Why should officers start learning about retirement benefits early?

Many officers wait until they are close to retirement eligibility before asking important questions about pensions, deferred compensation, DROP, and benefit options. Starting earlier can help officers and their families make better long-term planning decisions.

What does high three mean in police pension planning?

The high three concept refers to an earnings calculation that may help determine pension outcomes. In the episode, Officer Ty explains that some officers track overtime and supplemental shifts near retirement because those earnings may affect their pension calculation.

What financial planning regret does Officer Ty mention?

Officer Ty mentions that he wishes he had contributed more to deferred compensation earlier in his career. The episode frames this as a common lesson for officers who begin focusing on retirement planning later than they would have preferred.

Is this episode giving specific pension, tax, or financial advice?

No. This episode is educational and does not provide individualized pension, tax, legal, investment, or financial advice. It identifies common questions, confusion points, and topics that officers may want to discuss with qualified professionals.

Seed or Harvest

L.E.O.

Law Enforcement Officer

Independent Financial Education Podcast.

Episode 01

25th JULY

Officer Ty

Podcast Guest

LEO PODCAST

Understanding Arizona Police Benefits, Pensions, and Financial Tools

Q: What is the purpose of the Seed or Harvest Law Enforcement Edition?

The purpose of the Seed or Harvest Law Enforcement Edition is to help law enforcement officers better understand government benefits, pensions, retirement planning, and financial tools that may support their families. The series focuses on real questions, practical education, and simplified explanations for officers at different stages of their careers.

Q: Who is Officer Ty in this series?

Officer Ty is an Arizona law enforcement officer with nearly 18 years of service. He acts as a co-host representing the questions many officers have about pensions, benefits, deferred compensation, and retirement planning.

Q: What pension differences do they mention between older hires and newer hires?

Officer Ty describes being in an older pension track with different eligibility and rules than newer hires. The episode also references differences around DROP and how pension tiers can change what benefits are available.

This episode launches the Seed or Harvest Show: Law Enforcement Edition and introduces Officer Ty, an 18-year Arizona law enforcement veteran. Mario Lizarraga explains the goal of the series: help officers understand government benefits and pensions earlier, ask better questions, and learn financial tools that may support family planning and long-term strategy.

Quick Answer (60 seconds)

Episode 1 sets the foundation for the law enforcement series. Mario and Officer Ty discuss why many officers do not fully understand their pension system, benefits, and retirement options until they are close to leaving. Ty shares why he chose local law enforcement over a federal route, and how officers later focus on pension planning by tracking “high three” earnings and overtime. The purpose of the show is to bring in professionals and officers to simplify benefits education and help listeners ask the right questions early.

Who This Episode Is For

This episode is for Arizona law enforcement officers, police officers, public safety employees, first responders, and their families who want to better understand pensions, government benefits, deferred compensation, DROP options, high-three calculations, overtime, and retirement planning before they are close to leaving the job.

Many officers know they have a retirement milestone, but they may not fully understand how pension tiers, benefit rules, family protection strategies, and financial tools work together. This episode is designed to make those conversations easier to start earlier.

The Mission of the Law Enforcement Edition
Why This Series Exists: Benefits Education Usually Happens Too Late
Officer Ty’s Story: From 9/11 to an Arizona Police Career
How Ty Chose Phoenix: Pay, Cost of Living, and Stability
Public Scrutiny and Staying in the Job
Why Pensions Feel Complex: Old System vs New System and Tier Changes
High Three Earnings and Why Overtime Becomes the Focus Near Retirement
Financial Tools and Family Planning: Why Education Matters
FAQs
Key Takeaways
Next Steps / CTA

The Mission of the Law Enforcement Edition

Mario outlines the show’s mission: help law enforcement officers understand government benefits to the fullest extent possible, while also learning about financial tools that can help their families. The format is intentionally practical, built around real questions and real scenarios so the learning process feels simpler.

Officer Ty is introduced as an Arizona officer approaching 18 years of service, representing the questions many officers have but rarely get clear, plain-language answers for.

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Why This Series Exists: Benefits Education Usually Happens Too Late

A consistent theme in the conversation is timing. Mario explains that many officers he has talked to understand they have a 20- or 25-year milestone, but they do not fully understand what happens after retirement or how benefits affect their family until much later.

Ty agrees and says he probably should have started digging into the details earlier, especially around deferred comp and retirement preparation, rather than waiting until he was closer to retirement eligibility.

Officer Ty’s Story: From 9/11 to an Arizona Police Career

Ty explains that he did not grow up wanting to be a police officer and had no family law enforcement background. After 9/11, he felt pulled toward service, initially wanting the military, but a kidney disorder prevented him from joining at the time. He later resolved the issue through lifestyle changes.

He describes an early goal of going federal (including the FBI), then the tradeoff he noticed: frequent relocation and travel could make family life harder. A conversation with a local PD officer helped him reframe the path, and he chose a local department where he could stay rooted.

How Ty Chose Phoenix: Pay, Cost of Living, and Stability

Ty describes applying to several departments and weighing pay versus cost of living. He wanted a larger department and a location without heavy snow. He mentions looking at places like Dallas, San Diego, and Phoenix and doing a basic cost analysis of what starting pay could support.

