Traditional Pension Plan Educational resources for the Traditional Pension Plan
We offer a number of tools and resources to help you to take an active role and stay educated throughout your career so you can be prepared for retirement.
You can choose from several educational offerings including in-person seminars, interactive webinars and online recorded presentations – all designed to meet your needs and assist you in making retirement decisions. Our education is updated regularly and tailored to your specific needs throughout your career.
Looking for more information on a specific topic? Then check out our informational leaflet series or comprehensive Member Handbook.
Our educational offerings are customized specifically for each retirement group (A, B and C).
Remember, you can always check your retirement group at any time from your annual statements found in your online account.
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In-Person Events
OPERS seminars are in-person events led by trained OPERS professionals. They take place all throughout the year at various locations in Ohio.
Registration is required, and the address of the venue will be sent to you after you register.
Seminar: Ready to Retire Under 65
This seminar is for Pre-Medicare members within 12 months of retirement eligibility and includes two presentations which are conducted back-to-back.
During these presentations you will learn about the retirement application process, timeline details about your transition to retirement, and the resources available to help you with your retirement decisions.
Topics Include:
- The decisions you will have to make to access your Pension Benefits
- How to access the OPERS Health Care Program
- Selecting an individual health care plan
- How to navigate the retirement application process
- What tools are available to assist in your decision-making process
- Rollover and Distribution options for your Ohio Deferred Compensation Account
Seminar locations are updated on a quarterly basis.
If you are more than 12 months from retirement, this seminar is not the best option for you. Scroll down to see your seminar offering.
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 22 | 6:00 p.m. | Canton |
| Oct. 29 | 6:00 p.m. | Independence |
| Nov. 21 | 6:00 p.m. | West Chester |
Seminar: Ready to Retire 65 and Older
This seminar is for Medicare members within 12 months of retirement eligibility and includes two presentations which are conducted back-to-back.
During these presentations you will learn about the retirement application process, timeline details about your transition to retirement, and the resources available to help you with your retirement decisions.
Topics Include:
- The decisions you will have to make to access your Pension Benefits
- How to access the OPERS Health Care Program
- The parts of Medicare
- Selecting an individual health care plan to supplement Medicare
- How to navigate the retirement application process
- What tools are available to assist in your decision-making process
- Rollover and Distribution options for your Ohio Deferred Compensation Account
Seminar locations are updated on a quarterly basis.
If you are more than 12 months from retirement, this seminar is not the best option for you. Scroll down to see your seminar offering.
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 24 | 6:00 p.m. | Sharonville |
| Oct. 31 | 6:00 p.m. | Columbus |
| Dec. 5 | 6:00 p.m. | Akron |
Seminar: Open Enrollment and Understanding Your OPERS HRA
Eligible retirees receive a monthly deposit into their Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA). This seminar is intended to help Pre-Medicare and Medicare retirees feel more comfortable using their HRA. If you struggle with understanding what an HRA is or how to receive reimbursements, come join us!
This seminar has three parts.
- Open Enrollment Presentation — There will be a review of the information found in your Open Enrollment 2025 packets.
- HRA Presentation — You will hear a review of HRA concepts to increase your understanding of the HRA. Topics in the presentation include:
- HRA basics
- What type of expenses are eligible for reimbursement
- How to submit an expense for reimbursement
- How a friend or family member can help
- Common questions and troubleshooting tips
- HRA Workshop — Lastly, there will be a hands-on group workshop in which you will walk through the step-by-step process to download the Via Benefits mobile app, create an online Via Benefits account, and learn how to submit an expense!
Several OPERS staff will be on hand to make sure that all your HRA questions and concerns are answered!
IMPORTANT: To get the most out of the workshop, be sure to bring your smart phone and/or your laptop computer.
| Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 10 | 11:00 a.m. | Boardman |
| Oct. 15 | 1:00 p.m. | Athens |
| Oct. 17 | 1:00 p.m. | Grove City |
| Oct. 22 | 1:00 p.m. | Canton |
| Oct. 24 | 1:00 p.m. | Sharonville |
| Oct. 29 | 1:00 p.m. | Independence |
| Oct. 31 | 1:00 p.m. | Columbus |
| Nov. 5 | 1:00 p.m. | Westlake |
| Nov. 7 | 1:00 p.m. | Eastgate |
| Nov. 12 | 11:00 a.m. | Dayton |
| Nov. 19 | 11:00 a.m. | Perrysburg |
| Nov. 21 | 1:00 p.m. | West Chester |
| Dec. 5 | 1:00 p.m. | Akron |
| Dec. 10 | 1:00 p.m. | Granville |
| Dec. 12 | 1:00 p.m. | Dublin |
Live Webinars
Webinars are live, interactive demonstrations given over the Internet. Attendees only need a computer to join, making it a convenient way to ask real OPERS educators questions about their retirement.
