The Pension Shield Option™
Helping Public Safety Professionals Protect Their Pension, Their Spouse, and Their Legacy
Most public safety professionals are handed a retirement packet with three choices. There is a fourth option. It's not on the form. It should be.
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What Is the Pension Shield Option™?
The Pension Shield Option™ is a retirement planning strategy designed specifically for public safety professionals with defined-benefit pensions. It addresses the single most permanent financial decision of a career: the pension election.
When you retire, you will choose between:
The Maximum Pension
The highest monthly payment, which stops when you die.
The Survivor Option
A permanently reduced monthly payment so your spouse receives continuing income after your death.
The reduction is permanent. If your spouse dies before you, the reduction continues. Nothing is refunded.
The Pension Shield Option™ is a strategy that allows qualifying officers and firefighters to take the maximum pension and use a portion of the additional income to fund private protection for their spouse — instead of accepting a permanent pay cut. If the numbers work for your situation, the result is higher net income while you're alive, tax-free protection for your spouse, and a benefit that passes to your heirs instead of reverting to the pension fund.
It either works for your numbers — or it doesn't. The only way to know is to run the analysis.
What the Survivor Option Actually Costs
Using a common public safety pension example:
$5,000
Maximum Pension
Per month — the highest available payment
$4,000
100% Survivor Election
Per month — permanently reduced
$1,000
Monthly Reduction
Lost every single month
$300K
25-Year Reduction
That stays with the pension fund — not your family
That $300,000 stays with the pension fund — not your family. And if your spouse dies first, you remain locked into the lower payment for the rest of your life.
The Pension Shield Option™ allocates a portion of the additional income from the maximum pension to fund private protection. For a qualifying officer, the result is typically higher net monthly income and a tax-free benefit for your spouse — instead of a taxable, reduced, inflexible pension check.

These are illustrative figures. Your actual numbers depend on your pension amount, age, health status, and plan design. A personalized analysis is required.
The Pension Shield Option™ — The Book
The Pension Shield Option™ is the definitive guide to maximizing your public safety pension while protecting your spouse and your legacy. Written by Jim Lusk, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, CLF®, M.Ed. and George McReynolds, CFP® — a former law enforcement officer and Army veteran — the book walks through the strategy in plain language with real examples from public safety careers.
Topics covered:
The Pension Shield Option™
The Pension Shield Option™ — the book written by Jim Lusk, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, CLF®, M.Ed. and George McReynolds, CFP® — is the definitive guide to maximizing your public safety pension while protecting your spouse and your legacy. Download your complimentary copy below.
How the Pension Shield Option™ works — and when it doesn't
The role of health and timing in determining whether you qualify
What COLA does to your pension election over 20 and 30 years
How to evaluate your specific numbers before your election becomes permanent
Request a complimentary copy using the form below.
About the Authors
Jim Lusk, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, CLF®, M.Ed.
Jim Lusk is the creator of the Private Protection Plan® and co-author of the Pension Shield Option™. With over 20 years of experience working with public safety professionals nationwide, Jim has helped hundreds of officers, firefighters, sheriffs, and police chiefs navigate their pension elections and protect their families.
Jim is the President of Retirement Nationwide, Inc. and the primary on-site advisor for public safety pension planning engagements.
Professional Designations:
  • CFP® — Certified Financial Planner
  • CLU® — Chartered Life Underwriter
  • ChFC® — Chartered Financial Consultant
  • CLF® — Chartered Leadership Fellow
  • M.Ed. — Master of Education
George McReynolds, CFP®
George McReynolds is a Certified Financial Planner and co-author of the Pension Shield Option™. A former law enforcement officer and Army veteran, George brings firsthand experience with public safety careers and pension systems to the planning process. His background in law enforcement gives him a unique perspective on the retirement decisions facing officers and their families.
Legislative Update
Washington State LEOFF Members — HB 2034 Update
Washington State's HB 2034 passed the House on February 14, 2026. The legislation restructures LEOFF Plan 1 and has created urgency around pension planning for law enforcement officers and firefighters across Washington State.
If you are a Washington State LEOFF Plan 1 or Plan 2 member, visit our dedicated Washington resource site for scenario-specific information:
Request Your Complimentary Analysis or Book Copy
This analysis is complimentary and provided for educational purposes only. There is no obligation and no sales pressure. The goal is to give you the numbers before your pension election becomes permanent.
Personal Information
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Professional Details
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Retirement Information
  • Estimated Retirement Date (month and year)
  • Estimated Monthly Pension (maximum, if known)
  • I am requesting: Free Pension Analysis / Complimentary Book Copy / Both
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What Happens Next
A member of the Retirement Nationwide, Inc. team will contact you within 2 business days. For analysis requests, we will prepare a preliminary scenario comparison before your call. You will receive the analysis whether or not you choose to move forward.
Why Public Safety Professionals Trust the Pension Shield Option™
Designed for Public Safety
The Pension Shield Option™ is a retirement planning strategy designed specifically for public safety professionals with defined-benefit pensions — not a generic financial product.
Deeply Credentialed Advisors
Jim Lusk holds five professional designations — CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, CLF®, and M.Ed. — and has over 20 years of experience working with officers, firefighters, sheriffs, and police chiefs nationwide.
Firsthand Law Enforcement Experience
Co-author George McReynolds, CFP®, is a former law enforcement officer and Army veteran who brings firsthand experience with public safety careers and pension systems to the planning process.
No Obligation, No Sales Pressure
The analysis is complimentary and provided for educational purposes only. You will receive the analysis whether or not you choose to move forward.
Retirement Nationwide, Inc.
Retirement Nationwide, Inc. | Jim Lusk, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, CLF®, M.Ed.
PensionShieldOption.com | leoff2retirement.com
Jim Lusk, CFP®, CLU®, ChFC®, CLF®, M.Ed. | jim@retirementnationwide.com | (509) 850-1150
This content is provided for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice and should not be relied upon as such. No advisor-client relationship is created by accessing this content. Consult a qualified financial advisor before making any pension decisions.