Fund Your Future with DRS

A large part of planning for the future starts with how you approach your finances today. Explore some of the basics of financial planning, tools for managing your money and ideas for sparking conversations with friends and family. Join Retirement System employees as they tackle the stigma around money and share their personal financial journeys.

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Episodes

2 days ago

In April 2024, the Socially Responsible Balanced Fund (SRI) will change from a balanced fund – invested in stocks and bonds – to a new SRI that solely invests in stocks. Managed by AllianceBernstein (AB), the new Socially Responsible Equity Fund's strategy uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals to identify and invest in key sustainability themes. We sit down with Dan who works at AB to find out more.

Ep 35 - Beneficiary vs survivor

Wednesday Mar 13, 2024

Wednesday Mar 13, 2024

These two terms are commonly used for retirement plans, but what's the difference? If you haven’t retired from your plan, you only have beneficiaries. If you are retired, you could have both. In this episode, we take a look at the difference between these two terms and what they can provide for your loved ones.

Wednesday Feb 21, 2024

If you're a member of more than one Washington state retirement system, you're a member of multiple systems - also known as a dual member. In this episode, we look at what you should be aware of when you're approaching retirement. Our guest is Wendy, a DRS team member, who explains some of the advantages of being a dual member.

Wednesday Feb 07, 2024

Did you know not all states manage pensions the same way? Washington state is 94% on track to meet the funding goals of pension plans. That rate is one of the highest in the country. Your pension is a guarantee. Our guest is Mitch from the Office of State Actuary who explains how pensions are funded in Washington in order to meet that guarantee.

Wednesday Jan 24, 2024

New legislation allows some employees to earn retirement service credit if their employment was interrupted by service in the US Military. Find out how this can increase your retirement benefit and why you shouldn't wait more than five years to report it. 

Tuesday Jan 09, 2024

As a retired public employee, you have access to insurance options through the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB). And when you retire at age 65 or more, you're required to enroll in Medicare. Find out more about Medicare and what options you have for a PEBB retiree health plan. Our guest is Ellen, from the Washington State Health Care Authority.

Wednesday Dec 20, 2023

Is your pension benefit taxed? The short answer is: yes. But there are a lot fewer deductions taken out of your pay in retirement. When you retire, you're no longer paying into programs like Medicare and FICA which could result in you seeing more money.

Ep 29 - Women and retirement

Wednesday Dec 06, 2023

Wednesday Dec 06, 2023

When it comes to preparing for retirement, women often face different challenges than men. Women tend to live longer but typically earn 21% less, often with fewer years of work due to caring for a child or elderly parent. Our guest is Catherine, a DRS team member who gives some insight on how women can be better prepared both financially and socially.

Tuesday Nov 21, 2023

Upon divorce or separation, your monthly benefit is not subject to sharing or division unless it is court-ordered. If you are going though a separation, you can call DRS to find out what resources are available to you. Our guest is Kumano, a DRS team member who talks about common mistakes and misconceptions that can happen in this process.

Tuesday Nov 07, 2023

Deciding on healthcare can be one of the most important decisions you make — both when you're working and when you're a retiree on Medicare. Luckily, you have the option to change your plan during each fall open enrollment period. In 2024, costs for plans are changing. It's important to see if your current plan is still right for you. Our guest on the show is Dave from the Health Care Authority, who explains how these plans are structured and what you need to know.

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About us

The Washington State Department of Retirement Systems helps public employees within the state retire well. Our 330,000 customers includes firefighters, school employees and police officers. For over 45 years, we’ve been providing information and tools for retirement.

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