For South Carolina Educators & State Employees
You Spent Your Career Teaching Others. Let Us Help You Plan What Comes Next.
Scott and Allyson McDowell are former educators who understand the South Carolina Retirement System from both sides of the desk. We help teachers, school staff, and state employees make confident decisions about retirement.
Why Educators Work With Us
A Teacher’s Heart, Applied to Your Retirement
Retirement decisions in the state system come with their own vocabulary: service credit, membership class, payment options, retiree insurance. Most people make these choices only once, with no practice run.
We’ve spent years helping educators and public employees work through these choices. We explain things the way a good teacher would: patiently, in plain language, and until it makes sense.
Your SCRS Benefits, Explained Simply
Know Where You Stand
Class Two: Your SCRS membership took effect before July 1, 2012. You may qualify for an unreduced retirement benefit with 28 years of service credit or at age 65 or older. You must have at least five years of earned service credit.
Class Three: Your SCRS membership took effect on or after July 1, 2012. You may qualify for an unreduced retirement benefit when your age and years of service credit total at least 90, or at age 65 or older. You must have at least eight years of earned service credit.
Your monthly benefit is based on a formula tied to your salary and years of service, not on an account balance. When you retire, you’ll choose a payment option, and some options provide income for a surviving spouse. That choice can’t easily be undone, so it’s worth getting right.
How We Help
Planning Beyond the Pension
- Choosing your retirement date: understanding how timing affects your benefit
- Payment options: weighing survivor protection for your spouse or beneficiary
- Service credit purchases: whether buying additional service makes sense for you
- Deferred Compensation and 403(b) accounts: what to do with your supplemental savings at retirement
- Retiree insurance: knowing what to confirm with PEBA, and when
- Life insurance: protecting your family before and after retirement
- Income planning: combining your pension, Social Security, and savings into one clear plan
Who We Serve
Built for Public Servants
Teachers · Administrators · School support staff · Bus drivers and cafeteria staff · State agency employees · Higher education faculty and staff
Whether you’re five years out or five months away, it’s never too early, or too late, to plan.
FAQ
When should I start planning for retirement?
Ideally five or more years before your target date. That gives you time to make decisions about service purchases, savings, and timing. But a review is valuable at any stage.
Am I eligible for retiree health insurance?
Eligibility for retiree insurance is separate from eligibility for retirement, and only PEBA can confirm it. We’ll help you understand what to ask and when.
Do you work for PEBA or the state?
No. We’re an independent firm. We help you understand and plan around your benefits, but PEBA makes all official eligibility and benefit determinations.
Do you meet virtually?
Yes. We offer in-person appointments in Duncan and virtual meetings for educators anywhere in South Carolina.
Ready to See Your Retirement Clearly?
Bring your questions, and talk with our team about your next step.
McDowell Insurance and Financial Services is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of the South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA) or the South Carolina Retirement System. Retirement eligibility and benefit information is general in nature. Contact PEBA for official determinations regarding your benefits.