Member’s Guide to Retirement
This may be your most important LASERS resource. It contains detailed information about LASERS membership, including details defining all categories of our plans, information on the Initial Benefit Option (IBO) and Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) plans, and clear answers to many of the questions you might have about planning for and enjoying your retirement.
Download complete handbook, full-color PDF (11.5 MB)
Order chapters here Member’s Guide to Retirement
- Welcome to LASERS
- General Membership
- LASERS Website
- Service Credit
- Refund of Contribution
- Purchases of Service Credit
- Transfers and Reciprocals From Other Retirement Systems
- Retirement Eligibility and Final Average Compensation
- Unused Annual and Sick Leave
- Retirement Options and the Self-Funded COLA
- Estimates
- Regular Retirement
- Initial Benefit Option (IBO)
- Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP)
- DROP/IBO Account Withdrawals and the Self-Directed Plan
- Disability Retirement
- Survivor Benefits for Regular Members Hired Prior to January 1, 2011
- Survivor Benefits for Regular Members Hired on or After January 1, 2011
- Re-employed Retirees
- Community Property and Divorce
- Cost-of-Living Increases
- Medicare, Social Security Offsets, and Insurance
- Hazardous Duty Services Plan (HAZ PLAN)
- Transition to Hazardous Duty Services Plan (HAZ PLAN)
- Bridge Police Hired Prior to January 1, 2011
- Correctional Officers Hired Prior to January 1, 2011
- Peace Officers Hired Prior to January 1, 2011
- Alcohol and Tobacco Agents Hired Prior to January 1, 2011
- Wildlife Agents Hired Prior to January 1, 2011
- Legislative Plan Hired Prior to January 1, 2011
- Judges and Court Officers Elected or Hired Prior to January 1, 2011
- Judges Elected on or After January 1, 2011
- Appellate Law Clerks Hired Prior to January 1, 2011
- Your Rights and Duties as a LASERS Member
LASERS: Get the Facts
Take a look at this brief overview of LASERS for quick facts about legislative reforms, System assets, membership numbers, efficiencies, and more.
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Insurance Vendors and Credit Unions
This document contains a list of insurance vendors and credit unions that may be of interest to retirees.
Download PDF (723 KB)
Retirement Readiness Planner
This booklet contains general information about the LASERS benefit package, Direct Deposit information, retirement planning information, websites of interest to LASERS members and retirees, insurance vendors, a personal data organizer, a retirement planning checklist for state employees nearing retirement, and a 12-month retirement planner.
Download PDF (706 KB)
LASERS Strategic Plan
This is our “roadmap” that shows you what we intend to do to meet our goal of better serving you. It includes our Mission, Vision, Goals, and Core Values and is used at regular intervals to measure the progress of LASERS and its staff.
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LASERS Laws
The current laws and regulations that govern LASERS.
Download PDF (3 MB)
News & Notes for New Retirees
This publication is a guide for new retirees. It includes information about the advantages of Direct Deposit of your benefit check, tips on how to handle a change of beneficiaries, tax and insurance information, among other subjects.
Download PDF (496 KB)
Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) Booklet
Enrollment in this plan closed December 7, 2007. The ORP is a defined contribution plan, and an alternative retirement plan for eligible employees who made an election to participate in the ORP rather than the LASERS defined benefit plan. ORP members now have the option to rejoin the defined benefit plan.
Download PDF (60 KB)
RSEA Brochure
Interested in being involved in an organization designed specifically for you? RSEA is an organization that advocates for pension and healthcare benefits for active and retired Louisiana state employees. This brochure contains information about RSEA and how you can join.
Download PDF (287 KB)
Social Security: The Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset
Employees of the State of Louisiana who are members of LASERS are not required to pay Social Security tax (certain exceptions do apply). However, if you are entitled to a Social Security benefit (either your own from a previous employment or a spouse’s/widow(er)’s benefit), that benefit may be reduced because of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) or the Government Pension Offset (GPO). Your LASERS benefit will not be reduced. Read here to see if your Social Security benefit could be affected.
Download WEP Fact Sheet PDF (147 KB)
Download GPO Fact Sheet PDF (356 KB)
Welcome to LASERS
This is the brochure new members receive when they begin state employment and become members of LASERS. It contains information about your benefits; Member Self-Service; the Pre-Retirement Education Program (PREP); RSEA, an association for active and retired state employees; the LASERS retirement information life; and other websites of interest to state employees.
Download PDF (676 KB)
Member Self-Service Instructions
Member Self-Service gives you the power to manage your LASERS account at your convenience. With this tool, you can view your account summary, change your telephone number or email address, and much more.
Click here to download (100 KB) a printable version of the “How to Access Member Self-Service” card.
Pensions in the Parishes 2017
A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project shows that Louisiana’s state pension systems are critical to working families and retirees across the state, and also serve as key economic drivers in every city, town and parish in Louisiana.
Download PDF (1.2 MB)