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SDCERS staff is here to assist you – we just can’t see you in person. The Call Center's "new" hours are from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. You can also submit non-urgent questions or concerns via our Contact Us page, and we will respond within one business day.
We appreciate your patience. The majority of SDCERS staff are still required to telecommute and our offices remain closed to members and the public.
Retirement counseling appointments are being held via phone and document signing takes place via email exchange. If you already have a retirement counseling appointment scheduled, you will be contacted in advance with details. If you have recently submitted your online application, you will be contacted soon to schedule your appointment.
If you are thinking about retiring soon, please review the fact sheets, FAQs, and videos on our website, which will help answer many of your questions in advance. Keep an eye out for retirement educational webinars, which are announced periodically via your work email. You can also estimate your future retirement benefit by using the Benefit Calculator on the Member Portal. If you have not already registered on our secure Member Portal, click on “Register” on the Member Portal page and follow the registration instructions.
Once you have reviewed all of the pertinent information, if you want to schedule a retirement counseling appointment, you must submit an online retirement application through your Member Portal account by clicking “Online Applications” on the left panel. Keep in mind this electronic application is not final – your submission simply prompts us to contact you to schedule a counseling appointment.
CITY RETIREE HEALTH REIMBURSEMENTS: City Retiree Health Reimbursement requests are being processed as usual. For fastest processing, submit your documents via email (attached as a PDF) to health@sdcers.org. Do NOT use health@sandiego.gov, as this email no longer forwards to health@sdcers.org. Please ensure you have submitted complete documents – we continue to receive incomplete submissions, which cannot be processed and result in delayed reimbursements.
Note: If you are using an Apple product to send the email, in Mail, please select "Format" and click on "Make Plain Text" - we've received reports of emails not getting through our firewalls if this extra step isn't taken when using an Apple product. Alternatively, you may fax your documents to (858) 581-5314, or mail them to our office at 401 West A Street, Ste. 400, San Diego, CA 92101.
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SDCERS staff is here to assist you – we just can’t see you in person. Our Call Center hours will be adjusted this week for training, as we seek the best ways to serve our members during this challenging time.
Tuesday, July 14 10 a.m. to noon, and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.Wednesday, July 15 10 a.m. to noon, and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Beginning Thursday, July 16th, the Call Center will be open on the regular schedule, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. You can also submit non-urgent questions or concerns via our Contact Us page, and we will respond within one business day.
We appreciate your patience. The majority of SDCERS staff are still required to telecommute and our offices remain closed to members and the public.
Retirement counseling appointments are being held via phone and document signing takes place via email exchange. If you already have a retirement counseling appointment scheduled, you will be contacted in advance with details. If you have recently submitted your online application, you will be contacted soon to schedule your appointment.
If you are thinking about retiring soon, please review the fact sheets, FAQs, and videos on our website, which will help answer many of your questions in advance. Keep an eye out for retirement educational webinars, which are announced periodically via your work email. You can also estimate your future retirement benefit by using the Benefit Calculator on the Member Portal. If you have not already registered on our secure Member Portal, click on “Register” on the Member Portal page and follow the registration instructions.
Once you have reviewed all of the pertinent information, if you want to schedule a retirement counseling appointment, you must submit an online retirement application through your Member Portal account by clicking “Online Applications” on the left panel. Keep in mind this electronic application is not final – your submission simply prompts us to contact you to schedule a counseling appointment.
CITY RETIREE HEALTH REIMBURSEMENTS: City Retiree Health Reimbursement requests are being processed as usual. For fastest processing, submit your documents via email (attached as a PDF) to health@sdcers.org. Do NOT use health@sandiego.gov, as this email no longer forwards to health@sdcers.org. Please ensure you have submitted complete documents – we continue to receive incomplete submissions, which cannot be processed and result in delayed reimbursements.
Note: If you are using an Apple product to send the email, in Mail, please select "Format" and click on "Make Plain Text" - we've received reports of emails not getting through our firewalls if this extra step isn't taken when using an Apple product. Alternatively, you may fax your documents to (858) 581-5314, or mail them to our office at 401 West A Street, Ste. 400, San Diego, CA 92101.
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If this is you, we are glad that you’re ready to retire or enter DROP. However, there are a few things we want you to know right now:Before the coronavirus outbreak, our retirement counselors were booked two months in advance and our Call Center received more than 100 requests each day.Retirement appointments are now conducted via phone, and documentation is shared via email.Most of our staff is telecommuting and SDCERS' downtown office is closed to members and the public. If you want to retire now, you must submit your application online via the secure Member Portal.If you need assistance with your Member Portal account, send a message through our Contact Us page.This electronic application is not final – you will be able to make changes during your phone appointment before you sign and submit. If you want to enter DROP immediately and already had an appointment scheduled, you will be contacted.If you are just thinking about entering DROP or retiring soon and have questions, please utilize the resources on our website.We have several fact sheets as well as FAQs that will answer all of your general questions.City employees may register to attend one of our upcoming webinars. We hold at least three webinars or seminars per month. The April and May webinars are currently full, but we will be announcing additional webinars in the coming weeks.
For specific questions about your retirement account, please send us a message through our Contact Us page SDCERS cannot provide personalized benefit estimates on request – please use the Benefit Estimate Calculator tool in your Member Portal account for this.
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UPDATE: THE SEPTEMBER SEMINAR IS NOW FULL. WE WILL ANNOUNCE THE DATES OF FUTURE SEMINARS AS THEY ARE SCHEDULED.
