Retirement planning
Deciding when to retire is a complex and personal decision that's up to you. If and when you start to consider retirement, our benefits team is here to help.
Starting to prepare
Many factors are involved in a decision to retire, from your financial to your personal well-being. We recommend starting to understand what's involved in retirement planning around age 55.
Ready to retire
After determining you're financially and personally ready for retirement, it's time to talk to a UK retirement officer.
Email retirement@uky.edu and we'll ensure you're eligible for retirement, explain your retiree benefits eligibility to you and outline the next steps in the process.
The rules about retirement age
There’s no set retirement age at UK. Depending on your years of service and age, there may be a few options for when you could retire.
1. Retire any time at age 65 or after
2. Retire early when you have a combination of age and years of service equaling 75
Early retirement is an option for you if at least 15 of your years of service are continuous regular full-time (or its equivalent) service and that number plus your age equals 75 or greater. We call this "the rule of 75."
3. Phase into retirement at or after age 60 over the course of up to three years
If at least 15 of your years of service are continuous regular full-time (or its equivalent) service, phased retirement is an option for you if your department approves the agreement.
These 3 options are defined by the University's Administrative Regulations (AR):
Years of service
Check with us to get your official number of years of service — it may be different than you expect.
For example: an employee who worked here for 30 years but didn’t have a 100% full-time equivalency status will show an official years of service number less than 30.
What we offer retirees
Retiree benefits
We offer several benefits to all University of Kentucky retirees including opportunities for learning and well-being.
Health, dental and vision insurance depends on eligibility which is based on your years of service and more factors.
Insurance 2020 retiree rates
If you wait until age 65 to retire and you're eligible for our UK health insurance plan that works with Medicare, you could see lower rates.
These printable PDF guides show all health, dental and vision insurance plan options and rates.
Retirees under age 65
Retirees age 65+
Upcoming and past events
Use our calendar to see upcoming events. Miss an event? Check out our recently recorded presentations.
Consult with experts one-on-one
Our experts host events and provide free consultations to guide you as you make decisions related to retirement.
TIAA and Fidelity
Know Your Rx pharmacist
Elder care specialist
Mental health therapist
Health coach
