Make an Estimate Request with Retirement Office no later than three months before your expected retirement date. Please contact our office at 901-222-1950, or you may e-mail our office at retirement.office@shelbycountytn.gov.

After receiving your  Pension Estimate Request, don't hesitate to contact our office at 901-222-1950, or you may e-mail our office at retirement.office@shelbycountytn.gov. To set up your retirement counseling session.

At the time of your appointment, you will be provided with a retirement packet and pension estimate. 

Notify your payroll representative or office of your anticipated retirement date so that your final pay, vacation, and bonus time may be properly calculated and paid out by the County. It is best to notify your payroll office as soon as your retirement packet is submitted to the Retirement Office. Failure to notify your payroll office will delay the timely processing of receiving your first pension payment.

To facilitate meeting deadlines and not create an interruption in your benefits, your last working day should be the last business day of the month, making your retirement date the first day of the next month.  

You will need to provide all required documents when you submit your retirement packet to our office. We will not accept an incomplete packet. A complete list of required documents can be found in the retirement packet and are listed below for your convenience. We do not require original documents, copies may be provided:

• Marriage License
• Divorce Decree (If Divorced)
• Birth Certificate
• Spouse’s Birth Certificate
• Social Security Card
• Spouse’s Social Security Card
• Death Certificate (If applicable to your spouse)
• Medicare Card if over 65 for retiree and spouse

Upon receipt of your packet with all required documents, we will begin processing your retirement. Your request for retirement will be approved by Retirement Board. The Shelby County Retirement System’s Pension Board meets the first Tuesday of each month unless rescheduled for the second Tuesday. After approval, you will receive an “Option Letter” with an “Option Form” from our office directing you to sign, date, and choose the appropriate pension option. You must return your “Option Form” as quickly as possible for payroll processing purposes. After we receive your “Option Form”, we will then send you an “Award Letter”.  Please review the letter for accuracy and notify our office of any discrepancies. Please retain it for your records. 

You will need to call Shelby County Government Retirement Office at 901-222-1950 or email us at retirement.office@shelbycountytn.gov. Make an Estimate Request with Retirement Office no later than three months before your expected retirement date or use our retirement member web services application at (https://memberservices.shelbycountytn.gov/PGWebMember.exe).

Vesting:

• Having at least 7 ½ years of credited service which entitles you to a retirement benefit.                                                                                       
• You could be entitled to a refund of the pension value or a monthly benefit from the plan in which you enrolled. 
• If you terminate before 7 ½ years of credited service, there will be no pension benefit available to you except your contributions plus interest.
• If you terminate employment after completed of 7 ½ years of credited service, but before attaining age 55, you have the option of a refund of contributions or rolling the amount over. (Restrictions Do Apply) 

The following applies to an employee who terminates employment either by voluntary resignation or terminated for cause:

Termination before the vesting period at least (7 ½ years of service) will result in a refund or rollover of your contributions plus interest.  Tax consequences apply to all refunds:

• Refunds are subject to a 20% withholding tax deducted before you receive your check. A refund may be subject to a 10% early withdrawal fee applied by the Internal Revenue Service. 

• You also may choose to rollover your funds to another qualified plan, IRA, or the County’s Deferred Compensation Plan.  No tax consequences apply when rolling funds over until age 70 1/2.

Not Vested:

• If you expire while actively employed and you are married, your spouse will receive your retirement contributions plus interest.
• If not married at the time of death, your contributions will be paid to your designated beneficiary.
• No other benefit will be payable to your spouse or beneficiary.            

Married Participants:

• Spouse and/or child may be entitled to a monthly benefit.
• Children may be entitled to receive a benefit up to age 23 provided they remain a full-time student in an accredited college or school; age 19 if they do not remain in school.

Unmarried Participants:

• Designated beneficiaries will receive your retirement contributions with interest.

To be eligible for a sick leave payout, your salary must be under $60,000 for 5 years before retirement. Sick leave payout is based on an annual salary amount of $20,000 and is only payable for up to 75 days. Payments are processed by the Finance Department and will be mailed to the retiree in a separate check to his/her address on file. Sick leave payouts are not a pension benefit; therefore, the Retirement Office does not set the eligibility rules or process the payment.

Unused annual and bonus leave will be processed at the time of your final salary distribution. Failure to properly notify your department will delay in payment of these benefits.  

Pension service time is number of years, months, and days of service, without interruption, for which an active participant is paid by his/her employer.

If you have had any unpaid leave during your employment, there will be an adjustment to your credited pension service time. Please make sure that you have considered the adjustment when preparing to retire:

• Any unpaid leave time will result in a loss of pension credit service time and will delay retirement.
• The employee must work and receive pay for 51% of the month to receive pension service credit.

