Break out your favorite vintage shirt and hit rewind. This October, we’re taking a trip back in time for National Retirement Security Month, with a little retirement planning along the way. We’ve created a collection of vintage bedrooms inspired by different generations. Explore each one to find familiar toys, gadgets and other throwbacks, along with financial tips and tools. Ready to explore? Let’s turn back the clock and see what each bedroom has to offer. I’m ready to rewind “Life moves pretty quickly. If you don’t slow down once in a while, you might miss it.” – Ferris Bueller

Do you have a cause that’s special to your heart? Perhaps the environment or helping those less fortunate; maybe helping pets find a loving home. The state’s Combined Fund Drive (CFD) brings together hundreds of charities that help make our communities a better place to live. Do you currently contribute to CFD through payroll deduction? Keep in mind that if you are retired, or planning to retire soon, you may continue donating through a payroll deduction. If you are currently donating and retire Your donations continue into retirement until you elect to make changes. You can also begin making CFD donations by payroll deduction at the time you retire or at any time thereafter. “We’ve heard from retirees who appreciate the ease of continuing their charitable giving into retirement through CFD,” says DRS Chief Benefits Officer Seth Miller. “The CFD website makes it easy to find charities near you, or those who are focused on the issues you care about.” Not familiar with CFD? CFD is Washington state’s workplace giving program for public employees and retirees. The program is made up of over 4,500 charities. Each year public employees pledge more than $5.1 million to CFD charities locally, nationally and globally. “Retirees are frequently looking for ways to give back. Donations through CFD to a favorite charity are one way they do that,” Seth says. “Charities really appreciate the predictability that comes from steady donations which is another reason to consider setting up automatic deductions through CFD.” Donors may give through monthly payroll deductions, a one-time contribution and limited-time contributions. More information on both CFD and all its member charities is available on the CFD website. Keep in mind that CFD donations are tax deductible. And – just like health care deductions, DRS cannot change CFD contributions for retirees. You must make changes by logging into your account on the CFD website.

The 2026 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) reflects our ongoing commitment to accurate and transparent financial reporting of the retirement systems. The DRS ACFR includes DRS’ financial statements, including notes and supporting schedules. Additional information included in the DRS ACFR is summarized in the following list: Financial trends and highlights Components of the net pension liability (asset) Membership demographics and employer participation Actuarial assumptions, methods and funding status Investment performance, policy and strategy Deferred compensation program information Financial information for employers The 2026 Participating Employer Financial Information (PEFI) is now available. The PEFI includes pension financial reporting information for DRS administered multiple-employer, cost-sharing retirement plans to assist participating employers with their pension financial reporting. Where to find previous reports Chapter 15: Financial Reporting in the DRS Employer Handbook includes links to reports published in the last few years.

Rumors can spread quickly, even among people you trust. It’s important to always check the source. When it comes to your retirement, not having the right facts can be an especially costly mistake. Read below to learn the true story behind common retirement-related rumors: Rumor: DRS Administers health insurance coverage. Not true. DRS may deduct health care premiums from your pension, but those premiums are determined by your retiree health care provider. Health Care Authority manages Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) retiree insurance coverage. Rumor: My contributions to my DRS Retirement plan are like a 401(k) that I will get when I retire. Sort of true. If you’re a Plan 2 member, your pension is a defined benefit 401(a) plan based on your years of service credit and your average final compensation. Read more about how Plan 2 works. If you are a Plan 3 member, your contributions are directed to investments you select. Once you are separated from a DRS-covered employer you can choose to either leave your contributions in the plan or withdraw them. This is separate from your pension, which is a defined benefit funded by your employer. Read more about how Plan 3 works. Rumor: I can take a loan from my pension contributions. Not true. You cannot take a loan from the contributions you make to any DRS-administered retirement plan. You can withdraw funds after you have separated from a DRS-covered employer. Also, you cannot take a loan from the Deferred Compensation Program. If you are a DCP participant, there are certain situations that allow for unforeseen emergency withdrawals. Rumor: My pension benefit is based on the last five years of my career. Not true. If you are a Plan 2 or Plan 3 member, your AFC or Average Final Compensation is calculated on your highest consecutive five years of earnings, which isn’t necessarily your last five years. If you’re a Plan 1 member, your benefit is generally based on your highest two years of earnings, but this varies by plan. Review the rules for your plan. Rumor: You don’t need to get to a round number of years to see the increase to your benefit. True. DRS prorates retirement service credit by month so a person with 24 years and 11 months would get nearly the same benefit as someone with 25 years. Rumor: Years of service are not the same as calendar years. Reaching your 20-year anniversary with your employer doesn’t necessarily mean you have 20 years of service credit. True. If you’ve missed work due to a disability leave or family medical leave, you would not have earned service credit during those absences. You may be able to restore that missing credit. Rumor: You cannot use the Purchase Service Credit annuity to become vested or to become eligible for early retirement. This one is true. While you can increase your pension by purchasing up to 60 months of service credit at the time you retire, you cannot purchase service credit in order to become vested or eligible for retirement. Find out more about the service credit annuity. Rumor: DRS has an ‘80/30’ Rule. When my age and my years of service credit equals 80, and I have at least 30 years of service, I’m eligible for an unreduced benefit. Not true. There are no “80/30” or “Rule of 85” or “Rule of 90” pension laws. Each plan has specific requirements for retirement eligibility. Find out more about your plan’s rules. Have you heard any other retirement-related rumors? You can find accurate information any time on the DRS website.