Pension Sense blog | May 20, 2025 | Melissa Jones-Ferguson

There are tons of ways you show a loved one you care—giving hugs, rides to the airport and fresh-baked cookies. Don’t stop there.

As you plan your retirement with CalSTRS, we have four things you can do to help those you care about most.

1. Update your account profile with any family changes or life events.

Life happens. Change is inevitable. Make sure those changes are reflected in your account profile to ensure your benefits are paid accurately and promptly. Update your profile with any family changes or life events, including: 

• Address change: Change your address online at myCalSTRS or complete the Address Change Request form and follow the instructions to submit the form to CalSTRS.
• Death: Contact CalSTRS as soon as possible to notify us of the death of a member or beneficiary. You can submit an online Notification of Death form to report the death of a CalSTRS member, benefit recipient, option beneficiary or designated recipient.  
• Marriage, divorce or other beneficiary changes: To change the address of your designated beneficiary or any other information related to your beneficiary, you must complete a new Recipient Designation form and submit it to CalSTRS.    

2. Designate your one-time death beneficiary.

Members can choose a death benefit recipient to receive a one-time lump-sum payment. 

Having a designated beneficiary helps your loved ones receive their benefits without unnecessary delays. On average, accounts with a beneficiary designation are processed faster, cutting down the processing time by up to two months.

Keep your one-time death benefit recipient information current using myCalSTRS. You can change your recipient at any time with no financial penalty. If you do not have a valid recipient designation form on file with us at the time of your death, we’ll pay the one-time death benefit to your estate.

3. Consider designating an option beneficiary.

Members can designate a loved one as an option beneficiary to receive a lifetime monthly benefit upon their death.

You’ll be eligible to name an option beneficiary—or beneficiaries—when you’re eligible to retire. Generally, you’re eligible to retire at age 55 with at least five years of service credit. Some CalSTRS 2% at 62 members are eligible at age 50 if they have 30 or more years of service.

There are many important details to review about naming an option beneficiary. Do your research before making any decisions, since changing or canceling your election of a beneficiary can have financial ramifications.

4. Set up your power of attorney.

You can arrange to have a third party manage your CalSTRS account and benefits if or when you become incapacitated and can no longer manage your financial affairs.

This allows a designated person to conduct important business for you, such as making changes to your address or retirement benefit elections. That authority could extend to changing your mailing address, instituting or changing direct deposit authorizations and changing tax withholding preferences.

If you want more details about how to plan for your loved ones’ financial future, CalSTRS’ Survivor Benefits brochure is a great resource. Review and share it with your loved ones, so you can all know what to expect.

You can also learn more in the CalSTRS Member Handbook or by reaching out to a CalSTRS benefits specialist. Visit one of our member service centers or local benefits planning offices for in-person customer service. You can also call us at 800-228-5453 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding state and federal holidays.