A delay in filing the Form 6, “Claiming Your Monthly Retirement Benefit,” could delay the first benefit payment. Since the Retirement System processes retirement applications based on the date they are received, the earlier that you file the Form 6 (within the 120-day period), the sooner you will receive the “Choosing Your Retirement Payment Option” form (Form 6E sample) from our office. In other words, even though you are eligible to file your retirement paperwork just one day prior to the effective date of your retirement, the likelihood of your receiving payment of your retirement benefit within the same month of your effective retirement is greatly diminished. If retroactive benefits are payable, your first benefit payment will then include the amount that you are retroactively entitled to receive as of your effective date of retirement. Therefore, we recommend that after you have made your decision to retire, that you file your Form 6 as close to the 120-day advance period as possible in order to increase the likelihood of receiving a retirement payment within the month for which your retirement is effective.

North Carolina’s capital city has the largest research park in the United States, the Research Triangle Park. This area is full of top of the line research and a high tech industry. On a daily basis there may be over forty-five thousand full time employees in this area. The city of Raleigh is also surrounded by a number of universities and parks, the most popular of these is the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park. Raleigh also has many museums and galleries that you can visit including the North Carolina Museum of History and the North Carolina Museum of Art. Another popular city in North Carolina for visitors is Charlotte which has the famous Hearst Tower that includes Hearst Publishing and is one of the tallest buildings in the state of North Carolina. Despite the large skyline of Charlotte it still offers a variety of outdoor attractions. You can hike or ride horseback at Latta Plantation Park which has over seven miles of trail on a 2,500 acre park and many waterfowl to view.

The final popular city in North Carolina is Wilmington which has excellent scenery with an interesting history. This town is located between Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. The Cape Fear Museum is located here which is the oldest history museum in the state. In the downtown district you can find old fashioned carriage rides and trolley car tours of the town. A number of cafes, restaurants and shops can be found in this downtown area. Two very popular hotels in North Carolina including the Governor Eden Inn in Edenton. This is a very historic town located on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This is one of the most charming bed and breakfasts in this region of North Carolina with a very historic appearance. It has a neoclassical style with a wraparound veranda and was built in the early nineteen hundreds. The second popular option is the Old Reynolds Mansion in Asheville which is one of the few brick buildings left in Asheville. Originally marked for demolition this building was spared and renovated into a three story inn. It has good priced rooms and is now listed as a registered historical place.

The Cherokee Indians opened the first North Carolina casino in 1994. Harrah’s Cherokee Casino offers video gambling only, no table games. The video gambling options include poker, slots and blackjack, among others. The games offered are all skill based, even the slots. The slot games differ from non-skill based slots because there are two spins and the player chooses to keep or discard the results from the first spin. In the contract signed between the North Carolina state government and the Cherokee Indians that set up the casino it is guaranteed these video gambling machines have a minimum return of 83%. Harrah’s Cherokee Casino is open to gamblers over 21 years of age. The casino operates 24 hours a day. It is located at 777 Casino Drive in Cherokee, just 55 miles southwest of Asheville. There is an attached hotel with 252 rooms available. There are also five on-site restaurants. Harrah’s Cherokee Casino is family oriented with a childcare center and 1,500-seat entertainment area. Parking is free for casino guests. Harrah’s Cherokee Casino offers a great vacation option for families or singles.

On December 17th, 1903 the Wright brothers made history when their Flyer took off into the air. Orville piloted the first ever flight after a quick coin toss. He climbed into the controls and took off at 10:35 in the morning. The plane soared into the North Carolina sky for a whole 12 seconds and covered a distance of 120 feet long. But that was the beginning of a new age giving a new meaning to speed. The brothers made three more flights after their maiden flight. Wilbur took credit for the longest flight, he flew for 59 minutes and covered 852 feet. The State of Carolina witnessed this historic feet on a cold December day. A monument was constructed on top of a hill called Devil Hill, North Carolina to honor this miraculous feet of engineering and the willpower of man.

Cary, North Carolina is the seventh safest city in the whole county. Perhaps in part due to the religious influence of the Bible belt or perhaps the triangles distinction of having the most PhD’s per capita. Regardless, families feel safe in Cary and Raleigh’s streets and parks.

With Wake, Rex and Duke Hospitals close by, residents enjoy some of the finest and most advanced health care in the nation. You can’t say enough about the weather here. The area defiantly has four seasons. Now, summers can be quite warm and humid, however winters are typically short and mild. Spring and fall are long and lovely. The spring flowers are brilliant and the fall colors magnificent.