Active Members

Mid/Late Career

By now you’ve been a member of DERP for some time. Like your career, your path towards retirement has most likely evolved since you first became a DERP member. Perhaps you’ve purchased a home. Maybe you’ve started a family. Or maybe you’re starting to think about when you can retire and what you need to do to prepare.

Mid/late career is the time to sharpen your retirement focus and strengthen your retirement savings, report important life events, and become familiar with your DERP Pension Benefit and DERP Plus Benefits. Take these six steps now to make sure your retirement future is strong.

Six Steps to Take as a Mid/Late Career Member

Step 1 – Strengthen Your Savings

Purchase Service Credits

Purchasing service credits will help increase your DERP Pension Benefit by increasing the amount of service used in the calculation of your retirement benefit. The benefit calculation is based on your membership tier and years and months of service.

Visit Supplementing Your DERP Pension Benefit to learn more.

Read the Service Credit Purchase guide for complete details.

Log in to your MyDERP.org account and click the Service Purchase button to get an estimated cost or email Help@DERP.org and ask what your cost is to purchase service credits.

Increase Your Contributions to Your Summit Savings Deferred Compensation Plan

Your DERP Pension Benefit is designed to complement Social Security, and your personal savings and investments, providing additional financial and retirement planning options.

Visit the city’s Summit Savings website to learn more about the Summit Savings Deferred Compensation Plan.

Step 2 – Go Over Your Annual Member Statement

The Annual Member Statement is a valuable tool you can use to help set your retirement goal. The statement reflects information such as your retirement eligibility, estimated monthly lifetime DERP Pension Benefit, and your primary beneficiary.

Log in to your MyDERP.org account and click the Member Statement hyperlink.

Questions about your statement? Review the Understanding Your Annual Member Statement guide.

Step 3 – Review Your Beneficiaries

Look at your beneficiaries in your MyDERP.org account to ensure they’re current, especially if you’ve experienced a major life event.

Log in to your MyDERP.org account and click the Beneficiary button.

Step 4 – Do the Math

Estimate your DERP Pension Benefit so you can start to formulate a retirement budget and adjust your contributions to personal savings and investments if needed.

Your estimate is based on your membership tier, your data, and provisions that are in place at that time. You can review your estimated benefit with and without deductions.

Log in to your MyDERP.org account and click the Benefit Estimate button or email Help@DERP.org and ask for your DERP Pension Benefit estimate.

Step 5 – Understand Your Benefit Options

From survivor benefits and lump-sum death payment options and more, you’ll have key decisions to make that will impact your DERP Pension Benefit payment to you and your beneficiary, for life.

Visit the DERP Plus Benefits section to discover the benefits that support a strong, healthy, and protected future and the key decisions you’ll have to make.

Step 6 – Meet with a Membership Services Representative

Setup a counseling session with a membership services representative. It’s your opportunity to ask questions, review timelines, and get an estimate of your future DERP Pension Benefit and learn about your DERP Plus Benefits.

Log in to your MyDERP.org account and click the Counseling Appointments button to schedule an in-person, phone, or virtual counseling session.

Resources

Publications

Partner Resources

  • Visit the city’s Summit Savings website to learn more about the Summit Savings Deferred Compensation Plan.
  • Visit the city’s Denver Wellness website to learn more and take advantage of health and financial literacy programs.