New Member

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new members

Welcome! We are the Orange County Employees Retirement System, otherwise known as OCERS — your retirement system! Now that you’ve begun working at an OCERS-covered employer, you’re automatically enrolled in your mandatory retirement with us. Whether this is your first job ever, or the start of a new position, there is no better time than now to plan for retirement.

Let’s get started:

In the mail, you’ll receive a letter with a pin number — you will need this to register for your myOCERS portal account. It’s important to get your account set up, because that’s where you can: 

  • See which plan you’re in and what your contributions are  
  • Designate beneficiaries 
  • Use the Benefit Estimator to see how much you may receive on different retirement dates 

Once you register:

This is when you’ll want to establish “reciprocity” if you’re eligible. Reciprocity is when you’ve worked under another California system’s employer (e.g., CalPERS, CalSTRS, LACERA, etc.) before starting OCERS-covered employment within 180 days. By establishing reciprocity, your retirement benefit will be coordinated between both systems. You also have the option to opt out of reciprocity if you wish. 

After you’ve determined if you have previous service, (or skip that portion if you are NOT eligible):

Read through your Summary Plan Description (SPD) to learn more about your plan benefits. The SPD is a comprehensive guide for understanding your OCERS membership and benefits, as well as a resource for learning OCERS’ processes. 

Get ahead of the game:

When your retirement rolls around, you’re required to submit birth certificates for yourself and beneficiaries, as well as marriage or domestic partnership certificates or divorce documents (if applicable). However, if you have any of these ready to go once you become an OCERS member, you can bring them to OCERS right away. That’ll make for a smoother retirement process when the time comes.

Explore all of your new OCERS resources:

Being an OCERS member is not just about seeing us many years from when you’re finally ready to retire. It starts now — attend benefits fairs, get involved with OCERS Focus Groups, and engage with us for chances to win limited edition swag and much more.  

Look forward to receiving our quarterly newsletter, At Your Service, which is full of helpful retirement information, investments news, and ways to connect with us and with other members. 

Resources

External Resources