly lower now than when I wrote those posts.) It's probably worth reading at … Continue reading Fees Matter: Vanguard, PERA, TIAA and MetLife Comparison
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