Michael Sandstrom
Founder
Retirement Educator

My Mission Statement
Empower California educators to maximize their state pension and retirement
Michael started Sandstrom & Associates in 1992, and has since served thousands of public school employees throughout California. With decades of experience retirement planning for members of the CA public school system, Michael ensures his clients are taking the right steps for a financially secure retirement. Michael will close the information gap between you and your state pension so you can reach your retirement goals.
- 403(b)
- 401(k)
- IRA
- Life Insurance
- Paycheck Analysis
Michael holds the role of educators in our society to the highest regard and believes knowledge is a public good. In support of these values, he is a sponsor of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Mirror Site (MSP) & OpenCourseWare (OCW) Programs.
OCW is a program that publishes free semester long courses on hundreds of beginner and advanced level topics. The MSP is a free program that brings a self-updating, on-premise, online catalog of all OCW courses to your school. This is to ensure students have access to and can reliably stream these videos even if they lack a reliable internet connection at home or school. Additionally, OCW also supports teachers by sharing open-sourced teaching methods used by MIT professors. The MSP opens up a wide range of learning opportunities to your students and fellow teachers, click the link below for more information.
CalSTRS/CalPERS
We have helped thousands of public school employees maximize their state pension and supplemental plans. Whether you are a first year teacher or are in the process of retiring we guide you every step of the way towards retiring at the youngest age possible with the greatest benefits.
403(b)/TSA
Many school districts have over 50 companies that are on the Approved Vendor list which can be very overwhelming when choosing who to invest with. So often we hear teachers say that they just started their 403(b)/TSA with the first company that they met with, "Aren't they all the same?" No, they are not all the same! Selecting a retirement plan not tailored to your needs can leave you working years more than needed to achieve the retirement payout you want.
Long Term Care
Life Insurance and Long Term Care sold separately can get expensive. Our clients utilize hybrid Life Insurance products that offer cash accumulation and a Long Term Care feature. These policies can play a very important role in maximizing your state pension and protect the ones you love.
Retirement Review
Whether you are a first year teacher or are about to retire, letting time go by without understanding your retirement options can be costly.