3.1.3 Extensive Unpaid Absences

• A Full-Time Active Participant who is not paid for 51% or more of a calendar month for any reason shall receive no Credited service for the entire month.  
• A Part-time employee who is not paid for 51% of the hours normally scheduled during a calendar month shall receive no credited service for the entire month.

Shelby County pension plans are defined benefit plans. Disbursement of pension funds cannot occur until you retire or your employment is terminated with Shelby County.

Retirement Benefit Calculation:

Plan A - calculated based on your highest consecutive 36 months of earnings, age, years of service and accrual percentage. 

Plan C - calculated based on your highest consecutive 36 months of earnings, years of service time x 2.35%.

Plan D - calculated based on your highest consecutive 60 months of earnings, age, years of service and accrual percentage.   

Service Retirement Eligibility:

Plan A Members must be age 65 with at least 7 ½ years of service.

Plan C Members must have 25 years of service or age 65 with at least 7 ½  years of service.

Plan D Standard Members must be age 67 with at least 7 ½ years of service. 

Plan D Public Safety Members who are age 55 with at least 7 1/2 years of service are  entitled to a Public Safety retirement pension beginning at or after age 55 (i) if his/her last 20 years of credited service before attaining age 55 was Public Safety Service or (ii) if he/she has fewer than 20 years of credited service all of  which were Public Safety.

Early Retirement Eligibility:

Plan A Members must be age 55-64 with at least 7 ½ years of service.

Plan C Members must be age 55-64 with at least7 ½ years of service.

Plan D Standard Members must be age 62-66 with at least7 ½ years of service.

Plan D Public Safety Members must be age 50-54 with at least7 ½ years of service. If a participant whose last 20 years of credited service before termination was Public Safety Service occurred on or after age 50, but before age 55, he/she shall be eligible for a Public Safety Early Retirement Pension.  

Deferred Retirement Eligibility:

Plan A Members must have 7 ½ years of credited service and be under age 55 at the time of termination from Shelby County. You may defer the pension up until age 65; once you attain age 65, you will have to draw the benefit.

Plan C Members must have 7 ½ years of credited service and be under age 55 at the time of separation from Shelby County. You may defer the pension up until age 65; once you attain age 65, you will have to draw the benefit.

Plan D Standard Normal Members must have 7 ½ years of credited service and be under age 62 at the time of termination from Shelby County. You may defer the pension up until age 62; once you attain age 67, you will have to draw the benefit.

Plan D Public Safety Members must have 7 ½ years of credited service and be under age 50 at the time of termination from Shelby County. You may defer the pension up until age 50; once you attain age 55, you will have to draw the benefit.

• Health insurance (Restrictions Do Apply)
• Basic Life insurance (Restrictions Do Apply)
• Dependent Life insurance (Restrictions Do Apply)
• Dental
• Vision
• Cancer

       *Note: must have benefits at the time of retirement

If you are married at the time of retirement, benefits are payable to your spouse, unless your spouse opts out of receiving the pension. He or she can only opt-out at the time of your retirement and would need to make an appointment to meet with the Retirement Manager.   

If you are not married, you can leave the pension to anyone you wish. Take into consideration, that if you leave your pension to a child, your amount will be greatly reduced based on life expectancy and the age difference between you and the child.

At the time of retirement, your pension is calculated based on your age, your spouse’s age, and your final average earnings. Once you begin receiving your pension benefit, your beneficiary can never change.

Plan B, Employees hired on or after September 1, 1949, - November 30, 1978.

Plan A, Employees hired on or after December 1, 1978, - August 31, 2005.

Plan C, Employees hired on or after September 1, 2005, - June 30, 2011.

Plan D, Employees hired on or after July 1, 2011, - Present.

You can also find out which pension plan you are in by: 

• logging into our Employee Service Portal (https://ess.shelbycountytn.gov/), 
• selecting the Statement tab, to view your Payment Statement, and
• In the “Deductions” section of your Payment Statement, you will see your retirement plan.

Percentage and amounts cannot be increased or decreased. 

Employee Contribution:

• Plan A – 2% of base pay each pay period.
• Plan C – 8% of base pay each pay period.
• Plan D – 8% of base pay each pay period.

Yes. It is mandatory that all Shelby County Employees participate in the retirement plan.  

Yes. Direct deposit is mandatory for all retiree payments.

Once you are approved for retirement, you can make an appointment with the Human Resources department to obtain a retiree badge. 

Yes, under Plan A and C, retirees have to be age 65 by December 31 of the current year to be eligible for the annual Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA). The COLA is calculated based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Retirement Board approves the COLA. The Cola is payable on January 1 of each year.

Yes, Under Plan D retirees have to be 67 by December 31 of the current year to be eligible for a COLA. The COLA is calculated based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Retirement Board approves the COLA. The COLA is payable on January 1 of each year.  

Your spouse at the time of retirement may continue your health insurance in the event of your death.

If you remarry and are currently retired, your new spouse cannot be added to the health insurance.