How the finder works
Every public plan has two dates that matter. The first is the earliest date you can retire at all, usually tied to a minimum age and a vesting period. The second is your first unreduced date, when the plan stops cutting your pension for leaving early. The finder steps forward day by day from today, adding service as you work, and checks your plan’s rules at each step until it finds both dates.
The rules it uses are the same ones in our plan calculators: the Rule of 80 and the age 60 or 62 minimums in Texas TRS, the CalSTRS and CalPERS age-factor tables, the NYSTRS Tier 4 and Tier 6 ages, the STRS Ohio benefit table, the Florida FRS age and service thresholds, and the Illinois TRS Tier 1 and Tier 2 ages.
Reading the table
The table shows your pension as a share of final average salary at each birthday. Watch for the year the status turns to "Full" and for jumps after it. In plans with age factors, such as CalSTRS and CalPERS, the percentage keeps rising faster than one year of service would explain, because the factor itself grows until 63, 65 or 67. In Texas TRS the jump comes on the day you reach both the Rule of 80 and your tier’s minimum age.
Once you have a date, put it into the pension estimate to see the monthly amount, and read the Rule of 80 guide if your plan uses a points rule. Your plan’s own retirement estimate confirms the date before you file.
Questions
What is an unreduced retirement date?
It is the first day you can retire and collect your plan’s full formula amount, with no cut for retiring early. Depending on the plan it comes from reaching an age, a number of years, or a points rule such as the Rule of 80.
Why does the finder ask for my years of service today?
Service credit is what your plan has on record, which can differ from your hire date because of leaves, part-time years or purchased service. Your annual statement shows the exact figure. The finder assumes you keep working full time from today.
Is the first unreduced date always the best time to retire?
Not always. Every extra year adds service to the formula, and some plans raise the age factor up to 63, 65 or 67. The table shows how the percentage keeps growing so you can weigh more income against more years of retirement.
Does buying service credit move my date?
Usually, yes. Most plans count purchased years toward age and service rules. Add the years you plan to buy to your service today to see the new date, and see our guide to buying service credit.