If you leave teaching permanently in Ontario before you’re eligible to start your pension, you will need to decide what to do with the assets you’ve accumulated in your pension plan. Your choices depend largely on whether you have more or less than two qualifying years in the plan.

To assist with your decision, you may want to seek the advice of an independent financial adviser. An independent adviser can be a financial planner, an actuary or an accountant whom you trust to give impartial advice and who is qualified to do so. If there’s a chance you will be returning to teach, it’s usually best to leave your money in the plan.