Are you proactive? Read the December 2025 retirement newsletter

Michigan Office of Retirement Services sent this bulletin at 12/18/2025 05:20 PM EST

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Hello Friend

Your plan: Retirement

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In this issue:

December 2025 – Information from your retirement system
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From Anthony’s desk

Welcome to your December 2025 issue of the Proactive newsletter. 

With the holidays near and as the calendar winds down, this is an excellent time to pause and take a breath. 

While ‘tis the season for celebration and fun, these days can also be hectic and stressful. Between work, home, finances, travel, and everything else in your day-to-day life, one can easily get caught up in the crush. 

Perhaps a suggestion: Slow down. Take a moment and focus on what truly matters: Those people you’re around and surrounded by. Your family, friends, co-workers, and community are genuine connections who make this and every time of year meaningful. 

We want you to find your balance and identify priorities so you can build the life you want. Your journey – both for life and retirement – is many small steps made thoughtfully. We’re here to help you. 

Wishing you a safe, peaceful, and healthy holiday season and a great start to the new year. 

Anthony Estell, executive director
Michigan Office of Retirement Services

Hear a special holiday message from Anthony. 
And the survey says...

Member survey results reviewed

The results are in from the Active Members Satisfaction Survey for fiscal year (FY) 2025. The survey is conducted quarterly and sent to randomly selected active defined benefit members from our four main retirement systems.  

ORS saw a modest but meaningful improvement in overall satisfaction, reflecting ongoing efforts to enhance service quality. Overall satisfaction with the Michigan Office of Retirement Services (ORS) rose slightly from 69.3% in FY 2024 to 71.1% in FY 2025. 

There’s been a steady drop in the percentage of people who haven’t started planning for retirement. The percentage of respondents indicating they have not made any projections regarding retirement has declined the last two fiscal years, falling each year from 25.6% in FY 2023 to 16.1% in FY 2025. This improvement follows increased efforts by ORS to provide retirement savings literacy via targeted messaging campaigns in emails and social media.   

In a similar survey sent to retirees, a significantly higher percentage of respondents indicated they have been receiving their pension for more than 20 years, rising from 14.1% in FY 2024 to 22.0% in FY 2025. More retirees have been receiving their pensions for over 20 years, which shows people are living longer in retirement and the system is continuing to support them over time. Planning for long-term sustainability is increasingly important. 

Thank you to all who completed the survey and provided valuable feedback.
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Are you missing out on unclaimed property?

Michigan Unclaimed Property is a State of Michigan resource used to check to see if your name (or your business name) has any forgotten assets. Michigan Unclaimed Property has millions of dollars in lost or forgotten assets on record. Some examples of unclaimed property include dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, stock certificates, and abandoned safe deposit boxes. These items are turned over to the state as required by law. 

Earlier this year the Department of Treasury / Michigan Unclaimed Property rolled out a website redesign making it easier than ever to see if they are holding property in your name. The database is updated throughout the year so it’s good to occasionally check. 

Michigan Unclaimed Property returned more than $150 million to rightful owners or heirs last fiscal year. For more information, check out the Treasury Talk Podcast How to Find Your Missing Money. 
Applying for retirement

Video shows steps in pension application process

If you’re looking to apply for retirement heading into 2026, we’re here to help with a new resource available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

Offered on the ORS YouTube channel, our Applying for Retirement — Defined Benefit Plan video walks you through the process of applying for your Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System Defined Benefit pension in miAccount.  

In the video, you’ll find guidance for:

  • Logging in to a MiLogin account.
  • Adding and removing State of Michigan services to your MiLogin account.
  • Navigating ORS’ miAccount platform.
  • A step-by-step walkthrough of the Defined Benefit retirement application process, with commentary from an ORS expert along the way.
Retirement 101

New video series helps you think long-term from day one

It’s never too late to learn — whether you’re a new employee or you’re in the middle of your career.  

Retirement 101 is a YouTube video series we’ve developed to provide you with basic explanations about key retirement terms and concepts. We hope that with these building blocks, you can build a strong financial foundation and successfully prepare for a fulfilling retirement.  

Jump in and check out our Retirement 101 playlist — after all, knowing is half the battle. 

Advice from our retirees

Preparing for retirement advice