Fundamentals Newsletter

Pre-Retirement Workshop Webinars

As an inactive vested member of IMRF, you are eligible to receive an IMRF pension once you reach the retirement age for your plan.

IMRF's Pre-Retirement Workshops are for IMRF members who are within five years of retirement. They will address the steps you must take before and during the IMRF retirement application process.

Pre-Retirement Workshop webinar dates:

December

Thursday, December 2, noon - 1 PM
Saturday, December 11, 9 - 10 AM

January

Thursday, January 6, 5 - 6 PM
Saturday, January 29, 9 - 10 AM

February

Thursday, February 3, noon - 1 PM
Wednesday, February 16, 5 - 6 PM

March

Wednesday, March 2, 5 - 6 PM
Thursday, March 31, noon - 1 PM

April

Saturday, April 9, 9 - 10 AM
Tuesday, April 26, noon - 1 PM

For more information, or to register for a Pre-Retirement Workshop webinar, click here for the December webinars or here for the 2022 webinars.

Pension Estimates Can Help You Plan

An important part of your retirement planning is knowing what your retirement benefits will be. IMRF offers a variety of ways to estimate your future IMRF pension.

As an inactive vested member of IMRF, you are eligible to receive an IMRF pension once you reach the retirement age for your plan.

Create Personal Pension Estimates in Member Access

The Pension Calculator in Member Access lets you create pension estimates at any time, and you can see your results right away.

You can look at a number of retirement scenarios by using different ages for your retirement.

To use the pension calculator in Member Access, log in to your Member Access account and go to the Quick Links on the right side of the page. Click on Pension Calculator.

Estimates Included in Your Personal Statement of Benefits

Every year IMRF provides you with a Personal Statement of Benefits available in Member Access. Your annual statement will include personal pension estimates and the estimated value of your future IMRF pension.

Formal Pension Estimates

When you are nearing retirement, you should call IMRF to request a formal pension estimate. You should always request a formal written estimate before making any final decisions about your retirement.

If you do not have a Member Access account, you will need to create one to use the pension calculator and view your online Personal Statement of Benefits. For instructions on creating a Member Access account, see the last paragraph in the Member Access article at the bottom of this newsletter.

IMRF Experiences Record High Asset Growth

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, IMRF’s assets were around $44.8 billion. A year and a half later, despite market volatility at the beginning of the pandemic, IMRF has seen record high asset growth. At the end of September, IMRF’s investment assets are around $54.9 billion.

You can count on IMRF to fulfill its pension promises.

Locally Funded, Financially Sound.

Member Access - How To

Apply for Your IMRF Pension Online

To apply for your pension online, log in to Member Access. After you log in, hover your cursor over the My Account tab in the upper left. Click on Apply for an IMRF Pension at the bottom of the right column.

You should apply for your IMRF Pension about one month before you plan to retire.

Applying for a pension will take about 15 minutes. You will need the following information:

Step 1 - Pension Application:

Your last day of work
If applicable, Reciprocal System and service dates
If eligible, Early Retirement Incentive participation

Step 2 - Direct Deposit:

Bank routing and account numbers

Step 3 - Tax Withholding:

Your withholding marital status and number of personal exemptions (optional)

If you need to create a Member Access account, please either call 1-800-ASK-IMRF (275-4673) to request your registration key and receive registration assistance, or click here to request that a new registration key be mailed to you.

To watch a video on how to create a Member Access account, click here.

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