CLASS Advisors

CLASS Advisors is dedicated to serving Classroom Leaders, Administrators and Support Staff in New York State schools. CLASS was born from our recognition that school employees have special planning needs which too often go underserved. Our mission is to assist these deserving individuals with Financial Advisors who understand the New York State TRS and ERS pension systems, union and district benefits, as well as the unique financial planning needs of school employees.

Understanding the NYS pension system can be challenging. We are here to help answer your questions and guide you toward getting the most from your pension benefits. We will help ensure you are credited for all eligible service and assist you with buying back time and tier reinstatement, if you qualify. We also help you plan for beneficiary option selection and elections to maximize your retirement income benefits while protecting those most important to you.

Decisions regarding 403(b) savings can also be confusing. Too often we find school employees are only provided a list of available plans, or are getting their information from sales representatives employed by individual 403(b) companies. As Independent Financial Advisors, we can offer you advice regarding the various plans available in your district without the potential conflict of interest or limitations that come with working for a product vendor. We can help you determine if saving in a 403(b) is right for you, and if so evaluate all of the options available through your district that represent the right balance of benefit and value. We can also provide guidance on any plans you may already have in place.

We also have experience in helping school employees understand and make the most of the various benefits provided by their unions and school districts. We can help coordinate these benefits, as well as individual options available to create a financial plan that covers the full scope of financial planning issues.

Planning for you financial future can be complex, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. You provide the vision of what you want in your financial future, and we will help create a plan and put the pieces together to help you achieve it. Equally important, we will be there with you all along the way to review progress, assess changes that may come along, and keep you on track for maximizing the benefits you receive for the very important work you do.

NYS TRS / NYS ERS Planning

• Prior service credit and buying back time
  
• Assistance with tier reinstatement 
  
• Projecting future pension payouts
  
• Pension benefit survivor options
  

Retirement Planning

• Prepare asset allocation and product analysis
  
• Conducting individual periodic account reviews
  
• Provide financial projections and regular monitoring of account performance
  
• Review ALL of your school’s 403(b) options to determine which is most appropriate based upon individual risk level, time horizon, and personal financial situation
  

Comprehensive Financial Planning

• Prepare, explain & implement a financial plan
  
• Consultation regarding employer benefits and union benefits
  
• Address risk management, education funding, long term care and estate plans 
  

For additional information please see our Frequently Asked Questions page