State Government Employee Meeting with the retirement office is tomorrow

[hmrambling]

My retirement appointment with the retirement system (LASERS) is tomorrow, and DW is coming with me. Since LASERS appointments are informational only, I won’t be turning in any paperwork there. All of that goes through HR, and that's probably when my agency will officially learn my retirement date.

I’m 51, and I’m in a retirement system that allows retirement at any age once you reach 30 years of service. My 30‑year mark is January 2, 2027, so that’s my official retirement date. Realistically, though, I don’t plan to return after Christmas. December 23 will probably be my last worked day.

LASERS recommends starting the formal paperwork process about six months before your retirement date, which lines up with my timeline.

My plan is to tell my supervisor my retirement date after the LASERS meeting, once I’ve confirmed my numbers and feel confident about the timeline. I’m trying to figure out the right moment to do that and whether there’s anything I should button up beforehand, which is really the point of this post.

I honestly don’t know whether my current agency has a culture of early notice or short notice. My previous agency expected supervisors to train backups and give long lead times, but this agency doesn’t seem to operate that way, and I’m no longer in management.

LASERS will walk us through the retirement options, including the survivor benefit choices. They’ll almost certainly emphasize the consequences of choosing the maximum benefit option, especially with DW sitting there. But DW will be fully taken care of through our 457(b) and Roth IRAs, so I’m comfortable selecting the option that gives me the highest monthly benefit.

Before I say anything to my supervisor, I want to go into that conversation confident in my numbers, clear on my retirement date and prepared for any questions they might ask. Telling them before the LASERS meeting feels premature. Telling them after feels respectful and informed.

In the meantime, I’m making sure my duties are in good shape, anything only I know is documented, my files and processes are clean and organized, and I’m not leaving behind a mess for someone else to untangle. I’m no longer in management, so I’m not required to train backups, but I still want to leave things tidy.

Even though I’m ready to retire and have planned this for years, there’s still some anxiety around the meeting and the transition. Part of posting this is just shaking off those nerves and hearing how others handled the timing and conversations. For those who retired from public service, when did you tell your supervisor, and what did you make sure was in place before you did?

 

[1242Vintage]

Pre-retirement meeting with your pension system is absolutely the right thing to do. You’ll want to review all the options and find out how medical coverage works if that’s included.

Learned a lot thru our pre-meeting with pension system … like our disabled daughter is eligible for a benefit when we pass. At our meeting we went thru all the options, which was good for my wife to weigh in on. In fact if we decided to take the option that ends if I passed first, dear wife would need to sign off on that decision … didn’t obviously choose that option. There were also less popular options that we discussed that I didn’t know about until the meeting.

You’ll also want to know if your pension system has a COLA provision. Or of it has a provision that doesn’t let you fall to far behind inflation if that gets out of control. And when is the best time to retire to get that first COLA increase?

I also bought 5 years of service credit many years ago and wanted to see how much of an increase that made.

I advised my CEO two months out from retirement date. I was the Chief Engineer and wanted to make sure I gave plenty of notice to my team and the boss. Two months was appreciated by all.

Best wishes on retirement.

 

[pacergal]

I formally notified HR and my supervisor 3 months before, with the filing of pension paperwork.
I was very verbal about upcoming retirement the entire year prior! and loosely joked about it three years before the date. To say I was excited is an understatement
We had planned on age 65, but our public service (county govt) allowed early retirement at either age 58 or 30 years. I had 30 years at age 54, but we weren't ready.
DH and I settled on age 60.

My direct supervisor was still surprised! She did not hire my replacement until after I left.
All my files were cleared, in box and desk empty. Folders with directions on processes I was working on were left on her desk.
I did go back and train folks, but it was several months later.

 

[pacergal]

The last year of work, DH and made sure we had full medical and dental check ups and any work/tests done.
We went to our pension plan information and planning seminars, ran the benefit calculator to see options (ours had 13 choices), met with financial planners who were familiar with the pension, along with social security and our investments.

