Retirement Income You Can Never Outlive

The YMCA Retirement Fund is one of the best retirement plans available, providing guaranteed retirement income for your lifetime. This unique benefit is your reward for a career of service to the Y.

The money you save now is the money you receive in retirement, plus interest, plus a generous conversion rate.  The total value of this lifetime income is significantly higher than what is available in the current marketplace.

Watch this video to learn more:

Starting Your Annuity

To start your annuity, contact us for an annuity packet which will include Annuity Estimates and an Annuity Application. You should request this packet between 30 and 180 days prior to your desired annuity start date.

Annuity Options

If you are no longer working for a YMCA, you can start a lifetime annuity as early as age 55.

You can withdraw your accounts or start an annuity with the monies saved in either the Retirement Plan or Savings Plan while leaving your money in the other Plan to continue to earn interest. These decisions can be made for each Plan at different times. Please note that restrictions may apply to the distribution options on monies contributed by the YMCA.

Receive retirement income for life, based on:

  • Your account balance at retirement
  • The interest rate that is used to convert your account balance into an annuity
  • The annuity option you select
  • Your age at retirement
  • The age of your survivor (if selecting a Joint & Survivor annuity)

*After your annuity has started, the option you select cannot be changed or modified in any way.

Single Life

Provides monthly income as long as you live.

Options Advantages Conditions
Maximum (M)
  • Provides the greatest amount of monthly income
  • Does not provide income for a survivor
  • Does not guarantee recovery of your account balances
Principal Guarantee (C) 
  • Guarantees recovery of your account balances
  • Payments end at your death
  • Monthly payments smaller than Maximum annuity

Joint & Survivor

Provides monthly income as long as you or your survivor live. Your survivor may be entitled to 100% (J1, J1P), 75% (J7, J7P) or 50% (J5, J5P) of your income depending on your annuity choice.

Options Advantages Conditions
Joint & Survivor
(J1, J7, J5)
  • Provides guaranteed income for your survivor following your death
  • Survivor cannot be changed once you have started receiving benefits
  • Monthly payments to participant smaller than Single Life annuities
Joint & Survivor 
Pop-Up 
(J1P, J7P, J5P)
  • Provides guaranteed income for your survivor following your death
  • If your survivor dies, your income will increase to the level of Maximum Single Life annuity income
  • Provides slightly less income while you are both alive
  • Survivor cannot be changed once you have started receiving benefits
  • Monthly payments to participant smaller than Single Life annuities

Social Security Leveling

Provides an increase to your annuity before age 62, based on your estimated age 62 benefit from Social Security and the number of months you will receive the additional benefit.

Options Advantages Conditions
Social Security Leveling
(MS, CS, J1S, J1PS, J7S, J7PS, J5S, J5PS)
  • You receive more income before age 62
  • Can be combined with any
    annuity option
  • Only for those retiring before age 62
  • Payments from the Fund will decrease after age 62
  • To offset the decrease in your annuity, you may need to start Social Security benefits at age 62
  • Adjustments do not affect benefits to a survivor
  • Requires a copy of your Retirement Benefit Estimate from the Social Security Administration. This can be obtained from the Social Security Administration’s website at www.ssa.gov

Retired Death Benefit

The Retired Death Benefit is an amount that is set aside at the time you annuitize your account(s) in the Retirement Plan for use as a death benefit. The amount of the Retired Death Benefit is equal to your first year’s maximum annuity and is based solely on contributions to your Personal Account, YMCA Account and YMCA Account (Legacy). At the time you retire, you must designate your beneficiary(ies) for the Retired Death Benefit. You may change this selection at any time.

You are eligible to receive a Retired Death Benefit if you were enrolled in the Retirement Plan prior to January 1, 2019.

If you were age 55 or older on January 1, 2019, you may use up to 90 percent of this benefit to increase your own gross monthly annuity payment while you are still alive.