Your numbers and documents
What to collect, and the one request to make this week.
KNOW WHAT YOU ARE CHOOSING
Lump sum or monthly paycheck?
How to pick the right Kaiser pension option.
- What each option does, including what happens when you die
- How to read your estimate, and what to request this week
- The most frequently asked questions by Kaiser employees and the mistakes to avoid
This guide is for you if you are...
- 3 to 24 months from retirement
- Inside 90 days of your last day
- Still employed and curious about your options
- Already left Kaiser, with a pension you have not started
The questions Kaiser employees ask me most
- 1Can the pension go to my kids?
- 2How long until the first payment arrives?
- 3Will I owe a huge tax bill?
- 4Where do I find my numbers?
- 5Is it normal to have two pensions?
- 6When do I have to decide?
What is inside the guide
Your options in plain English
Each version of the monthly paycheck, and what it does when you die.
Lump sum or monthly paycheck
What has to be true for each option to be the right fit.
Five myths
The beliefs that can push people toward a choice that does not fit them.
If you take the lump sum
How a rollover goes, and what comes after.
The timeline and the cash gap
What happens in what order, and how long until the money arrives.
Also inside: common mistakes to avoid, a FAQ, and a walk-through of my free retirement calculator.
The Man Behind the Plan
Bereket Kelile
I help Kaiser Permanente employees make sense of retirement decisions involving their pension, workplace savings, and taxes. My connection to Kaiser is personal: my wife has worked in Kaiser’s lab for 20 years, and several relatives and close family friends are current or former employees. Based in Sacramento, I’m a fiduciary financial advisor, Certified Retirement Planning Counselor, and registered tax preparer. I also host monthly live office hours for Kaiser employees to ask retirement questions.