 

[Original Wally]

OP: I am in California and (I believe) OUR State law requires that the default pension option is to provide the same benefit to the spouse UNLESS spouse signs off that the higher benefit for retiree ONLY is fine with spouse. DW Molly and I took the joint benefit for MY CalPERS and she took HIGH for hers - figuring she will outlive me!! LOL
You mentioned a 457 plan. I retired back in 2009, and THEN we could tap the 457 WITHOUT penalty - check to see if that rule is still the same. (401 & 403 had the 59 1/2 rule, 457 did not). What about medical benefits for you and spouse? You have a LONG time to Medicare. Do you ALSO qualify for Social Security?

I, too, gave a LONG notice, AND my boss didn't hire my replacement until after I was gone. COULD have passed along a lot of tips and answered questions. Shrug - their choice.

Keep us posted!! ( And CONGRATS!!)

 

[hmrambling]

The details:

Maximum Plan option will be $5478.68 per month which includes two years of leave being rolled into my pension check. DW understands that she needs to sign a spousal consent form for me to select the Maximum Plan.

Rationale:

She's the beneficiary on:
Roth IRA $257K
457(b) $138K
Taxable $70K
HSA $32K
Term Life Insurance $100K
T-Bills $10K
Ibonds $37K
LASERS $101K (if not exhausted)

Debt/liabilities:
Mortgage $111K (2.25%)

Total Annual Expenditures: $45K
Housing/Utilities: $13,266.60
Giving: $8,111.99
Transportation: $5,688.60
Food: $6,213.72
Health: $243.00
Shopping/Household: $3,467.64
Pets: $1,932.24
Entertainment/Travel: $5,924.28
Work/School: $424.68

Additional income (annual):
OP Moonlighting: $9K
OP VA Compensation (nontaxable): $25K
OP SSA $4.7K (starts at 62)

DW $55K
DW's retirement system's plan is structured similar to mine. She has 20 years of service (10 remaining) and is in a tenure track position.

OP Health:
VA Healthcare
State Office of Group benefits, OP pays 25% of premium

Upon retiring, I will receive a lump sum payment for 300 hours of leave ($12K) which will go to HYSA.
I plan to use my moonlighting position to continue funding my Roth IRA.

 

[Just_Steve]

For those who retired from public service, when did you tell your supervisor, and what did you make sure was in place before you did?

When I retired from NY State employment but covered under NYC pension system as a middle manager I went to the pension board filed my papers and received my last day on the payroll, went to a special seminar and filed paperwork to roll my saved vacation, sick and comp time into 401k and 457.
I told my immediate boss two days before I left and the only reason I told him is because we got along. My wife is retiring from NYS employment at the end of the school year and is only telling them on the last day of school. All of her filing will be done online.

 

[hmrambling]

All of her filing will be done online.

I wish our system was online. We meet with LASERS but turn in forms to HR. Some of the forms can only get from HR. Seems a lot more back and forth than is efficient, including the spousal consent form needing to be notarized.

 

[Just_Steve]

I wish our system was online. We meet with LASERS but turn in forms to HR. Some of the forms can only get from HR. Seems a lot more back and forth than is efficient, including the spousal consent form needing to be notarized.

All of the notarized forms get mailed in. With my filing they gave me a provisional amount until they received all of the notarized spousal selection paper work, that was for the first two months once they had the paperwork a corrected check was issued on the third month and the forth month was my regular amount. A little convoluted but it works.

 

[MichaelB]

The details:

Maximum Plan option will be $5478.68 per month which includes two years of leave being rolled into my pension check. DW understands that she needs to sign a spousal consent form for me to select the Maximum Plan.

