Consultations & Exhibits
Make One-on-One Connections With CalPERS Experts
Making personal connections with our teams has been rated as one of the most meaningful aspects of the Forum. Do you need to get answers to specific questions, or simply want to explore all the resources we have to offer? Schedule a personal consultation and visit our exhibits to make the most of your Educational Forum experience.
Need some additional guidance? We’ll have knowledgeable team members on hand in our Concierge area located at the Forum registration desk to help you:
- Choose exhibits or sessions suited to your needs
- Locate your consultation appointment
- Learn about the tools and resources available to members
- Enroll in post-forum online or instructor-led classes
Consultations
The Forum's one-on-one, confidential consultations are the ideal setting to enhance your understanding of doing business with us or resolve any outstanding issues. Review the descriptions to find out how to set up your appointment.
Looking for more information about the CalPERS Health Program? We’re available to meet with you one-on-one to answer your individual questions. To sign up for a consultation in advance, email CalPERSHealth@calpers.ca.gov.
If you’re one of the more than 820 agencies participating in our low-cost, deferred compensation CalPERS 457 Plan, meet with our team to get up to speed on your employees’ participation. Your personalized review includes:
- A statistical overview of your accounts, assets, and contributions
- Demographic statistics of employees’ allocations in different funds/asset classes
- Fund performance
- Roth 457 (after-tax) and loan options
We’ll also help explain your fiduciary responsibility in administering the plan. To sign up in advance, email Dave Saavedra at dave.saavedra@calpers.ca.gov or call (916) 795-3908.
Current and prospective California Employers' Retiree Benefit Trust (CERBT) and California Employers' Pension Prefunding Trust (CEPPT) participants are invited to meet with our team and discuss our prefunding programs. We can review:
- CERBT and/or CEPPT account performance updates
- Other post-employment benefits (OPEB) and pension funding policy goals, trends, and considerations
- Best practices when administering your CERBT and/or CEPPT account
- How to establish a CERBT and/or CEPPT account
To schedule a 30-minute consultation in advance, email CERBT4U@calpers.ca.gov or call Darren Lathrop at (916) 795-0751.
Have you ever wondered why an employee is flagged for potentially having arrears? An employee can be identified when the retirement appointment is entered late into myCalPERS or when an employment certification is submitted for a service credit purchase. Visit our consultation room for any questions you may have. We can walk you through the process of certifying employment for service credit purchase.
To schedule your consultation in advance, please email membership_reporting@calpers.ca.gov. Include your name, your agency’s name, and a short description of what you’d like to talk about.
Need help with the compliance, regulations, and laws for reporting compensation and contributions? Meet with our team one-on-one to ensure your data is timely, accurate, and compliant. We’ll help you:
- Resolve employer compliance review issues
- Determine reportability of compensation
- Comply with the Public Employees’ Retirement Law (PERL)
- Ensure data integrity
- Review MOUs, labor agreements, publicly available pay schedules, and more
- Mitigate the impacts of inaccurate benefits on your retirees
- Report annually on out-of-class appointments
To schedule your consultation in advance, email MOU_Review@calpers.ca.gov.
While you’re at the forum, schedule time to meet with one of our pension actuaries for a one-on-one, 30-minute consultation. This is your chance to get questions answered in a private session using your June 30, 2022, valuation report as a basis for discussion (be sure to bring it with you). We can go over:
- Contribution requirements for the 2023-24 fiscal year
- How to manage your unfunded liability or stabilize contributions by making discretionary payments
- Other specific areas of concern
Sign up for your appointment at the Meet Your Actuaries booth in the exhibit hall, or in advance by emailing Korene.Woodard@calpers.ca.gov.
Our 30-minute consultations are designed to provide personalized assistance. You’ll learn how to use myCalPERS and access training resources to process business transactions. We can walk you through:
- Generating reports and using Cognos tools
- Maintaining system access
- Processing retirement and health enrollments
- Reconciling health billing, appointments, and payroll
- Reporting and adjusting payroll records
- Viewing and paying receivables
To schedule an appointment, log in to myCalPERS with your business partner login, select the Education tab, then select Consultations.
