1. Retiring
If you’re already eligible to retire, your first option if you leave your ACERA-covered job is to retire. Review our Preparing to Retire section for instructions.
2. Deferring Your Retirement
If your active employment
terminates, you will no longer be considered an “active” ACERA
member. If you don’t immediately retire, you become a “deferred”
member, which means that you continue to be a member of the
retirement system, but you’re going to defer your retirement to a
later date.
3. Establishing Reciprocity With Another Retirement System
Reciprocity is the joining or linking of similarly administered California public retirement systems. Under very specific rules, establishing reciprocity allows employees who move between certain California retirement systems to eliminate disadvantages that members might otherwise experience when moving from one retirement system to another.
ACERA has reciprocity with most public retirement systems in California. See Agencies That Have Reciprocal Agreements With ACERA below for further information.
4. Withdrawing Your Retirement Contributions and Ending ACERA Membership
When you terminate employment, one of your 4 options regarding retirement is to withdraw the employee retirement contributions you’ve paid into ACERA with each paycheck during your career as an ACERA member. To withdraw your contributions, use the Termination Election Form.