Rationale:

She's the beneficiary on:
Roth IRA $257K
457(b) $138K
Taxable $70K
HSA $32K
Term Life Insurance $100K
T-Bills $10K
Ibonds $37K
LASERS $101K (if not exhausted)

Debt/liabilities:
Mortgage $111K (2.25%)

Total Annual Expenditures: $45K
Housing/Utilities: $13,266.60
Giving: $8,111.99
Transportation: $5,688.60
Food: $6,213.72
Health: $243.00
Shopping/Household: $3,467.64
Pets: $1,932.24
Entertainment/Travel: $5,924.28
Work/School: $424.68

Additional income (annual):
OP Moonlighting: $9K
OP VA Compensation (nontaxable): $25K
OP SSA $4.7K (starts at 62)

DW $55K
DW's retirement system's plan is structured similar to mine. She has 20 years of service (10 remaining) and is in a tenure track position.

OP Health:
VA Healthcare
State Office of Group benefits, OP pays 25% of premium

Upon retiring, I will receive a lump sum payment for 300 hours of leave ($12K) which will go to HYSA.
I plan to use my moonlighting position to continue funding my Roth IRA.

Will your DW have any SS income? Does your pension have any inflation adjustment? How confident are you that you won’t have to withdraw any of the retirement funds?

Just testing a “what if” your DW found herself without her own pension. What incone and assets would she have.

 

[Sue J]

We went through this in 2010 when DH retired from a county job in Ohio.

Most of the info was available online but we needed to do the in-person meeting. We got a lot out of the meeting, mostly just reassurance that the numbers were close to reality. They also talked to us about the timeline and what to expect once the pension starts.

I remember asking a lot of questions about how the retiree health plan worked. At the time it was pre-Medicare insurance through them with coverage options. That was later changed to a stipend and you get your own insurance. Once on Medicare he gets a HRA stipend which partially covers his Medicare costs.

DH had a lot of vacation hours that were paid to him in his last paycheck. He also had built up much too much sick time. The vacation time was paid to him at 100% of his pay rate and the sick time was paid at 50% of his pay rate. This resulted in a very large last paycheck which had enormous taxes withheld! He retired on June 1st so we didn't have any Federal taxes withheld on his pension for the rest of that year. Then the next January I started withholding from his pension.

I'm the spouse of the retiree and had to sign the spouse form with a notary and mail it in. We chose a reduced amount (88%) for 100% to survivor because I was a stay at home mom for many years and would only have SS on my own. Also, DH and I were both age 55 at his retirement. I wanted the guarantee for my lifetime if he went first.

I had been tracking expenses for many years and I knew that if we could live on his starting pension that we would be good to go. His pension has a fixed COLA of 3%. Fixed means that it's based on his starting pension and stays the same. So I know far in advance what his pension will be in the future.

It's worked out better than we had expected! The 3% COLA really adds up over the years. Next week it will be 16 years so his pension is now 148% of what it was in 2010. Even with recent high inflation, it more than covers our needs.

 

[Slim11]

1I gave my chief a heads up about 6 months before I retired. He didnt belive me. I put the date into the system. They dont notify them untill 2 months out. As for if you get any paid extras, try to put them into your 457 to save on taxes, or even ask if they can defer payment untill the following year. I did both of these things. If you have allready maxed out your plans, see if there is a catch up provision. For my 457nthere was a special 3 year catch up rule where you could double the maximum contrabutions for three years if you were in retirement age. This is if you had unfunded liabilities equaling the amount you are contributing. And not knowing how your system works, make sure that 1) you know when your first check will come in. For us they skippe a month. So for that I had to have at least that amount on hand to cover expenses. If your system is screwed up like ours, and they need to aprove it at a state board meeting, make sure your name is on the list to be heard. I missed and extra month as they forgot to add us to the monthly meeting. We got retroed the pay, but we had to push it through. By we there was 3 of us who retired.

 

[hmrambling]

Will your DW have any SS income? Does your pension have any inflation adjustment? How confident are you that you won’t have to withdraw any of the retirement funds?

Just testing a “what if” your DW found herself without her own pension. What incone and assets would she have.

