Minnesota TRA · 60-and-30

Minnesota TRA's 60-and-30 rule

Since June 30, 2025, teachers who retire at 60 or older with 30 years get a much smaller early-retirement cut. Here's who qualifies and how the math works.

Minnesota specificsShort answer: if you retire on or after June 30, 2025 at 60 or older with 30 years, your Minnesota TRA early cut is 5% a year to 65, offset by 2.5% to 3% a year of augmentation: a net cut of about 15.14% at 60, instead of the regular cut on the early retirement page. Open age 60 with 30 years in the calculator, or see what one more year does near 30.
Newer law than the handbook

Minnesota TRA's member handbook is dated April 2022, before the 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 law changes to early retirement (60-and-30 replaced 62-and-30 in 2025). Where they differ, we use the 2026 Minnesota Statutes and TRA's newer publications (its website, newsletters, 2025 financial report and actuarial valuation).

TRA Handbook (2022), pp. 14-17, 21; Minn. Stat. 354.44 (2026); Minn. Stat. 356.415, subd. 1d (2026)

Who qualifies

Minn. Stat. 354.44, subd. 6(e)(1) (2026); minnesotatra.org, Early retirement, Eligibility for the 60-and-30 provision; FAQs
Where the last two conditions come from Check with TRA

The extra conditions for 60-and-30 (active on May 23, 2025; service in other Minnesota plans counting) come from TRA's website rather than the statute text.

We apply them as TRA states them.

minnesotatra.org, Early retirement, Eligibility for the 60-and-30 provision

How the cut works, in two steps

  1. Cut 5% for each year under 65. At 60 that's 5 years × 5% = 25%, so you'd keep 75%.
  2. Add back augmentation. Grow that by 3% a year, compounded, for the same 5 years (2.5% if you started work after June 30, 2006). That's as if your benefit had been deferred to 65.
At 60, started before July 1, 2006

75% × (1.03) to the 5th power = 75% × 1.1593 = 86.95% kept, a 13.05% cut.

Without 60-and-30 the cut at 60 would be 35%.

Age 60 or older with at least 30 years of service: the Level benefit is reduced 5% for each year your retirement age precedes normal retirement age, then increased for the augmentation it would have earned if deferred to normal retirement age (3% a year compounded if you began employment before July 1, 2006; 2.5% if after June 30, 2006). To qualify you must retire at 60 or older on or after June 30, 2025, have been active in a Minnesota public retirement system on May 23, 2025, and have at least 30 years of allowable service with TRA and/or MSRS, PERA or SPTRFA (non-overlapping; retirement dates within one year). It applies only to the TRA benefit. Minn. Stat. 354.44, subd. 6(e)(1) (2026)

The net cut by age

The net cut by age (Minnesota TRA)
Age at retirement606162636465
Started work before July 1, 2006 (3%)13.05%9.96%7.12%4.52%2.15%0%
Started July 1, 2006 or later (2.5%)15.14%11.7%8.46%5.44%2.63%0%
Regular cut, for comparison35%28%21%14%7%0%
Actuarial valuation (July 1, 2025), pp. 74-75, Early Retirement Reduction Factors

Minnesota TRA's published tables. Our engine gives the same to two decimals; at 61 (2.5%) the formula gives 11.695%, which TRA's table shows as 11.70%.

A mislabeled table Check with TRA

One label in TRA's 2025 financial report attaches the 60-and-30 table to the wrong group. The numbers match the 60-and-30 rule.

We use the table as the 60-and-30 table.

ACFR FY2025, p. 122, Plan Statement
Between birthdays Check with TRA

The law gives the early reduction per year of age. It doesn't say how TRA handles a retirement partway through a year of age.

We prorate by completed months of age (and compound augmentation over fractional years). At whole ages this matches TRA's tables exactly.

Minn. Stat. 354.44, subd. 6(e) (2026)

What it's worth

Our illustration: Tier II, age 60, 30 years, $80,000 high-five, started before 2006. The unreduced Level benefit is $3,666.67 a month.

Before June 30, 2025 the special provision was 62-and-30 (6% a year with augmentation); TRA says those factors were roughly 3%-4% a year. Augmentation in the regular early reduction phased down from 3% (2.5% if hired after June 30, 2006) in June 2019 to zero for July 2024. ACFR FY2025, p. 6, Legislation

Tier I members

Tier I members at 60 with 30 years already meet the Rule of 90, so their Step formula has no cut at all. TRA still figures the Level formula, with 60-and-30, and pays whichever is higher. Tier I vs Tier II.

The first increase still waits

Everyone retiring from June 30, 2025, including 60-and-30 retirees, gets the first yearly increase on the January 1 after the year they turn 65. How increases work.

Try the calculator with your own dates.

Questions

What is Minnesota TRA's 60-and-30 provision?

If you retire at 60 or older, on or after June 30, 2025, with at least 30 years of service, the Level formula's early cut is 5% a year under 65, with augmentation added back. At 60 the net cut is 13.05% (15.14% if you started work after June 30, 2006).

What is augmentation?

An increase of 3% a year, compounded (2.5% if you started work after June 30, 2006), as if your benefit had been deferred to 65. Under 60-and-30 it's added back after the 5% a year cut.

Does service in another Minnesota plan count toward the 30 years?

Yes, service with MSRS, PERA, SPTRFA can count. The smaller cut applies only to your TRA benefit.

Can I stop working before 60 and still use it?

Yes. With 30 years you can stop working and wait until 60 to start your benefit and still qualify. Thirty years doesn't help if you start your benefit before 60.

Source: TRA Handbook of Benefits and Services, April 2022, with 2023-2026 law changes from Minnesota Statutes 2026 and TRA's 2025-2026 publications. Also: minnesotatra.org; Actuarial valuation (July 1, 2025) pp. 1, 74-75; ACFR FY2025 p. 6; Minn. Stat. § 354.44 (2026). Last reviewed .