Most California teachers retire on roughly half their working salary. Understanding what that means for your life — and what you can do about it — starts here.
Select your stage. The questions, the decisions, and the urgency are different depending on where you are. Find yourself here — then follow the rest of the page to understand what it means.
Retirement feels distant at this stage. It is not. The service credit you build now, and the supplemental savings you start now, directly determine the floor of your retirement income for the rest of your life.
The question this stage leaves open: How much do I need to save, in what vehicle, and when? A complimentary review gives you a starting plan built around your specific situation.
Schedule my complimentary reviewIllustrative. 2.0% age factor, $85,000 final compensation.
Starting later does not mean starting behind. It means the supplemental strategy needs to be right. That is exactly what a professional review is designed to build.
You are vested and a pension is waiting. The most important thing now is understanding the full picture, because decisions made in this window significantly shape what retirement actually looks like.
The question this stage leaves open: What is my actual retirement income, what will I need, and how do I close the gap? A professional review produces a real CalSTRS projection and gap analysis built around your situation.
Schedule my complimentary reviewThis is a rough ballpark, not a plan. A full diagnostic at California Pension Review gives you a real picture in about 3 minutes.
Run the full snapshotThe snapshot lets you book a review directly with one of our professionals, with your numbers already in hand.
You are close enough to see retirement on the horizon. The choices you make now around salary, savings, and timing are the ones that will determine your quality of life for decades.
The question this stage leaves open: What is the optimal retirement date for my situation and am I on track? A personalized review models this with your real numbers, not general estimates.
Schedule my complimentary reviewRetire at 62
$51,000/yr
30 yrs x 2.0% x $85,000
Retire at 63
$56,355/yr
+$5,355/yr for life
Retire at 65
$64,872/yr
+$13,872/yr for life — breaks even in about 11 years
The right retirement age is personal. A professional review models your specific scenarios so the decision is based on your numbers.
You have spent a career building toward this. The final stretch is not the time to guess. A few specific decisions made in the next year or two will lock in your retirement income for the rest of your life.
You are too close to leave this to chance.
A complimentary review with one of our retirement planning professionals gives you a complete, personalized picture before any permanent decisions are made. Most people leave with clarity they did not have going in.
Schedule my complimentary reviewEach of these is addressed directly in your complimentary review.
Your pension is calculated by a formula, not market performance. Every year you teach adds to a guaranteed monthly income for life.
Learn more +The average pension replaces about 54% of final salary. The remaining 46% needs to come from somewhere — and the benefit election you make at retirement permanently shapes how protected your family will be.
Learn more +A complimentary review with one of our retirement planning professionals gives you a personalized projection, a gap analysis, and a clear-eyed look at your options — before any permanent decisions are made.
Learn more +Understand how your CalSTRS pension is built — and what it will actually pay you
| Retirement age | Age factor | Annual pension (30 yrs, $85k) |
|---|---|---|
| 55 | 1.16% | $29,580 |
| 59 | 1.76% | $44,880 |
| 62 — standard full benefit | 2.00% | $51,000 |
| 65 | 2.40% | $61,200 |
Identify whether you have a retirement gap — and understand the decisions that shape it
Your pension is guaranteed. But for most California teachers, it replaces roughly half of their working salary. The life you plan to live in retirement requires the rest — and knowing the size of that gap is the first step toward doing something about it.
The average CalSTRS pension replaces approximately 54% of a teacher's final salary. That is the foundation your retirement income is built on. How far it goes depends on what you need.
A retirement gap is simply the difference between what your pension pays and what you actually need your income to be in retirement. For most teachers, that gap is real — and its size is personal to your situation.
Whether it is small or significant, knowing the number gives you something concrete to plan toward. Not knowing it means making permanent decisions without the full picture.
A teacher who identifies a meaningful retirement income gap at 35 has decades to address it thoughtfully. The same teacher discovering it at 58 is working with a much shorter runway. The gap itself does not change — but the options available to close it absolutely do.
Once you understand the gap, the next question is what you can do about it. Some of the most powerful levers are the benefit elections you make when you file for retirement — a single, irrevocable decision that determines your monthly income for life and what your family receives after you are gone.
Understanding your options before you file is not optional. It is the difference between a decision made with full information and one made under pressure at the wrong moment.
The highest possible monthly payment. Maximized for as long as you live. When you die, all payments stop and your beneficiary receives nothing from CalSTRS.
Your beneficiary receives your full monthly benefit after you die, for the rest of their life. Your own payment is reduced now to fund that guarantee. The reduction depends on both your ages.
Your beneficiary receives 75% of your monthly benefit after you die. A smaller reduction to your own check than the 100% option, with meaningful protection still in place.
Your beneficiary receives half your monthly benefit after you die. The smallest reduction to your own check, but also the least protection left behind.
Your benefit election is permanent the moment you file. There is no going back if circumstances change — which is exactly why it deserves careful thought well before your retirement date.
Some members are able to elect the higher unmodified benefit while still ensuring their family is protected through planning strategies put in place before retirement. Whether that is possible depends on your age, health, and financial picture — and it is one of the most valuable things to explore before you file.
The gap is real. The benefit election is permanent. The right plan depends on your specific numbers, your timeline, and your household. That is exactly what a complimentary review is designed to work through with you.
Schedule my complimentary reviewMake a plan with someone who knows your world
Everything on this page has been building toward one question: what should you actually do? A complimentary review with one of our retirement planning professionals is where the general becomes personal. We take your specific numbers and work through the two things that matter most.
Your personalized CalSTRS projection — your actual estimated benefit at multiple retirement ages, based on your service credit and salary history. Not a general estimate. Your number.
Your retirement income gap analysis — what your pension pays versus what you will actually need, presented clearly so you can see exactly where you stand.
A clear path to close the gap — if one exists, we walk through strategies available to you, tailored to your career stage, your timeline, and your household.
Side-by-side benefit election comparison — what each option pays you monthly and what it pays your beneficiary, with real dollar figures specific to your ages and situation.
Maximizing your pension benefit — exploring whether strategies exist that allow you to elect the highest monthly benefit while still ensuring your spouse or beneficiaries are protected after you are gone.
A decision made with full information — your benefit election is permanent. We make sure you understand every option and every tradeoff before you commit to anything.
Teachers give a great deal to their students and communities, often without much thought for what comes next for themselves. This review exists to give something back — a clear, honest look at your retirement picture so you can make good decisions with confidence. Come in with your questions. Leave with answers.
Choose the format that works best for you. Every path leads to the same outcome — a clear, personalized picture of your retirement before any permanent decisions are made.
A one-on-one virtual meeting at a time that works around your schedule. Start with a free 3-minute snapshot, then book directly with one of our retirement planning professionals.
Schedule my complimentary reviewWe meet clients throughout LA, Ventura, San Bernardino, and Santa Barbara counties — at our office or at a location convenient for you.
24009 Ventura Blvd, Suite 230 Calabasas, CA 91302 (818) 225-1912Have a question before committing to a meeting? We are happy to talk through the basics over the phone. No appointment needed.
(818) 225-1912The retirement planning professionals at Hostetter Financial Group work specifically with California educators. When you schedule a review, you will speak with someone who knows your world.
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Bio coming soon.
Schedule a complimentary review with one of our retirement planning professionals. We will look at your pension, your gap, and your options — clearly and without pressure.
Schedule my complimentary review