Financial planning for Ohio public employees and teachers
Your pension is powerful, and the decisions around it are permanent. We help Ohio teachers and public employees make their OPERS, STRS, and SERS choices with their family in mind, and build the rest of the plan around the pension they earned.
The pension decisions you make once should be made carefully.
Public employees have something rare: a real pension. But the elections around it, the survivor option, the payout choice, when to retire, whether to buy service credit, are often made in a single meeting and last for life. We help you slow down and get them right, and we build the rest of your plan, your 457(b), 403(b), and savings, around the pension you earned.
We help you figure out what to tackle first and stay with you for every decision after that.
Nick George, CFP®, ChFC®, CLU®, IWA™ | Founder
If you work for the state of Ohio, a school district, or a local government, your retirement runs on a different system than most advice is built for. OPERS, STRS, and SERS each have their own pension formulas, survivor options, health care rules, and one-time elections that cannot be undone. Add a 457(b) or 403(b) on the side and the recent Social Security Fairness Act, and the choices get complicated fast. We start with what you and your family want retirement to look like, walk you through each choice, and help you pick the one that fits. We are based in Columbus and work across Ohio.
Your pension election, made carefully
OPERS, STRS, and SERS each ask you to choose a payout and a survivor option when you retire, and those choices are permanent. We show you what each option pays you and your spouse, month by month and over a lifetime, and help you pick the one that protects the people you care about, with no time pressure.
What a pension does for the rest of your plan
A pension is mailbox money. It shows up every month whether the market is up or down, and for a lot of public employees it covers a big share of what they want to spend. That changes the job your 457(b), 403(b), and savings have to do. They fill the gap, pay for the extras, and give you room to spend more in your go-go years, the stretch from retirement into your mid-70s when travel and time with family are easiest.
We still see plenty of retirees with a pension hold back, treating their savings like an emergency fund they never touch. We show you what your plan can support so you can enjoy the years you worked for. We walk through how a pension changes the math in If You Have a Pension, This Changes Retirement.
The Social Security Fairness Act and your benefits
The 2025 Social Security Fairness Act repealed the WEP and GPO rules that had reduced Social Security for many public employees. If you or your spouse also earned Social Security, this may change your benefits meaningfully. We cover the details in What the Fairness Act Changed for Columbus Public Employees.
A bigger check also makes the timing question bigger. We think it through the same way we do for every family, by showing what you'd get at each claiming age, in When Should We Take Social Security?
457(b), 403(b), and the accounts around your pension
Your pension is the foundation, and your supplemental accounts fill the gaps. We help you use your 457(b) and 403(b) well, choose Roth or pre-tax, keep costs and fund choices sensible, and coordinate these savings with your pension so your income in retirement is steady and tax-smart.
Once you retire, we manage those savings alongside the pension and decide which account each month's paycheck comes from, so taxes stay in check. See how we manage your investments.
Timing your retirement
With a pension, the date you retire can change your benefit for life, and one more year, a service-credit purchase, or a specific birthday can matter. We model the scenarios so you can see what each date is worth. We also count what one more year costs you, which is a year of your go-go years. A lot of public employees with a pension can retire sooner than they think.
What this can look like
Illustrative examples, not actual clients, and not a promise of results.
The survivor option decision
A teacher retiring through STRS has to choose between a larger check for life and a smaller check that protects their spouse. We show them what each option pays, set against their full financial picture, so the choice protects the person they care about most.
The Fairness Act recheck
A retired public employee had their Social Security reduced for years under the old WEP rule. After the Fairness Act, we help them understand the change and rebuild their income plan around the corrected benefit.
The 457(b) nobody touched
A retired OPERS member's pension covers most of the couple's monthly bills, and they haven't touched their 457(b) in four years. Their plan shows room to spend more now, so they set up a monthly draw for travel while they both feel good.
How we work with you
We lead families through their biggest money decisions and show them what’s possible. We start by learning what matters to your family, then stay in your corner as life changes, with one plan that covers your investments, taxes, insurance, and estate. Pick your two money questions.
Why fee-only and fiduciary matters
Fee-only means the only pay we receive comes from the families we work with, so the advice stays about you. Fiduciary means we are legally bound to act in your best interest, at all times. We work with clients in Columbus, across Ohio, and nationwide, and everything can be done virtually.
Common questions
Do you work with OPERS, STRS, and SERS members?
Yes. We help Ohio public employees, teachers, and government workers understand their pension decisions across OPERS, STRS, and SERS, and build the rest of their plan around it. We are based in Columbus and work statewide.
How did the Social Security Fairness Act change my benefits?
The 2025 law repealed the WEP and GPO provisions that reduced Social Security for many public employees and their spouses. If you also earned Social Security, your benefit may be higher than before. We help you understand your specific situation and update your plan.
Which pension payout option should I choose?
It depends on your health, your spouse, your other income, and what matters most to your family, and the choice is permanent. We show you what each single-life and survivor option pays over a lifetime, so you decide with everything in view.
Can I spend more in retirement if I have a pension?
Often, yes. A pension pays part of your spending every month regardless of the market, so your savings have less to carry. We check whether the life you want is affordable and show you how much room the plan leaves, especially for your first ten or so years of retirement.
Should I use a Roth or pre-tax 457(b) or 403(b)?
It depends on your tax bracket now versus in retirement, and your pension is part of that math. We help you decide the mix and use these accounts to fill the gaps around your pension.
Should I buy service credit?
Sometimes it is one of the best moves available, and sometimes it is not worth the cost. We run the numbers on what the additional credit adds to your pension versus what it costs, so you can decide with real figures.
Do I need to be near Columbus to work with you?
No. We are in Columbus and work with public employees across Ohio, virtually or in person. Fee-only and fiduciary means the advice is about you.
Let's get your pension decisions right.
This page is general information for people exploring our services and is not investment, tax, or legal advice or a recommendation for any specific person or situation. The examples are illustrative, are not based on actual clients, and are not a promise of results. Strategies such as S-corp elections, backdoor and mega-backdoor Roth contributions, equity-comp decisions, and deferred compensation depend on your specific situation and current law, so confirm the details with a qualified professional before acting. ClearMind Capital LLC is a registered investment adviser; registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Past performance is not indicative of future results.