The information conveyed is the same as the in-person seminars of the same name.
Webinar: Ready to Retire (Pension)
This webinar is one part of the two-part Ready to Retire series.
Topics include:
- The decisions you will have to make to access your Pension Benefits
- How to navigate the retirement application process
- The tools and resources available to assist in your decision-making process
- Timeline details about your transition to retirement
Webinar: Ready to Retire Under 65 (Health Care)
This webinar is one part of the two-part Ready to Retire series.
Topics include:
- How to access the OPERS Health Care Program and the choices you will have to make
- Selecting an individual health care plan
- The tools and resources available to assist in your decision-making process
- Timeline details about your transition to retirement
Webinar: Ready to Retire 65 and Older (Health Care)
This webinar is for Pre-Medicare members within 12 months of retirement eligibility and is one part of the two-part Ready to Retire series.
Topics include:
- How to access the OPERS Health Care Program and the choices you will have to make
- The Parts of Medicare
- Selecting an individual health care plan to supplement Medicare
- The tools and resources available to assist in your decision-making process
- Timeline details about your transition to retirement
Planning for Retirement
This webinar is for all members more than 12 months from retiring but within 5 years of retirement eligibility.
During this presentation you will learn more about service credit, pension and health care program eligibility and how Social Security benefits may be impacted by your OPERS pension.
Topics include:
- How to earn service credit and become eligible for a Pension benefit
- The difference between a reduced and unreduced Pension benefit
- Why a supplemental savings account (Ohio DC) is needed in addition to your pension
- How to become eligible for access to the OPERS Health Care Program
- What tools and resources are available to assist you in Planning to Retire
Financial Wellness
Personal Budgeting
When it comes to improving your overall finances and economic wellbeing it's important to know where your money is coming from and where you are spending your income.
The goal of this webinar is to show how personal budgeting can help you meet your short and long-term goals. During this webinar, we will review the following:
- Myths and rules associated with personal budgeting
- Ways to recognize if your expenses exceed your income
- The 50/20/30 rule and how to use it with our online tool
Bridging the Gap to Retirement Income
Financial wellness is the knowledge of personal finance which enables healthier financial decisions to achieve one's goals, and to enhance the overall quality of life.
The goal of this webinar is to help you assess your financial wellness, review your current spending habits and estimate your retirement income so you can identify the "gap" between what you will have in retirement and what you will need. We'll also show you ways you can begin closing your gap today.
Join us to learn how making sound financial decisions can lead to a more secure retirement in the future.
Health Care: The Hidden Cost in Retirement
This webinar will review the long-term cost of health care and better prepare you for retirement. Health care is no longer something you just have in retirement, it's something you need to plan for.
Topics include:
- The rising cost of health care coverage.
- How different health care in retirement is compared to your employer's coverage.
- How saving for health care costs in retirement may factor into when you can retire.
- How retiring later in age may be more beneficial to you financially.
- If eligible, you may receive a health care allowance from OPERS.
Recorded Presentations
Recorded presentations can be viewed online at any time and registration is not required.
Although these presentation are not interactive, they are a great way to get more in-depth information on a specific topic. You can get move through the presentation at your pace, pausing or replaying sections.
- Active Members: Understanding Your Medicare Options (link opens in new tab)
- Minute with Member Services (link opens in new tab)
- Understanding the Value of Your OPERS Retirement (link opens in new tab)
- Other System Service Credit - Options for Using Other Ohio Retirement System Service Credit With OPERS (link opens in new tab)
- Purchasing Service Credit (link opens in new tab)
- Personal Budgeting
- Bridging the Gap to Retirement
- Health Care: The Hidden Cost in Retirement (link opens in new tab)
- Funding Pension and Health Care (link opens in new tab)
- Ready to Retire (Pension) Part 1
- Ready to Retire Under 65 (Health Care) Part 2
- Ready to Retire 65 and Older (Health Care) Part 2
- Refunding from the Traditional Pension Plan
- Options for Law Enforcement Members with Non-Law Enforcement Service Credit
- Disability Benefits Presentation
Learn More
The following resources provide detailed information on a number of subjects as well as the latest news and updates from OPERS.