Guides

4 guides published so far — more are added regularly.

• How the Teacher Pension Formula Works — FAS x Years x Multiplier Explained

  A full worked walkthrough of the defined-benefit teacher pension formula: Final Average Salary x Years of Service x Multiplier, with a real numeric example and the parts most people get wrong.

• Final Average Salary (FAS) Explained — Why the Averaging Period Matters

  What Final Average Salary actually means in a teacher pension formula, why the averaging period (3, 5, or 8 years) varies by state and hire date, and how to estimate yours.

• Understanding Your Pension Multiplier — Flat Rate vs. Age-Graded vs. Service-Graded

  How teacher pension multipliers actually work: flat-rate systems, age-graded tables, service-graded tiers, and why the same multiplier number can mean different things in different states.

• CalSTRS Pension Estimate — California Teacher Pension Formula Explained

  How to estimate a CalSTRS pension: the age-graded multiplier table (1.1%-2.4%), the Final Compensation averaging period, and 2% at 60 vs 2% at 62 PEPRA differences.

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