Green State Credit Union is an investment management firm that works with teachers and public-school employees who have a state pension, a 403(b) or 457(b) and questions about when to retire. Its position is evidence-based: decisions rest on long-term research and diversification, not market forecasts or hot tips.
This page lays out what you receive and when: an intro call, a written first plan, and a check-in calendar for each year after. Where a firm would usually talk philosophy, we'd rather show the calendar.
Why do a pension and a 403(b) get read together?
Because your pension is a large, fixed asset that decides how much risk the rest of your savings can carry, so a 403(b) or 457(b) can't be judged alone, and a mix that looks fine in isolation may be far too cautious or too bold once the pension is counted. Green State Credit Union reads them as one picture and sets the investment mix from the gap the pension leaves.
As of 10/19/2026, Green State Credit Union serves 377,000 clients and $6.7 billion in client assets. Clients bring $500,000 or more in investable assets. We meet nationwide by video and by phone, working from our office at 611 East Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23219, so a teacher in Oregon gets the same check-in as one in Georgia.
Here's how the position changes a recommendation. Take a hypothetical 61-year-old teacher with a pension of $2,400 per month and $700,000 across a 403(b) and a 457(b). The household spends $60,000 per year. The pension pays $28,800 per year ($2,400 times 12), which leaves a gap of $31,200 per year before Social Security starts.
A forecast-driven adviser might tell her to sit in cash after a rough quarter. We don't. The gap equals about 4.5 percent of $700,000 (a manageable pull), so we'd set aside three years of it, $93,600, in bonds and cash, and keep the rest diversified in stocks and bonds on a fixed mix. Before we suggest any fund change, we price out the tax on selling first, because a switch inside a 403(b) is usually free of tax while one in a taxable account isn't.
All investing carries risk, and you can lose money, including some of what you put in; a fixed mix doesn't remove that.
What does the first year with Green State Credit Union settle?
In the first year, you settle who inherits each account, which account pays for retirement first, the date you stop working, and how your pension option and Social Security timing fit together, and you leave with a written plan and a check-in calendar for the following year. Nothing here is a promised outcome. It's paperwork and decisions that were sitting undone.
Pension deadlines matter more than most people expect. Your district or state system may want notice months before your last day, and some choices, such as a survivor option, can't be changed afterward. We ask for those dates in the first weeks so nothing slips past you.
The table shows the working process in order, with what lands in your hands at each stage.
| Stage | What happens | What you receive |
|---|---|---|
| Intro call | We ask about pension, accounts, timing | Fit answer and written cost terms |
| Gathering | You share pension estimate and statements | Checklist of missing items |
| First plan | We map withdrawals, taxes, claiming age | Written plan with next steps |
| Paperwork | Beneficiaries, rollovers, forms completed | Filled forms and a status list |
| Check-in | Video or phone, on the calendar | One-page summary of changes |
- Beneficiary forms on every account
- Pension option and survivor choice
- 403(b) fund costs checked
- Draft order of withdrawals
Three commitments on cost, contact and conflicts
You see what the work costs before it begins. The exact amount sits in a written agreement you can take home, read twice and show to someone you trust. We don't quote percentages on this site because the number depends on what you ask us to do.
Contact runs on a calendar. At the first plan we set the dates of your check-ins for the coming year, and each ends with a one-page summary of what we discussed and what changed.
Conflicts get said out loud. If something could tilt a recommendation, such as a product that pays the firm more than another, we tell you before we make the suggestion. You can then weigh it, or say no.
Questions people ask Green State Credit Union
What does Green State Credit Union do for a teacher with a pension and a 403(b)?
Green State Credit Union provides investment management built around your whole retirement picture. We read your state pension, 403(b) and 457(b) together, write a first plan covering withdrawals, taxes and Social Security timing, and then hold check-ins on a set calendar each year.
Do I need $500,000 to talk with Green State Credit Union?
We ask for $500,000 in investable assets from clients. Use the intro call to learn how your 403(b), 457(b) and other accounts count toward that amount, and to get the written cost terms before you decide anything.
Do I have to live near Richmond to work with the firm?
No. Our office is in Richmond, but clients live all over the country and meet us by video or by phone. You share statements electronically, and each check-in ends with a one-page written summary.
How does a check-in work after the first plan?
A check-in is a scheduled video or phone meeting, set on your calendar when the first plan is delivered. We look at your accounts, your pension and withdrawal plans, and any deadlines coming up, then send a one-page summary of what changed.
Will Green State Credit Union tell me when to get out of the market?
No. Green State Credit Union doesn't predict market moves, doesn't promise returns and doesn't sell products for their own sake, because decisions rest on long-term research and diversification and on what your pension, 403(b) and 457(b) already cover and your spending needs.
That also means we won't push you to roll a pension-adjacent account just to gather assets, and we won't call a fund great because it's popular this year. If keeping your 403(b) where it is makes sense, we say so.
One honest limit: with a pension covering most of your spending, a fixed mix can feel dull for years. That's often a sign it's working as intended.
- No market-timing calls
- No promised or implied returns
- No products pushed for commission
Your pension decides how much risk your 403(b) can carry, so we read the two together.