Need some hands-on guidance processing the transactions your employees submitted online? Or just need time to process Open Enrollment transactions? Stop by our lab. We'll be open during exhibit hours — no appointment needed.
Have questions about your CalPERS pension contract? Let our team help. We’re available to meet with you one-on-one to address your concerns. There are two ways to sign up: by visiting the Answering Questions About CalPERS Pension Contracts booth in the exhibit hall or emailing us in advance at pensioncontracts@calpers.ca.gov.
Exhibits
The exhibit hall is one of the best resources we provide at the forum to answer your questions — especially when you want to go deeper on a topic from an educational session you just attended. Every administrative topic is represented. We recommend you look at the complete listing to help plan your forum experience and walk away with all your questions answered.
Have questions about your valuation reports or contribution requirements for the next fiscal year? Visit us with your report in hand to get the answers you need. You can also ask about unfunded liabilities, additional discretionary payments, or our Pension Outlook and Managing Employer Contribution tools. For more in-depth inquiries, schedule a 30-minute, one-on-one appointment with a CalPERS actuary by contacting Korene Woodard at Korene.Woodard@calpers.ca.gov.
Have questions about your CalPERS pension contract? We have experts available to help you better understand a range of issues including these processes:
- Collection
- Contract amendment
- Contract compliance merger
- New agency contracting
- School and charter school contracting
Currently offering or considering a 457 deferred compensation plan for your employees’ benefits package? Stop by to get the most up-to-date answers to your questions. We’ll be on hand to help you and your team with:
- Adding optional provisions such as after-tax Roth 457 and loans
- Educating your employees on deferred compensation plans
- myCalPERS payroll deduction and payment processes
- Plan adoption
Get hands-on guidance and support to help you fine-tune your disability retirement processes. Our team will walk you through the online resource guide and answer questions on common topics including:
- Competent medical opinions
- Differences between workers’ compensation and retirement benefits
- Employer-originated applications
- Filing appeals
- Importance of completing retirement documents
- Issues relating to disciplinary actions vs. disability retirement
- When to apply
Searching for top-tier health benefits to attract and retain an exceptional workforce? Let us show you how our health program provides access to equitable, high-quality, and affordable healthcare to nearly 1,200 public agencies, schools, and their valued employees. Whether you need health benefits for a specific department, your entire agency, or an employee group, our team is here to assist you every step of the way. You don’t need a CalPERS pension contract to be eligible. — all public agencies and schools are welcome. Already participating in our health program? Visit us to stay informed on changes that could impact your agency this coming year.
Can you confidently answer your employees’ questions about retirement benefits? How well do you know your role in the retirement process? Get the information you need to be fully prepared on key issues, including:
- Submitting estimates and retirement applications online
- Selecting an optimal retirement date
- Reporting unused sick leave
- The relationship between final compensation reports and retirement calculations
- Final compensation limits
- Post-retirement adjustments
- Reciprocity
- The Replacement Benefit Plan (RBP)/Internal Revenue Code (IRC) 415
Talk with our educators to find out how the Employer Education Program can assist you in conducting your CalPERS business. We can help you:
- Strengthen your knowledge of CalPERS laws, policies, and reporting
- Get personalized assistance with resources, such as reference guides, educational class offerings, and schedules
- Subscribe to the Employer Bulletin to receive important updates
Wondering which resolution is the best fit for your agency? Talk with our health resolution and compliance team to get the information you need to make a well-informed decision. Are you a current business partner considering a change to your employer contribution? We’ll provide guidance by reviewing your resolutions on file and answering questions regarding our program. Our public agency health billing team can also help you get familiar with billing processes, review recent enhancements, and find answers to your questions on:
- Billing deadlines
- Consequences of late payment
- Delinquent payments, underpayments, or overpayments
- Payment options
- Reconciling your statement
Do you have questions about health business rules? Join us as we guide you through your responsibilities as a CalPERS health benefits officer. Find out about:
- Eligibility requirements, including parent-child relationships and disabled dependents
- Enrollment requirements, ensuring you have a clear understanding of the process
- Health benefits into retirement, with valuable information to support your employees
- Medicare coordination for employees working after age 65 or transitioning into a CalPERS Medicare plan
Are you up to speed on the Cognos reports that support accurate health reporting and enrollment file submissions? Do you have questions about the new Health Enrollment Self-Service functionality? Talk with us to learn more about what your employees can do online. We can walk you through the variety of health Cognos reports available, and how they can make health reconciliation, data reporting, and discrepancy resolution easier. We can also help you with the file submission process to ensure that your file is successfully submitted, error-free.
