A pension, typically, is going to outperform and be much better than any 401k (or similar) retirement account.
When it comes to retirement, ASRS members are “vested” from the date their first contribution is received. Members may keep their funds on account with ASRS until they meet their normal retirement criteria, at which point they can retire, even with only 1 month of service.
Employer-sponsored retirement plans—such as 401(k)s, 403(b)s and 457s—are the best-known defined contribution plans. Other plans that generally cater to small businesses are SIMPLE IRAs and SIMPLE 401(k)s and Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) IRAs.
Today, it is one of the most financially sound state retirement health benefit funds in the U.S., with a fully funded status of more than 135 percent.
In technical terms, your ASRS pension plan is a 401(a) Defined Benefit plan, while a 401(k) is classified as a Defined Contribution plan.
ASRS retirees, alternatively, do receive their Social Security benefit in addition to their pension benefit. A smaller base benefit. Some plans will provide a smaller starting pension benefit because their design anticipates regular post-retirement benefit increases.
ASRS is, by the way, one of the highest rated pensions in the country. It's also protected by the AZ constitution, meaning the state can't borrow from it. It is a defined benefit program which guarantees a monthly benefit for life. It's earning 8% a year. Here's how it works.
Normal retirement is defined as either (1) reaching age 65, (2) reaching age 62 along with at least 10 years of ASRS service credit, or (3) earning at least 80 points. Points are figured by adding your age and the number of years of service.
A 401(k) is a tax-advantaged retirement savings plan. Named after a section of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, the 401(k) is an employer-provided, defined-contribution plan.1 The employer may match employee contributions; with some plans, the match is mandatory.
Retirement plans must file certain forms and reports with the IRS and the Department of Labor and send out notices to plan participants and certain others. Different reporting and disclosure requirements apply depending on the type of plan and the plan's circumstances.