Terms Used In New York Laws > Retirement and Social Security > Article 8 > Title 2 - No title

• Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Final Average Salary: shall mean the regular compensation earned from such participating employer by a member during the twelve months of actual service immediately preceding the date of such employee's retirement, exclusive of any lump sum payments for sick leave, or accumulated vacation credit, or any form of termination pay; provided, however, if the compensation earned in said twelve months exceeds that of the previous twelve months by more than twenty per centum, the amount in excess of twenty per centum shall be excluded in the computation of final average salary; provided further, however, that the benefits computed pursuant to this paragraph shall be payable unless the member would otherwise be entitled to a greater benefit under other provisions of this subdivision, in which case such greater benefit shall be payable. See N.Y. Retirement and Social Security Law 302