Do you handle payroll transactions? Come get answers to your complex payroll-related questions. Our experienced team will help you navigate through myCalPERS to resolve issues and you’ll make important contacts for future payroll-related inquiries.
Help your agency be a destination employer by expanding your knowledge of member benefits. The earlier your employees understand their earned benefits, the more prepared they’ll be to make informed decisions. Prepare yourself and your employees by learning more about:
- Your myCalPERS accounts
- Retirement estimates
- Online and instructor-led classes
- Applying for service credit
- Scheduling an appointment with a retirement benefits counselor
We can also provide information about CalPERS Benefits Education Events and other available resources to help educate your employees.
Do you have employees who qualify for special enrollment or various member elections? Whether the option is reciprocity, optional member, state Second Tier, or CalPERS/CalSTRS, let us help you make the right determination for each employee. Learn to discern between the various options and understand which members are subject to the 2013 Public Employees' Pension Reform Act (PEPRA).
Do you know who should be brought into CalPERS membership at the time of hire, how to monitor part-time employees for membership, or who’s excluded from CalPERS membership? We’re here to help answer your membership enrollment questions and provide guidance on ensuring the right employees are enrolled.
Do you have questions about compensation reporting based on language in MOUs, collective bargaining agreements, or publicly available pay schedules? Let us help. We'll show you how to avoid/resolve audit findings and prepare your members for a seamless retirement transition.
Do you process payroll and membership for your agency? Could you use a little technical support for your work in myCalPERS? Our team is here to help you with a variety of functions including:
- Cognos reports for both payroll and membership teams
- Fixing file errors in XML and CSV formats
We'll also help you understand what types of inquires we can assist with, and how to reach out year-round, and much more.
Get answers to your myCalPERS questions. Our educators will provide hands-on demonstrations to help you use the system more efficiently when processing business transactions. We’ll walk you through new enhancements and show you how to access our online classes and training materials. Visit us to learn how to:
- Generate reports and use Cognos tools
- Maintain system access
- Process retirement and health enrollments
- Reconcile health billing, appointments, and payroll
- Report and adjust payroll records
- Review and pay receivables
Looking for solutions to long-term funding challenges? See how our prefunding programs can help. All attendees are encouraged to visit our team to discuss:
- Features and benefits of prefunding other post-employment benefits (OPEB) and pension 115 trusts
- How to establish a California Employees’ Retirement Benefit Trust (CERBT) and/or California Employers’ Pension Prefunding Trust (CEPPT) account
- OPEB and pension funding policy goals, trends, and considerations
- Best practices for administering your CERBT and/or CEPPT account
Have you ever wondered what would be paid out in benefits if one of your employees passed away? Visit our booth to learn why it’s vital to have Beneficiary Designation and Special Power of Attorney forms on file with CalPERS. You’ll also receive important information about:
- Emergency retirement counseling
- Enhancing death benefit provisions
- How to report the death of a member
- Pre-retirement death benefits
Who will handle your employees’ retirement affairs when they’re no longer able? Visit us to learn the importance of having a CalPERS Special Power of Attorney and Pre-Retirement Lump-Sum Beneficiary Designation on file. These documents play a vital role in safeguarding benefits for both your employees and their loved ones. Ready to act? Bring your prepared documents — our team’s ready to accept them and provide a quick review to ensure they’re complete.
Let the State Social Security Administrator (SSA) help you apply SSA agreements accurately. We'll help you understand your specific agreement and how it applies to your employees.
Your employees are counting on you to get their retirement calculation right. Learn how to accurately report pensionable compensation for the benefit of members and help your agency avoid reportability and compliance issues.
You need retired annuitants, and they need you. There's a lot of complexity involved with post-retirement employment. We're here to answer all your questions, whether you want a deeper dive on the session material or need an overall refresher on the topic. We'll make sure you walk away well-informed.