Welcome, and thank you for using School Retirement Estimator. This guide walks through how the app works, explains the inputs, and covers the most common questions and issues. If you can’t find what you need here, scroll to the bottom for contact information.

What this app does

School Retirement Estimator calculates an approximate monthly and annual pension benefit for public school employees using two common formulas:

• Classic — 2% at 55 (typically members hired before January 1, 2013)
• New — 2% at 62 (typically members who first joined on or after January 1, 2013)

You enter three values and the app shows estimates for one or both plans, plus the gap between them.

The app is an estimator. It does not replace official figures from your retirement system or employer.

Quick start

1. Choose a retirement age. Use the stepper (age 50–67) and the quarter picker (0, 3, 6, or 9 months past your birthday).
2. Enter your service credit. Drag the slider or type a value (partial years allowed).
3. Enter your final monthly compensation. Use the stepper or type the dollar amount.
4. Pick a view: Compare (both plans), Classic only, or New only.
5. Read the Estimate card for each plan and the Comparison card for the monthly and annual gap.

Understanding each input

Retirement age

The age you plan to retire. The quarter picker accounts for the months past your most recent birthday, because benefit factors increase in quarter-year steps.

• Classic plan: factors available from age 50 through 63+.
• New plan: factors available from age 52 through 67+.

If you set an age below a plan’s minimum, that plan’s estimate will be hidden — that’s expected.

Service credit

Total years of credited service, including any fractional years. Use the number from your most recent Annual Member Statement or member portal.

Final monthly compensation

The monthly compensation your retirement system uses in the benefit formula. This is not always your current paycheck — depending on your plan, it may be your highest-paid 12 or 36 consecutive months. Check your retirement system’s definition for accuracy.

Reading the results

Each plan card shows:

• Monthly benefit — the estimated pension payment.
• Annual benefit — monthly × 12.
• Benefit factor — the percentage applied per year of service at your selected age and quarter.
• Percentage of final compensation — service credit × benefit factor.

The Comparison card (visible in Compare mode) shows which plan estimates more at your chosen age and the monthly and annual difference.

Am I a Classic or New member?

The clearest answer is in your retirement system’s member portal — usually labeled in your Account Summary or in your Annual Member Statement. Your school district personnel office can also confirm it. As a rough guide:

• Hired and enrolled in the retirement system before January 1, 2013 → typically Classic.
• First joined the retirement system on or after January 1, 2013 → typically New.

Verify if any of the following apply to you:

• Prior membership in another public retirement system
• Reciprocity between retirement systems
• A break in service
• Re-employment after a refund

These can change which formula applies to you.

Frequently asked questions

Is this app official?

No. The app is independently developed and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any retirement system, including CalSTRS, CalPERS, or any state or local public retirement plan. Always use your retirement system’s official tools for authoritative figures.

Why does my estimate differ from the one on my retirement system’s website?

Several reasons:

• Your retirement system may use a slightly different definition of final compensation than the value you entered.
• Service credit accruals through the end of your career may differ from what you entered.
• Some plans apply caps, supplements, options for survivor benefits, or reductions that this app does not model.
• Cost-of-living adjustments, integration with Social Security, and unmodified vs. modified allowance choices are not included.

Treat this app as a quick “what if” tool. Treat your retirement system’s official estimate as the truth.

Does the app save my information?

No. The app does not collect, store, transmit, or sync any of the values you enter. Inputs reset when you close and reopen the app.

Does the app have ads or trackers?

No ads, no analytics, no third-party trackers.

Why is the New plan hidden when I pick an early age?

The New 2% at 62 plan has no benefit factor below age 52, and the Classic 2% at 55 plan has no factor below age 50. If you select an age below a plan’s floor, that plan’s card is hidden until you raise the age.

What does the quarter picker do?

Benefit factors increase in quarter-year increments. The picker lets you choose whether to estimate at exactly your birthday (0 mo), three months later (3 mo), six months later (6 mo), or nine months later (9 mo). Picking a later quarter typically produces a slightly higher factor.

Can I save scenarios?

Not in this version. If you want a way to save or compare multiple scenarios, please send feedback — it helps prioritize future updates.

Tip jar

The app is free. If you’d like to support development, there is an optional in-app tip jar with three sizes:

• Small tip
• Medium tip
• Large tip

Tips unlock no features — they are purely a way to say thanks. Every feature in the app is available whether you tip or not.

Tip jar troubleshooting

The tip buttons don’t appear or show a loading state forever.

• Check that you have an internet connection. StoreKit needs to fetch product information from Apple.
• Sign out and back in to the App Store on your device (Settings → your name → Media & Purchases).
• Force-quit the app and relaunch.
• Restart your device if the issue persists.

A purchase appeared to fail but I was still charged.

• Open the app again. StoreKit re-delivers any pending transactions on launch, and the thank-you message will appear once verified.
• If you don’t see a thank-you within a few minutes, check your Apple purchase history at reportaproblem.apple.com. Refunds are handled by Apple, not the developer.

Can I get a refund on a tip?

Tips are processed by Apple. To request a refund, visit reportaproblem.apple.com and select the relevant transaction. The developer cannot process App Store refunds directly.

Why can’t I tip in [country]?

Tip products are subject to App Store availability in your region. If they aren’t available where you are, you cannot currently support the app via the tip jar — and that’s completely fine.

Troubleshooting the app

The app crashes on launch

• Make sure your device is running a supported version of iOS (see the App Store listing for the minimum version).
• Force-quit and relaunch.
• Restart your device.
• If the issue persists, delete the app and reinstall it from the App Store. Because nothing is saved, you won’t lose any data.

The estimate looks wrong

• Double-check the inputs. The most common cause of unexpected results is entering an annual salary in the “final monthly compensation” field by accident.
• Make sure the retirement age you selected falls within the plan’s eligible range.
• Verify whether the quarter picker is set the way you intended.
• Compare against the benefit factor shown in the Plan Factors section to confirm the factor matches the age and quarter you selected.

The slider or text field won’t accept my value

• The service credit slider is limited to 5–40 years. To enter values outside that range, type directly into the text field below the slider (the app accepts 0–50).
• Final monthly compensation accepts up to $100,000.
• If the keyboard won’t dismiss, tap Done in the keyboard toolbar.

VoiceOver or Dynamic Type issues

• The app supports Dynamic Type and standard accessibility traits. If you find a label that isn’t read correctly, please report it — these reports are very helpful.

Privacy

• No accounts, no sign-in.
• No analytics, ads, or third-party SDKs that track you.
• No information is sent off your device.
• Tip jar purchases are processed by Apple’s StoreKit. The developer receives only what Apple provides (a verified transaction), never your payment details.

Contact and feedback

If something isn’t working, you spotted an error in a benefit factor, you’d like to see a feature added, or you just want to say hello:

Email: info@mickeydesigns.com

When reporting an issue, it helps to include:

• Device model (e.g., iPhone 15 Pro)
• iOS version
• App version (shown on the App Store listing)
• A short description of what you did and what happened

Thanks again for using the app, and best wishes on your retirement planning.