During your retirement years, you’ll likely experience certain life events or changes in your circumstances. It’s wise to consider your current situation and evaluate what may lie ahead for you and your loved ones.
Take a moment to review the information below and do some research to make sure you are prepared for any changes that come your way.
Learning More About Your Benefits
You should fully understand your CalPERS pension: what it is, where it comes from, how it’s calculated, and what it provides you. Watch our Retiree Refresher video to get an overview of common questions asked by CalPERS retirees.
Changing Your Benefit Payment Option
There are qualifying life events that allow you to change your benefit option after retirement, such as marriage after retirement and death of your named beneficiary. To learn more, read our publication Changing Your Beneficiary or Monthly Benefit After Retirement (PUB 98) (PDF).
Changing Your Beneficiaries After Retirement
When you retired, you may have designated a beneficiary to receive all or part of your retirement allowance after your death. CalPERS allows you at any time to change your one-time lump-sum beneficiary death benefit, so it’s important to keep your designation up to date. Be sure to read our publication mentioned above for all the details. You can add or change your beneficiary by logging in to your myCalPERS account.
Working After Retirement
If you decide to go back to work for a CalPERS employer, full or part time, you need to know some basic rules so you won’t jeopardize your CalPERS retirement benefits. Make sure you read all the requirements in our publication Employment After Retirement (PUB 33) (PDF).
Enrolling in Medicare
If you’re in the CalPERS Health Program, you can maximize your health benefits by coordinating your CalPERS health insurance with your Medicare coverage. Find all the Medicare resources you need on our website, including our Medicare Enrollment Guide (PDF).
Reporting the Death of a Retiree
Anyone can report a death of a CalPERS member by phone or mail. Be prepared to provide the following information: the member’s name, Social Security number or CalPERS ID number, date of death, name and address of person reporting the death, and name and address of next of kin.
Contacting CalPERS
We’re here to help, and you can always contact us if you ever have questions about your benefits. It’s easy to send us a secure email through your myCalPERS account, or you can call us at 888 CalPERS (888-225-7377) during normal business hours, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.