New retirement planning book for Illinois fire, police

SPRINGFIELD — A new book will help downstate Illinois fire and police pension fund members to plan for retirement.

The Illinois Public Pension Fund Association (IPPFA) is pleased to announce the publication of the IPPFA Retirement Guide, which is written for the men and women who serve or have served in Illinois as police officers and firefighters under the “downstate” Article 3 and Article 4 pension systems. This includes most municipalities and fire protection districts, regardless of their location in Illinois, other than Chicago and smaller towns under 5,000 in population.

The IPPFA Retirement Guide provides both an overview and substantial detail on members’ well-earned benefits, including pensions, Social Security, Section 457 deferred compensation and retirement healthcare funding. Section 457 plans are the local government equivalent of 401(k) plans.

“Understanding these income sources is key for active and retired police and fire professionals to plan and execute a successful retirement,” said IPPFA President Jim McNamee.

The IPPFA Retirement Guide is available on Amazon.com for $9.99 but is offered for bulk sale at $7.50 to IPPFA Member Pension Funds, their municipalities, fire district unions, and foreign fire insurance boards. A minimum order of 10 books is required for bulk sales. Non-member organizations may purchase the book in bulk for $9.00 per copy. A bulk order form is available from IPPFA at info@ippfa.org or by calling (630) 784-0406.

The IPPFA was founded in 1985 as a not-for-profit organization whose mandate was to educate public pension fund trustees. In 2009 the IPPFA became the primary education provider for public pension fund trustees in the state of Illinois, and its members manage more than $18 billion in pension assets.