Managing Your Benefit Payments

Even after retirement, you may need to make updates to how your monthly benefit is received or taxed. This page explains how to change your direct deposit information or update your tax withholding elections with SCERS.

Keeping this information current helps prevent delays in receiving your payment and ensures that your tax preferences are reflected accurately.

Changing Your Bank Account for Direct Deposit

If you switch banks or want to have your monthly benefit deposited into a different account, you’ll need to submit updated banking information to SCERS.

How to update:

  • Submit a new Authorization for Direct Deposit (Form 6186)
  • Include a voided check or official bank documentation with your account and routing number
  • Mail the completed form to SCERS or request a secure DocuSign version for electronic submission

For your protection, SCERS will not update bank information over the phone.

Updating Your Tax Withholding Elections

If your filing status or tax situation changes, you may want to adjust your federal or California state tax withholding.

How to update:

  • Complete a new SCERS Tax Withholding Form (Form 6190)
  • The form allows you to:
    • Elect or waive California state tax withholding
    • Choose your federal withholding based on filing status and optional additional withholding amounts

Already Retired?

Since you’ve already submitted these forms when you retired, you don’t need to do so again unless you want to make a change. Most retirees update this information only when:

  • They change banks
  • Their marital or filing status changes
  • They move out of California and want to stop state withholding

For questions about how a change might affect your benefit, contact SCERS for assistance.