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Active Members

Retirement is a major milestone and it is never too early to start planning for that day.

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Miscellaneous Safety Members

Safety Members

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Can I afford to retire?

Reach your retirement goals by better understanding the benefits available to you as a member of SFERS.

Frequently Asked Questions

To view and print a verification of your account balance, log in to mySFERS and select “Account Balance Verification” under the Profile tab. You may also request a verification of your account balance by email at [email protected]. To protect the privacy of our members, we do not provide account information to third parties (such as a mortgage company or financial institution), and we do not accept requests by fax, e-mail, or telephone.
The SFERS pension is a defined benefit plan. Under the law that governs defined benefit plans, there are no loan or withdrawal provisions.  If you participate in a defined contribution plan such as the City’s 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan (SFDCP), provisions for loans, emergency and/or hardship withdrawals may be included. Check with your plan provider for details.
Purchasing prior City service does not give you retroactive membership. Therefore, your membership date will not change.
No. To qualify for Reciprocity under SFERS’ provisions you will need to meet the following requirements:

1. terminate from SFERS
2. complete a Termination Options Form and select “reciprocity”; and
3. within six (6) months of your termination date, become a member of the new plan. 

Concurrent membership, membership in more than one plan at the same time (whether on paid or unpaid status in any of the reciprocal plans through your separation date), will disqualify you for reciprocity. Refer to “Reciprocity” on the SFERS website for additional information about qualifying for reciprocity.
SFERS does not maintain address information for active members. To change your address, contact the Department of Human Resources or the Payroll Officer in your department.
Yes. Once you have retired from the City you can work for any employer other than the City with limited restrictions.  If you return to work for the City, you are limited to working no more than 960 hours in any fiscal year without affecting your pension benefit.  If you are under age 50 on your effective retirement date, you must wait a minimum of 60 days after your retirement date before you can begin employment with the City as a retired employee. Certain employment restrictions apply to disability retirees.  For additional information about “work after retirement” provisions, refer to your Summary of Key Plan Provisions and the Normal Retirement Age and Bona-Fide Separation Retirement Board Policies.
Your City personnel file follows you from department to department whenever you change jobs. Therefore, the department with which you are currently employed can certify the period of leave as unpaid parental leave.  If your department does not have a record of your leave or cannot determine the nature of the leave, they can contact SFERS and make arrangements to access time rolls/timesheets for the period of interest.