He also shares a funny early misunderstanding: when applying, he assumed Tempe was the “big city,” then learned Phoenix was the true metro center.

Public Scrutiny and Staying in the Job

Mario acknowledges the public criticism law enforcement often faces and expresses respect for officers who continue serving despite it. Ty notes that every profession has people who do things wrong, but law enforcement takes heavy public scrutiny, even though most officers are hardworking and trying to do the job well.

This segment sets the tone of the series: respectful, realistic, and focused on practical support for officers and families.

Why Pensions Feel Complex: Old System vs New System and Tier Changes

They discuss how confusing pension systems can be, especially when there are multiple tiers. Ty explains he is in the older track (20-year eligibility) and contrasts it with newer hires being in a different track (described as 25-year) with different rules.

They also mention “DROP” as a meaningful benefit that may not apply to newer tiers in the same way. The episode does not finalize exact plan specifics, but it highlights the real problem: many officers know the milestone years but do not fully understand the mechanics until late.

High Three Earnings and Why Overtime Becomes the Focus Near Retirement

Ty explains how retirement planning changes as officers get close to eligibility. He describes seeing coworkers track their projected pension and target overtime or supplemental shifts to increase earnings that influence the “high three” calculation.

They also note that rules have shifted over time between “high three” and “high three consecutive years,” which adds confusion and makes it harder for officers to confidently plan without guidance.

Financial Tools and Family Planning: Why Education Matters

Mario explains that benefits for an employee are not always the same benefits for a spouse or child, and that family planning often requires additional tools beyond a pension. He references a prior discussion with Ty about using life insurance contracts in a way that is not solely about death benefit, describing it as a long-term planning tool and “tax play” in their conversation.

They emphasize that not every tool fits every person, which is why the series aims to bring in multiple professionals and perspectives so officers can learn how tools work and decide what fits their own family situation.

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Have questions about your law enforcement benefits, pension options, or retirement timeline?

MAPFL can help Arizona officers and their families turn confusing benefit conversations into a clearer plan. Schedule a free consultation to review your goals, questions, family needs, and next steps.

Frequently Asked Questions About Arizona Law Enforcement Benefits and Retirement Planning

What is the purpose of the Seed or Harvest Law Enforcement Edition?

Mario says the mission is to help law enforcement officers better understand government benefits and learn financial tools that can support their families. The series is built around real questions and simplified explanations.

Who is Officer Ty in this series?

He is an Arizona law enforcement officer with nearly 18 years of service. He acts as a co-host representing the questions many officers have about pensions, benefits, and retirement planning.

Why does the show focus on “peeling it back” and simplifying benefits?

Because many officers do not get clarity early enough. Both Mario and Ty describe how retirement education often becomes urgent only when officers are close to leaving.

Why did Ty choose local law enforcement instead of a federal path?

He describes wanting stability for family life and concerns about frequent relocations in federal roles. A conversation with a local PD officer helped him see that local departments offered more geographic stability.

What pension differences do they mention between older hires and newer hires?

Ty describes being in an older track with different eligibility and rules than newer hires. They also reference differences around DROP and how tiers change what benefits are available.

What does “high three” mean in this episode?

They discuss it as an earnings calculation used to help determine pension outcomes. Ty explains some officers track overtime and supplemental shifts to raise their high three average.

Why do officers talk more about retirement planning near the end of their careers?

Ty says newer officers tend to feel they have time and do not focus on it. As officers get closer to retirement eligibility, the conversation shifts to maximizing outcomes and understanding the system.

What does Ty say he regrets about earlier financial planning?

He mentions not putting more into deferred comp early in his career. The episode frames this as a common experience rather than a personal failure.

Why does Mario want multiple opinions and professionals involved?

He says it is useful to hear different perspectives and understand tools from more than one angle. The goal is education, not one-size-fits-all solutions.

Is the episode giving specific pension advice?

Not in a finalized way. The episode identifies questions, common confusion points, and topics to explore in future episodes with the right professionals.

Key Takeaways

This series is designed to help officers understand benefits earlier, not just at retirement.
Pension systems can change by tier and hire date, which is why clarity is difficult without guidance.
Near retirement, many officers focus on maximizing “high three” earnings through overtime and supplemental shifts.
Benefits for the employee are not always the same benefits for the family, so planning can require additional tools.
The show’s goal is education through real conversations and multiple professional viewpoints.

Next Steps / CTA

If you are a law enforcement officer in Arizona and want help turning benefits conversations into a clear plan, MAPFL can walk through your goals, questions, and timeline so you are not guessing in the final stretch before retirement.

Book a Free Consultation: https://mapfl.com/schedule-your-appointment/
Call/Text: +1-602-526-3236: https://mapfl.com/contact-us/
Additional MAPFL links:
https://mapfl.com/carriers/
https://mapfl.com/podcast/planning-for-healthcare-costs-during-retirement/

(Reviewer line):
Reviewed by: MAPFL Editorial Team (Maximize Asset Protection)

Educational Disclaimer

This podcast episode is for educational purposes only. It does not provide individualized pension, tax, legal, investment, or financial advice. Officers and families should review their specific situation with qualified professionals before making decisions about benefits, retirement planning, insurance, taxes, or financial tools.