As a mid-career member, you should be monitoring your service credit. To receive a total service credit verification letter, you can submit a PERA Request form to verify that all service credit reported on your account is correct and up to date. You can also open an online RIO Self Service account to monitor your PERA account 24/7. Now that you are a vested member with 5 or more years of service credit, you may consider purchasing service credit so you can retire earlier. It is suggested to buy service credit earlier rather than later because it may cost less to buy service credit now. You have the opportunity to purchase withdrawn service credit, military service credit, and air time service credit. To view the purchase service credit options, view pages 17-19 of the PERA Member Handbook. To request an audited cost estimate, complete and submit a PERA Request form and receive your estimate within 30-60 business days. You can also estimate the cost to purchase military or air time service by logging into your PERA RIO Self Service account and using the purchasing service credit calculator. If you are not already enrolled in PERA’s SmartSave Deferred Compensation Plan, you should consider participating. You can save even more toward retirement by enrolling in PERA’s SmartSave Deferred Compensation Plan, which is a 457 (b) supplemental retirement plan. This plan is a voluntary savings plan that is intended to complement and supplement the core PERA defined benefit plan. You defer paying taxes and your investment earning in the plan are also tax deferred. If you are already enrolled, consider increasing your contributions. You’ll never regret having more money in retirement.