DW doesn't have enough credits for social security.

We have the option of a self-funded COLA which reduces our pension or relying on the legislature to approve COLA. If I choose the maximum option, I won't be funding my own COLA *and* the retirement system's estimate shows that it'll take 15 years for my pension to catch up to the maximum option pay. I'll be in the position to bank that difference. (Essentially funding my own COLA through iBonds or other invested funds, rather than a reduced retirement check.)

Regarding if I'll need to take any out: I'm already contributing much more of each paycheck than my pay will be reduced when I retire. (I'm maxing out my 457b by contributing $32.5K a year so my retirement check will actually be more than my current paycheck.) After I've contributed to my 457b, I'm currently living on $49K while my pension will be $62K. I'm guessing if I can make it on $49K, I can make it on $62K. (I won't be able to contribute to my 457b anymore when I'm no longer employed by the state.)

 

[MichaelB]

, I'm currently living on $49K while my pension will be $62K. I'm guessing if I can make it on $49K, I can make it on $62K. (I won't be able to contribute to my 457b anymore when I'm no longer employed by the state.)

In 10 years at 3% inflation, the $49k is now $66k, and you are still young and have a long life ahead. After that the pension isn’t enough. The retirement account will protect that. It can also provide your DW with assets to live on in the case of your untimely departure. The question is, can it do both?

I’m not trying to give you a hard time. You may have covered this, but it’s not obvious to me. If she has a separate pension in the works that will provide her support, then you’re probably well covered. I guess the other question would be how secure is that second pension?

 

[RetiredHappy]

What is your wife's pension amount if she were to retire now, and if she retires in 10 year's time when she reaches 30 years?

 

[Teacher Terry]

I was married when I retired and both my husband and I had government pensions, and we took a reduced amount to leave each other our full pension amount if one of us died.

When we divorced, we were able to sign off on each other’s pension so we could then collect our full amount. Also, the way our system worked if one of us had died while married than the one that was still alive would no longer have to take a reduced pension.

 

[Koolau]

Because we chose the highest monthly pension option, DW will only receive 1/4 my pension after I'm gone. For that reason, I chose to take SS at 70 so that DW would inherit my highest possible monthly SS when I pass.

Something to think about.

 

[hmrambling]

how secure is that second pension?

Despite being the public ed and university retirement, it's administered by the same retirement system which is why the terms and verbiage are nearly identical to my retirement. The difference is that after she started public ed, she returned back to school for grad degrees resulting in breaks in service (while I've had no breaks in service.) Because she's never cashed out her retirement, she still has the same retirement terms as her original start date (wise!). (Employees with later start dates have age requirements in addition to years in service.)

Also regarding that self-funded COLA, the retirement system's calculations show that if I take the self-funded COLA (resulting in a lower pension check) it'll take 15 years for my retirement check to be the same as the maximum option. Should I invest and continue to grow that difference, I should be well ahead of their self-funded COLA.

 

[hmrambling]

What is your wife's pension amount if she were to retire now, and if she retires in 10 year's time when she reaches 30 years?

She is now beginning to research what her retirement will look like if she stays 5, 6, 7, etc more years. Because I'm so close in the process, she's beginning to be curious. I don't have the exact numbers right now however I suspect she'll be doing more research following our meeting tomorrow.

 

[Calico]

The details:

Maximum Plan option will be $5478.68 per month which includes two years of leave being rolled into my pension check. DW understands that she needs to sign a spousal consent form for me to select the Maximum Plan.

Understanding that her signature is required in order to select the maximum pension amount and understanding what that actually means in practical terms for her financial future in the event of your death are not the same thing. Does she understand the full ramifications of this choice?

I only ask because in the thread about "disinterested spouses" you mentioned that she does not currently track or know her actual expenses, or the household expenses, and doesn't show much interest in doing so.

In this thread you also mentioned that she does not currently know what her pension amount will be (depending on when she actually retires).

