Terms to Know…
Active Member: A member of LACERA who is currently employed by the County.
Additional Retirement Credit (ARC): Credit that may be purchased to increase your service credit total. It is not based on actual employment and does not count toward retirement eligibility, vesting, or retiree health care subsidy.
CERL: Abbreviation for the County Employees Retirement Law of 1937, the law governing LACERA and 19 other county retirement systems in California.
Continuing Allowance: A monthly survivor benefit paid following the death of a retired member.
Deferred Member: A vested member of LACERA Plan E who left County service prior to retirement.
Employer Reserve Account: An account representing the balance of employer contributions toward future retirement benefit payments.
Final Compensation: An average of the member's highest monthly pensionable income during any three 12- consecutive-month periods, it is one determining factor in establishing a member's monthly retirement allowance.
General Member: A permanent employee of Los Angeles County or an outside district working three-quarter time or more in a position other than firefighting, forestry, lifeguarding, or law enforcement (including District Attorney investigators).*
Pensionable Income (a.k.a. Pensionable Earnings or Compensation Earnable): The amount of income used in calculating a member's final compensation.
Retired Member: A LACERA member who has been granted retirement from County service by the Board of Retirement.
Retirement Option: A format for determining how retirement and survivor benefits are paid. Plan E offers a choice of five Retirement Options.
Reciprocity: A special relationship between LACERA and certain other California public retirement systems that protects retirement benefits earned under more than one retirement system.
Safety Member: A permanent employee of Los Angeles County working three-quarter time or more in firefighting, forestry, lifeguarding, or law enforcement (including District Attorney investigators).
Service Credit: One of the components used to calculate a member's retirement allowance. Plan E members earn service credit each payroll period of County employment, provided certain conditions are met.
Service Retirement: Retirement from County service granted by the Board of Retirement to a member who has met the minimum age and service requirements.
Vested: An employee's entitlement to receive certain benefits accrued under his or her retirement plan. In Plan E this is based on the completion of ten or more years of active County (or combined County and reciprocal system) service. Being vested entitles you to a retirement allowance when you terminate employment and meet the minimum age and service requirements. Vesting also entitles you to terminate County employment and defer receiving your retirement allowance until you are eligible and ready to apply for retirement.
*Certain lifeguard positions may be classified as general member positions.
6/16/09