I made my appointment in mid-March to crunch the numbers in preparation for retirement and was quite happy with the assistance offered. My retirement specialist ran through several potential retirement dates to ensure I could receive my maximum benefit at the earliest possible time, which I had assumed would have been a month later. This she had prepared in advance along with additional information in the event I elected to postpone retiring for another year ("No way!" :D).
She was both pleasant and
knowledgeable on the various options dealing with the finer points of retirement paperwork (mostly spousal percentage options and beneficiary stuff). She also ensured all information was up-to-date; after all, much of the original information (residence, phone number, etc.) on my paperwork was from almost three decades ago when I started in the profession.
The CalSTRS office is on the second floor of a large building near downtown Riverside next to the 91 Freeway but, thankfully, not in the heart of downtown. It contains ample underground parking and, though parking fees are posted as you enter the structure, parking for those visiting the CalSTRS office is validated at the reception desk - another appreciated money-saver.
The office lobby also has a small "work" area off to the side so those desiring to complete/amend the various forms necessary for submission don't need to return with completed paperwork at a later time. (You will need to submit several forms for processing in Sacramento). Since I was traveling from L.A. County, this was extremely useful in allowing me to avoid an extra trip while feeling more comfortable with a hand-to-hand submission of most of my forms (in place of sending paperwork directly up north through the mail).
The receptionist who took my completed paperwork who is also a retirement specialist - they share "lobby duties" - made sure all was in order and fully completed to avert having anything "kicked back" for lack of checked boxes, incomplete information, or missing signatures. (I did have a few).
What can I say? The entire process was stress free and relatively quick. If you're ready to retire, schedule your own appointment and go see them; retirement awaits! Thanks to all the Riverside CalSTRS staff for their assistance! read more