Let me preface my comments below by saying that I wish you both long, healthy, happy retirements.

Having said that, I believe in considering the worst case scenarios when making financial plans. Then, if everything goes according to plan, that's great - although that has rarely been my experience so far in 70 years of life. Life has a habit of throwing curve balls when you least expect them.

If you pass away shortly after you retire (god forbid) your entire pension will go away.

You mentioned your wife does not have enough credits for her own social security. She will not be eligible for (reduced) social security survivor benefits until age 60, and then (full) survivor benefits at her full retirement age.

Her tax burden will increase because she will be filing single.

Would she be able to support both the apartment she lives in while working as well as the mortgage on the house? (perhaps the life insurance is intended for the mortgage?)

If you passed away, and your wife became disabled and unable to work for some reason (again, life happens) does she have a robust disability policy to replace her income? My employer-provided disability insurance policy covered "any occupation" but I believe "own occupation" policies are more comprehensive. I'm no expert, so someone who knows more about this can correct me if I'm wrong.

You and your wife are both young (from my vantage point of 70 yo, at least!) and a lot can happen between now and when your wife eventually decides to retire (assuming the choice remains hers, and is not affected by unexpected health issues, etc).

Over the years in this forum I've read plenty of threads about one spouse retiring, with the firm expectation that the second spouse would continue working for "x" number of years, and then they would enjoy retirement together. Sometimes that works out - and other times it doesn't go according to plan.

Your wife may find her desire to retire early increases once you are actually retired, at which point it would be beneficial for her to have a firm grasp of (1) what your current household expenses are; (2) what the current household income is; and (3) what the household income would be if she were to retire early. It's difficult to make optimal financial decisions without actually having a handle on all the relevant information.

Congratulations on reaching your retirement goal at your age, and keep us posted on how you enjoy this new chapter!

 

[old medic]

For those who retired from public service, when did you tell your supervisor, and what did you make sure was in place before you did?

1st off congratulations.... We both spent years in NC state system. 36 for me DW is coming up on 27.
My very 1st suggestion is to go to the states retirement site and read this Member’s Guide to Retirement – LASERS then re read it. My local HR had very little working knowledge of the system. Its funny that they referred people to ask me questions even after I retired.
We went with 100% survivor's benefit. Its close to $300/month less between the 2 but worth the simplicity should something happen to one of us. Besides you seem to have plenty saved if you need an extra $300/mo...
Double check the resignation rules... Even though I had submitted my retirement paperwork 120 days before my date, I still had to write a letter of resignation and give it to the same office, as a supervisor 1 month before or they could WITHHOLD my vacation pay out.
My director knew YEARS ahead of time that I was leaving. They begged pleaded and I managed to stay... When I decided that 1/1/2022 was the date, I handed the secretary my resignation letter, she teared up and set it on fire....

 

[hmrambling]

Understanding that her signature is required in order to select the maximum pension amount and understanding what that actually means in practical terms for her financial future in the event of your death are not the same thing. Does she understand the full ramifications of this choice?

I only ask because in the thread about "disinterested spouses" you mentioned that she does not currently track or know her actual expenses, or the household expenses, and doesn't show much interest in doing so.

In this thread you also mentioned that she does not currently know what her pension amount will be (depending on when she actually retires).

Let me preface my comments below by saying that I wish you both long, healthy, happy retirements.

Having said that, I believe in considering the worst case scenarios when making financial plans. Then, if everything goes according to plan, that's great - although that has rarely been my experience so far in 70 years of life. Life has a habit of throwing curve balls when you least expect them.

If you pass away shortly after you retire (god forbid) your entire pension will go away.

You mentioned your wife does not have enough credits for her own social security. She will not be eligible for (reduced) social security survivor benefits until age 60, and then (full) survivor benefits at her full retirement age.

Her tax burden will increase because she will be filing single.

