Prospective Retirees
Thinking about retiring? Prior to retiring, you may need to prepare in the following ways:
Evaluate retirement income options
- Review sources including Social Security and your retirement savings plan at Northwestern at least one year prior to retirement.
- Meet with the Social Security Office several months before retirement.
- Contact your investment company, Fidelity or TIAA, to make arrangements for retirement payments.
- Review the steps to take prior to retiring and review the booklet here: Benefit Program Information for Retirees.
Give notice of retirement to your department
- A faculty member who wishes to resign is expected to notify the dean of the school no later than May 1 of the academic year prior to the year in which the resignation would take effect or 30 days after receiving notification of the terms of continued appointment for the academic year in which the resignation will occur, whichever is later.
- Staff must provide two weeks of working notice in order to leave the University in good standing.
Elect health & wellness benefits
- Meet with a Benefits Counselor several months prior to retirement to discuss available benefit options. You can also review the health, dental and vision insurance benefits available on the Benefits for Retirees webpage.
- Confirm that your mailing address and contact information are accurate in myHR Self Service.
- Review Medicare benefits online or contact Medicare directly.
- Submit the retiree medical, dental and vision enrollment forms to the Benefits Division one month prior to retirement.
- To convert the Basic or the Supplemental Life Insurance plan, complete and submit the Group Life Portability Application to Dearborn National within 31 days of retirement.
- To continue your Wildcard, submit the