As an ASRS member, there’s a lot for you to know about your benefits and account. The ASRS Member Education team has created a “Road to Retirement” series to help you through each milestone of planning for your future as you navigate through your career. The series provides you all you need to know in a fun, straightforward manner! There are four distinct “Routes” for you to follow on your journey, ensuring you have the information you need when you need it.
Last time we covered the first in this series, Route 1: Your Journey Begins, designed for new members. Now we’ll take a look at Route 2: Map Your Progress, a self-paced, interactive eLearning that’s especially beneficial for mid-career members with five or more years of service but are at least five years away from retiring.
The newly revised and updated Route 2 is available 24/7 on our website. To launch it, select the “Members” dropdown and click “Member Education.” This page has links to all the Routes, as well as dates and times for any online webinars you may attend.
Route 2 has four menu topics for you to learn about: Planning for Retirement, Life Events, Service Purchase, and the ASRS website. Here’s a glimpse at what’s in each section:
In the “Planning for Retirement” section, we focus on your retirement goals, understanding your ASRS pension, how your pension is calculated, and things you should be considering now to supplement your pension during retirement.
In “Life Events,” you will learn about our Long Term Disability program, survivor benefits, marital status information, and your options if you leave your current ASRS job.
In the “Service Purchase” section, you will learn about what past service may be eligible for purchase, and how to purchase past qualifying ASRS service, which could help you maximize your retirement benefit and/or help you qualify for an earlier retirement date.
Finally, in the “Website” section, you will learn about the layout of AzASRS.gov, including the online resources available to you, such as videos and publications, as well as the importance of your myASRS secure account.
As you can see, the eLearning Route 2: Map Your Progress has a wealth of information in it! It takes around 30 minutes to complete the entire course, but it doesn’t have to be finished in one sitting. You can do one section at a time or come back for a refresher on any of the menu topics, anytime you like. It’s available to return at any time at your convenience from the comfort of your own home. Even in your pajamas (we won’t judge!)
Are you ready to continue your journey? Launch into Route 2!
NEXT MONTH: Route 3: Destination in Sight