Would she be able to support both the apartment she lives in while working as well as the mortgage on the house? (perhaps the life insurance is intended for the mortgage?)

If you passed away, and your wife became disabled and unable to work for some reason (again, life happens) does she have a robust disability policy to replace her income? My employer-provided disability insurance policy covered "any occupation" but I believe "own occupation" policies are more comprehensive. I'm no expert, so someone who knows more about this can correct me if I'm wrong.

You and your wife are both young (from my vantage point of 70 yo, at least!) and a lot can happen between now and when your wife eventually decides to retire (assuming the choice remains hers, and is not affected by unexpected health issues, etc).

Over the years in this forum I've read plenty of threads about one spouse retiring, with the firm expectation that the second spouse would continue working for "x" number of years, and then they would enjoy retirement together. Sometimes that works out - and other times it doesn't go according to plan.

Your wife may find her desire to retire early increases once you are actually retired, at which point it would be beneficial for her to have a firm grasp of (1) what your current household expenses are; (2) what the current household income is; and (3) what the household income would be if she were to retire early. It's difficult to make optimal financial decisions without actually having a handle on all the relevant information.

Congratulations on reaching your retirement goal at your age, and keep us posted on how you enjoy this new chapter!

These are all great points. You're right to guess the life insurance is to cover the mortgage and that DW is increasingly interested in retiring early. She's on summer break and is trying to get some things in order while taking special consideration that her rent dropped from $1600 to $600 because she moved from a patio home to renting from a coworker (she teaches three hours away). While more money is free, it doesn't account for lack of Social Security eligibility, low Roth IRA funds, or the gap in years of service, all of which is glaring at you. My projections really depend heavily on my ability to continue saving, even in retirement. Should she retire with me in 2027, her pension would be a meager $2500. Should I die in the next couple of years, she'd have my retirement system contributions, Roth IRA, 457b, iBonds, T-bills, emergency fund, savings, and the life insurance (to pay off the house). She understands by selecting the Maximum option she's the beneficiary of those accounts and wouldn't get a monthly pension from my retirement system. Even though her workplace rental is considerably cheaper, there's no catching up to build her savings or Roth IRA or iBonds to any massive number.

You have all good points, and those issues I brought up in the other thread certainly concern me. Suppose I'll mention that her rental is close to a lake and I'll be able to sit and contemplate everything on the pier at the boat launch over there because her accepting a tenure track position three hours away was always dependent on me retiring early. It's part of the reason I greenlighted her traveling three hours away to teach future teachers. Some have that calling, some don't. I don't. But I've always had a plan to retire early, then settled down with someone who was never really interested in managing money and who never really planned for retirement. So here we are.

She's a year older and we're both fairly healthy but nobody has a crystal ball. You've made some really good points.

 

[Taco]

Maximum Plan option will be $5478.68 per month...

What is the reduction for, say, a 50% surviving spouse option?

 

[Koolau]

Understanding that her signature is required in order to select the maximum pension amount and understanding what that actually means in practical terms for her financial future in the event of your death are not the same thing. Does she understand the full ramifications of this choice?

I only ask because in the thread about "disinterested spouses" you mentioned that she does not currently track or know her actual expenses, or the household expenses, and doesn't show much interest in doing so.

In this thread you also mentioned that she does not currently know what her pension amount will be (depending on when she actually retires).

Let me preface my comments below by saying that I wish you both long, healthy, happy retirements.

Having said that, I believe in considering the worst case scenarios when making financial plans. Then, if everything goes according to plan, that's great - although that has rarely been my experience so far in 70 years of life. Life has a habit of throwing curve balls when you least expect them.

If you pass away shortly after you retire (god forbid) your entire pension will go away.

You mentioned your wife does not have enough credits for her own social security. She will not be eligible for (reduced) social security survivor benefits until age 60, and then (full) survivor benefits at her full retirement age.

Her tax burden will increase because she will be filing single.

