Members

Members

Overview

SBCERA has two membership types, General and Safety, which are based on job classifications. Additionally, members will fall into one of the three following categories based on their work or retirement status: Active Members, Deferred Members, and Retired Members.

SBCERA is a defined benefit pension plan providing retirement, disability, and death benefits on behalf of approximately 48,000 members and beneficiaries. SBCERA serves 17 employers throughout California. For investment details, please visit the SBCERA Investments page.

Our website offers a wealth of helpful information in an effort to help you learn more about your membership and how you can best prepare for retirement.

Membership Requirements

Any employee who is appointed to a regular position whose service is greater than fifty percent (50%) of the full standard of hours required by a participating SBCERA employer (e.g. 20 hours per week or more) must become a member of SBCERA.

If you are age 60 or older prior to employment, you may waive membership in SBCERA within 90 days of your initial appointment to the position requiring your membership in SBCERA.

All Active Members and their employers contribute to SBCERA. These contributions are held in trust by SBCERA and invested for the long-term.

Membership Classifications & Tiers

SBCERA administers benefits for two membership classifications, Safety and General, and two tiers, Tier 1 and Tier 2.

Safety Members are those employed in active law enforcement or active fire suppression. All other members are classified as General Members.

Tier 1 Members are those with an SBCERA membership date prior to January 1, 2013.

Tier 2 Members are those with an SBCERA membership date on or after January 1, 2013.

Below is a breakdown of the benefit formulas administered by SBCERA for each membership classification and tier:

Membership Tier Classification Benefit Formula
Tier 1  General 2% @ 55
  Safety 3% @ 50
Tier 2 General 2.5% @ 67
  Safety 2.7% @ 57

SBCERA Membership Date

 Your SBCERA membership date is determined based on the following:

  • Your date of hire as a permanent employee, or
  • Your date of transfer from a non-qualifying position to one that requires membership, or
  • Your date of entry into membership with another public retirement system with which you have established reciprocity. Therefore, if you enter SBCERA membership under Tier 2, but establish reciprocity with another public retirement system where you were a member prior to January 1, 2013, you may be reclassified as a Tier 1 member.

Types of Retirement

  • Service Retirement directly from active service with a participating employer is called a Service Retirement. This is a lifetime monthly benefit with the option to leave a lifetime continuance to a designated beneficiary. To qualify, you must be vested and eligible to retire.
  • Disability Retirement If you become “disabled” and you are permanently incapable of performing your essential job duties, you may be eligible for a Disability Retirement. There are two types of Disability Retirements: Service-Connected and Nonservice-Connected.
  • Deferred Retirement If you are vested and terminate your employment prior to retirement you may choose to take a Deferred Retirement. To do so, you must leave your retirement contributions, if any, on deposit with SBCERA. You can retire at a later date when you are eligible and ready to receive your lifetime retirement benefit.

My Future SBCERA Retirement Benefit

Members

SBCERA is a defined benefit plan, which means you are promised a lifetime retirement benefit based on a formula and not how much money you have contributed to the plan. Instead, it will be based on the following four factors:

  1. Age at Retirement
  2. Years of Service Credit
  3. Final Average Compensation
  4. Benefit Formula (Tier 1 or 2, General or Safety) – see above.

Find out more about calculating your benefit.

Planning My Retirement

Throughout your career, SBCERA encourages you to stay informed about your benefits. SBCERA offers a variety of resources to assist you with planning your retirement and learning about your benefits. In addition, you can contact SBCERA for more personal assistance. 

Please note: SBCERA only administers your retirement benefit. We do not manage retiree health or other insurance benefits. Questions regarding other retirement related topics should be directed to your employer’s Human Resources or Employee Benefits Department.

Other Benefit Options or Considerations for Active Members

  • Purchasing Service Credit: Looking for ways to enhance your lifetime retirement benefit? Consider purchasing additional years of service credit, if eligible.
  • Applying for Retirement: Once you have chosen your effective date of retirement, follow these easy steps to apply for and begin receiving your lifetime retirement benefit from SBCERA.
  • Divorce & Your Benefits: Have you had a divorce as an active member of SBCERA? If so, find out how a divorce may impact your benefit and the steps you must take with SBCERA.
  • Social Security & Your SBCERA Benefit: SBCERA members* do not contribute to Social Security. When preparing for retirement, you should determine if you will receive a benefit from Social Security and how much it will be.
  • Termination Before Retirement: If you leave your job before you retire, you have several options available including reciprocity. Reciprocity allows you to link eligible public retirement systems together. Your eligibility for these options depends on your years of service credit and/or what type of contributions you have in your SBCERA account.
  • Death Benefits for Active Members: Is your beneficiary up-to-date? It is essential that you update your beneficiary if there is a change. If you die prior to retirement, your beneficiary would choose from different death benefits available to them. These benefits depend on the type of beneficiary and your accumulated years of service credit.

*Law Library employees do participate in Social Security.

Overview

Welcome to SBCERA

Welcome to SBCERA

The San Bernardino County Employees’ Retirement Association (SBCERA) is an independent, defined benefit pension plan providing retirement, disability, and death benefits on behalf of approximately 48,000 members and beneficiaries. We serve 17 employers throughout California and invest more than $14 billion in assets.

As a defined benefit pension plan, SBCERA provides eligible members with a lifetime retirement benefit based on their years of service, age at retirement, final average compensation, and benefit formula.

Overview

Beneficiary Resources

Beneficiary Resources

A beneficiary is the person the member has named in writing to receive such benefits provided by SBCERA upon the member’s death. The Primary Beneficiary is the first-named person or persons who would receive these benefits from SBCERA. The Alternate Beneficiary is the person or persons who would receive these benefits from SBCERA if there are no living primary beneficiaries on the date of the member’s death.

Overview

Planning Your Service Retirement

Choosing to retire is a big decision. Knowing when you are “ready” to retire versus when you “can” retire are often two different decisions. You may be ready to retire, but unsure whether it’s the right time or if you can afford it. Retirement requires careful consideration and planning. Below are some things you should consider when deciding to retire.

Planning Your Service Retirement

Overview

Death Benefits

If you die before you retire, there are various death benefit options available for your beneficiary or beneficiaries based on the type of beneficiary you have and how many years of service credit you have. 

Overview

Disability Retirement

If you become permanently incapacitated because of employment with an SBCERA employer, you may be eligible for a Disability Retirement. Permanently incapacitated means you are physically or mentally incapacitated from performing the usual duties of your job. It can also be described as the substantial inability to perform your usual job duties, although, it is not necessary for you to be physically or mentally incapable for performing each and every duty or task that might arise within your job classification.

Overview

Other Retirement Options & Considerations

Your Retirement Benefit Payment

Your SBCERA retirement benefit will be paid once a month on the last business day of the month. You may not receive your first benefit payment for one to two months after your retirement. However, your first benefit payment will be prorated based on your effective date of retirement.

At retirement, you will be required to sign up for direct deposit and designate where your benefit payment should be deposited. This information can be updated at any time during retirement.

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