Questions & answers
Understand what the estimate can—and cannot—tell you.
These answers explain how to use the planner responsibly. They are general educational information, not official Pension Fund, legal, tax, or financial advice.
Which figures should I enter from my statement?
Use one latest Pension Fund statement and copy every blue “On your statement” field exactly: Date of Birth, Appointment Date, Statement Date, the Service Retirement Without Final Withdrawal top number, Service Retirement With Final Withdrawal bottom number, Available Final Withdrawal, Tax Free Amount, ASF Ending Balance, Required Amount, Assigned Contribution Rate, Cost Per Thousand, ITHP Waiver, and Additional 50%. Do not mix numbers from different statements.
How do I enter the information correctly?
Enter dates exactly as printed. For dollar fields, copy the stated amount—not a rounded estimate, gross pay, take-home pay, or a number from a different section. “Top Number” means the monthly amount labeled Service Retirement Without Final Withdrawal; “Bottom Number” means the monthly amount labeled Service Retirement With Final Withdrawal. The planner uses those figures as its statement baseline. Your planned retirement and sit-down dates are the only date assumptions you choose yourself.
What changed in the updated version?
Chapter 312 now gives covered Tier 2 NYPD Pension Fund members the same salary-base treatment as pre-July 2000 Tier 2 members. For appointments from July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2009 with retirement on or after September 28, 2026, the salary base is the higher of final 12-month pensionable earnings or the highest eligible average from three consecutive years of service. The update adds an eligibility check, two PPF-confirmed salary-base fields, and the resulting estimated adjustment to the planner.
How do I enter the new Chapter 312 salary-base figures?
If the update applies to you, the calculator will display the Chapter 312 section automatically after you enter your Appointment Date and planned retirement date. Enter only (1) the PPF-confirmed Final 12-Month Pensionable Earnings and (2) the PPF-confirmed Highest Eligible 3-Year Average. The calculator selects the higher number. Do not use gross payroll, terminal leave, or a self-calculated overtime total. If your statement was issued before September 28, 2026, ask PPF for a revised estimate or confirmation of the eligible figures.
Does Chapter 312 change final withdrawals or Cost Per Thousand?
No. This law changes the salary-base comparison for covered members. It does not change final-withdrawal rules, Required Amount, Tax Free Amount, ASF balance, Cost Per Thousand, or the official Pension Fund election process. Official PPF calculations and limits always control.
Why can a sit-down or final pension differ from the calculator?
A statement is a snapshot. Later pensionable payroll, overtime, credited service, contributions, interest, actuarial factors, Fund corrections, and administrative determinations can change the official result.
Does the calculator automatically know about recent overtime?
No. It does not retrieve payroll or Pension Fund records. Recent pensionable earnings affect an estimate only when they are already reflected in the official figures you enter or in an estimate you provide.
What should I ask at counseling or sit-down?
Ask which payroll date and pay periods were included, whether all pensionable overtime was posted, what service was credited, and which Cost Per Thousand and account balances were used.
Can I use this for a disability, vested, or special-case retirement?
The planner is designed for the Tier 2 service-retirement scenarios described on the site. Do not rely on it for disability, vested, death-benefit, court-order, or other special determinations.
What happens at finalization?
The Pension Fund may update earnings, service, contributions, interest, balances, factors, deductions, and elections. Only the official Pension Fund determination establishes the final benefit.