Attention All Active City Members:
Registration is now open for SDCERS’ upcoming pre-retirement seminar, which will be held on September 11th at 2:30 p.m. in SDCERS’ Board room (401 West A Street, Third Floor, San Diego, CA 92101). At this educational seminar, SDCERS staff will walk you through your retirement benefits and help you plan for the future.No matter how old you are, it’s never too early or too late to start thinking about your retirement goals and making plans so that you can meet those goals. Space is limited, so please call SDCERS as soon as possible to register, at (619) 525-3600. Additional pre-retirement seminars and DROP entry seminars will be held in the future, so if you miss this one, you can plan to attend next time.
NOTE: You must attend a pre-retirement seminar before attending a Deferred Retirement Option Plan (“DROP”) entry seminar.
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SDCERS administers benefits for more than 20 plan tiers, and you can learn more about YOUR plan by reading the Retirement Plan Summary that corresponds to your employer and hire date. Understand how your retirement contributions are calculated, when you are eligible for a lifetime retirement benefit, and your retirement benefit formula. Invest a few minutes in learning about your retirement future.
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Nearly 125 active and retired members attended the 2016 Annual Membership Meeting on October 14 to get an update on pension news, investments and benefits from executive staff. If you were unable to attend, you're encouraged to watch the video by clicking here.
View the slide presentation here.
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As part of SDCERS Retirement Readiness campaign and our ongoing commitment to customer service, all members who have not yet retired will soon receive an Annual Member Statement. The purpose of the statement is to ensure that you are informed of the details of your SDCERS retirement account. Once you receive your Annual Member Statement, we encourage you to watch this video to learn all about them.
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A new year is upon us. Have you considered your resolutions? Here are several quick ideas to jump start your Retirement Ready resolution.
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As part of SDCERS Retirement Readiness campaign and our ongoing commitment to customer service, all members who have not yet retired will soon receive an Annual Member Statement. Learn More...
The San Diego City Employees’ Retirement System (SDCERS) today announced its Board of Administration and Business and Governance Committee meetings will be streamed live on its website beginning November 2014. Learn More...
If you were unable to attend the SDCERS Annual Membership Meeting, you're encouraged to watch the video. Learn More...
SDCERS is offering members that head start opportunity with two Pre-Retirement seminars for City of San Diego employees in November and December. Learn More...
SDCERS encourages you to attend the 2014 Annual Membership Meeting being held at 11 a.m. on Monday, October 27 in Balboa Park. The Annual Membership Meeting is a great opportunity for Active, Retired and Deferred Vested members (and spouses) to learn about the financial health of the pension system. Learn More...
SDCERS has been given the Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting by the Government Financial Officers Association for its FY 2013 Popular Annual Financial Report. Learn More...
The San Diego City Employees' Retirement System (SDCERS) today launched its new website, www.sdcers.org, incorporating a new look, improved navigation and interactive tools to help members plan for and enjoy retirement. Learn More...
SDCERS' new, enhanced Member Portal is now available!
Register today to take advantage of the new tools and features available to help you prepare for and enjoy retirement. Beginning June 9th, you will simply need to re-register on the new Portal to take advantage of the latest interactive and easy-to-use online tools to manage your benefits – at the highest level of security. Learn More...
This information explains the reasons that, for some SDCERS members, the annual Form 1099-R you receive is issued as “Taxable Amount Not Determined” and the amount in Box 2a of the form is reported as $0.00 (zero). Learn More...
There is no shortage of news media coverage focused on how public pension funds, in California and across the country, are yielding significant investment returns while simultaneously growing liabilities even faster. Learn More...
The start of a new year is a great time to make sure you’re on track for a secure retirement. Below are 14 important terms and resources to help City of San Diego, Unified Port District and Airport Authority active, deferred members and retirees better understand their SDCERS benefits and get ready for retirement in 2014. Learn More...
The recent bankruptcy ruling in Detroit has generated considerable speculation about its potential impact on pension benefits for California public employees. SDCERS expects no immediate threat to member pension benefits as a result of the Detroit ruling, nor is there any indication of such a threat in the foreseeable future. Learn More...
The AffordableCareAct (ACA) was signed into lawin March 2010 to provide access to health care for those who are uninsured, to createamoreefficient wayto administerhealthcareand to contain the growth of futurehealth care costs.Thereareanumberof ways that this isbeingdone,but one in particularthat directly impacts SDCERS retirees at this time. SDCERS’ retirees are required to have access toinformationabout thenewHealthInsuranceMarketplacein preparation fortheIndividual Mandate requirement ofthelaw. Learn More...
In recent weeks, you may have seen news articles about schemes that have preyed on retiree pension checks. This practice involves selling your future stream of monthly pension checks in exchange for a lump-sum payment now. Learn More...
Do you have a question or comment about your SDCERS retirement benefits? SDCERS' Retirement Counselors answer questions submitted through the 'Contact Us' page here daily. Learn More...
SDCERS administers more than a dozen benefit tiers between its three participating plan sponsors – the City, Port and Airport. Within those tiers, members are eligible for different benefit options which affect member contribution rates, retirement eligibility and future retirement benefits. Learn More...
Use the following five resources to learn more about your SDCERS retirement benefits. Learn More...
The start of a new year is a great time to make sure you’re on track for a secure retirement. Below are 13 important terms and resources to help City of San Diego, Unified Port District and Airport Authority Active members and retirees better understand their SDCERS benefits and get ready for retirement in 2013. Learn More...
Starting January 1, 2013, SDCERS will implement an IRS policy that impacts a retiree's ability to return to employment for the same plan sponsor after retirement. This will impact Members and retirees who perform work after January 1, 2013 from all three plan sponsors - the City of San Diego, the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority (Airport) and the Unified Port of San Diego (Port). Learn More...