General Members Plan D Center

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Transfers to Plan E

Some Plan D members may decide it is to their advantage to transfer to Plan E via a Prospective Plan Transfer (PPT).

In a PPT, you retain all of your Plan D service credit and begin earning Plan E service credit on your effective date of transfer. As of that date, you are no longer required to pay monthly contributions toward your future retirement. When you are ready to retire and meet the eligibility requirements, you will receive a combined Plan D and Plan E allowance.

Should You Transfer Plans?

There are many factors to consider before initiating a plan transfer, so it is wise to compare the benefits and costs prior to completing your application. To evaluate if a transfer will be beneficial:

How to Transfer Plans

  • To initiate a transfer, you can log in to My LACERA and click on the Purchases tab or download and print a Prospective Transfer Election Form.
  • LACERA will notify you of your effective date of transfer. It is the first day of the month that is at least 30 days from the date LACERA receives your completed Prospective Transfer Election Form.
  • When your transfer is effective, you will not be eligible to transfer back to Plan D for three years from your effective date of transfer to Plan E.
  • Because the cost methods are different, once you enter into a prospective plan, you may not later elect an open window transfer.

Retiring Under a Prospective Transfer

If you have prospectively transferred from Plan E to D or from Plan D to E, you may combine service to meet the minimum requirements of each plan. The minimum requirement for Plan D is a combined service of five years, and the minimum requirement for Plan E is a combined service of 10 years.

  • If you have earned a minimum of five years of combined service, you are eligible to retire under Plan D at a minimum age of 50 years.
  • If you have earned a minimum of 10 years of combined service, you are eligible to retire under Plan E at a minimum age of 55 years.*

*The total amount of service credit you accrue under all LACERA plans counts toward your County retiree healthcare subsidy; certain eligibility rules apply.

When making retirement decisions, it is important to consider the following: If you retire under Plan D at less than age 55, your Plan E retirement benefits automatically become effective on the date of your 55th birthday. Meanwhile, you receive only the Plan D benefits until you reach age 55. Thereafter, your checks will reflect the total of your full monthly Plan E and Plan D benefits.