Would she be able to support both the apartment she lives in while working as well as the mortgage on the house? (perhaps the life insurance is intended for the mortgage?)

If you passed away, and your wife became disabled and unable to work for some reason (again, life happens) does she have a robust disability policy to replace her income? My employer-provided disability insurance policy covered "any occupation" but I believe "own occupation" policies are more comprehensive. I'm no expert, so someone who knows more about this can correct me if I'm wrong.

You and your wife are both young (from my vantage point of 70 yo, at least!) and a lot can happen between now and when your wife eventually decides to retire (assuming the choice remains hers, and is not affected by unexpected health issues, etc).

Over the years in this forum I've read plenty of threads about one spouse retiring, with the firm expectation that the second spouse would continue working for "x" number of years, and then they would enjoy retirement together. Sometimes that works out - and other times it doesn't go according to plan.

Your wife may find her desire to retire early increases once you are actually retired, at which point it would be beneficial for her to have a firm grasp of (1) what your current household expenses are; (2) what the current household income is; and (3) what the household income would be if she were to retire early. It's difficult to make optimal financial decisions without actually having a handle on all the relevant information.

Congratulations on reaching your retirement goal at your age, and keep us posted on how you enjoy this new chapter!

I've made lots of financial decisions in my life. The only one I (we, really) made that might have limited DW's income when I'm gone was the pension "enhancement" at the expense of her survivor benefit. Since then, every decision has been to ENHANCE DW's income or improved tax treatment once I'm out of the picture. The pension was a very strategic decision on our part. No regrets but I am quite aware of the potential downside of our decision - which is why I've w*rked hard to insure DW's financial survival post Ko'olau involvement.

 

[hmrambling]

Following today's meeting, I have a checklist that includes providing my birth certificate, changing my email address, and adding my wife as a beneficiary, all of which are indicators that my agency has not been properly forwarding documentation on to our retirement system.

It definitely made for a frustrating meeting when the retirement rep verified that I've submitted my wife's social security card and birth certificate but that she's not listed as a beneficiary for purposes of retirement estimates. Looks like there's going to be some back and forth before we get everything straight and ready for retirement.

I see that I can choose Option 4B which will reduce my monthly benefit to $5,282.98 and will pay her $2,905.64 per month for survivor benefits. If she passes away first, I go to the retirement system, provide her death certificate, and they'll return my benefit to the Maximum option. Combine $2,905.64 with her pension, she'll have about $6K per month plus Roth IRA, 457b, EF, iBonds, T-bills, and life insurance. Of the survivor benefits, this seems the most feasible for our situation if we determine Roth IRA, 457b, EF, iBonds, T-bills, and life insurance isn't sufficient.

I also learned all notarized forms need to go directly to the retirement system, not HR. However, some forms I can only get from HR and must turn in to HR. Also, that HR won't be handling my health insurance, and that I need to reach out to Group Benefits for health insurance.

Our retirement process is very segmented/compartmentalized so I'll need to be intentional and methodical in my application and follow-through (especially given how my birth certificate, email change, and beneficiary I turned in to HR fell through the cracks before it made it to LASERS.) Doggonit imagine sitting down for today's meeting at LASERS with your wife and she's not listed on anything... I digress. I left today's meeting with a lot of information and a lot to consider.

Part of Option 4B simply says "we're in this together," even if we don't need it because Roth IRA, 457b, etc. I suppose at this point it's up to me if I'm willing to give up $195.70 month for that peace of mind. At this point, she'd be genuinely surprised if I did.

(Keep in mind that my pension won't be my sole income.) $24K yr in veteran benefits (annual COLA), ~$9Kish yr moonlighting that'll continue to fund my Roth IRA, SSA whenever I decide to take it, and who knows how much I'll make with my little leathercraft booth, probably a couple hundred a month plus the satisfaction of making with my hands.

A lot to consider after today's meeting. Thanks for all your feedback so far. It's been really appreciated.