Estate planning at CalPERS
How to protect 7 CalPERS accounts — manage beneficiaries online, and file death claims
CalPERS Customer Contact Center
CalPERS, Retirement Benefit Services Division, P.O. Box 942711, Sacramento, CA 94229-2711
CalPERS Customer Contact Center
CalPERS, Retirement Benefit Services Division, P.O. Box 942711, Sacramento, CA 94229-2711
CalPERS Disability & Survivor Benefits Division
CalPERS, Disability & Survivor Benefits Division, Survivor Benefits, P.O. Box 942715, Sacramento, CA 94229-2715
When a member of CalPERS dies, the estate contacts CalPERS to claim any death or survivor benefit. What is payable depends on the member's retirement option and the beneficiary designation on file rather than on a will.
CalPERS lets account holders update beneficiary designations online, in branch, and by mail. Trust funding options vary by account type—check with CalPERS for specifics.
There are two sides to estate planning at CalPERS: setting things up while you're alive, and the process survivors follow after a death.
Preparing your estate
Beneficiaries and trust funding
How to manage beneficiaries online, and review 7 account types at CalPERS.
View details →When someone dies
Death claim process
5-step process, 7 required documents, and contact information for survivors.
View details →Because CalPERS serves a limited number of states, procedures for trust funding and beneficiary changes may differ depending on your location. Verify availability before starting.
Sources
Data sourced from CalPERS primary sources (9 pages reviewed). How we research.
CalPERS Customer Contact Center
CalPERS, Retirement Benefit Services Division, P.O. Box 942711, Sacramento, CA 94229-2711
CalPERS Customer Contact Center
CalPERS, Retirement Benefit Services Division, P.O. Box 942711, Sacramento, CA 94229-2711
CalPERS Disability & Survivor Benefits Division
CalPERS, Disability & Survivor Benefits Division, Survivor Benefits, P.O. Box 942715, Sacramento, CA 94229-2715
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your CalPERS accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
