Pension, DROP, and 457 Decisions Are Permanent and Most Officers Navigate Them Alone
Should you enter DROP now or wait? When is the right time to pull your pension? How do you coordinate your 457 withdrawal with Social Security so you do not end up with a surprise tax bill?
And then there is your pension option selection — a decision you make exactly once, with no ability to change it later. Choose the wrong survivor benefit, pick the wrong payout structure, and you live with that for the rest of your life.
These are not small questions. Most officers get a benefits presentation and are expected to figure out the rest on their own.
We are here every step of the way so you are not alone.
We Have Been Helping Philadelphia Police Officers Build Retirement Confidence for Over 30 Years
At The Financial Group of Philadelphia, we have worked alongside City of Philadelphia police officers for more than three decades. We are proud to be a Back the Blue firm — and that commitment goes beyond a slogan. It means we have shown up at FOP meetings, learned your pension system inside and out, and built genuine relationships with the officers and families we serve.
We understand your pension structure, how DROP actually works, and how your 457 fits into the bigger picture. We will sit down with you, review your benefits line by line, and explain every option in plain English — so you walk out of that meeting understanding your choices, not just hearing them.
We have had your six for over 30 years. And we are not going anywhere.
Our financial minimum is not a number — it is nice people.
You Have Spent Your Career Protecting Philadelphia. Now Protect Your Retirement.
Whether you are five months from retirement or five years out, the decisions you make now will shape every year that follows. Here is what we help officers work through:
Pension Planning Your pension is the foundation of your retirement income — and your pension option selection is one of the most consequential financial decisions you will ever make. You get one shot at it, and it cannot be undone. We help you think through your retirement timing for maximum benefit, carefully evaluate survivor benefit options for your family, and coordinate your pension income with Social Security and your other assets so everything works together.
DROP Strategy DROP is one of the most powerful tools available to Philadelphia officers — but mistakes can be costly and hard to undo. We help you understand when DROP makes sense for your specific situation, think through the investment and risk considerations while you are inside the program, and plan for the tax implications before and after your DROP exit so there are no surprises.
457 Deferred Compensation Your 457 plan offers advantages most people never fully take advantage of. We help you use its unique provisions to your benefit, build a withdrawal strategy that enhances your overall retirement income, and protect and grow what you have worked years to accumulate.
We offer one-on-one retirement reviews, small group workshops for officers, and on-site or virtual education sessions — all focused on helping you make informed decisions with confidence, not pressure.