The setup sounds almost too clean. A 38-year-old Montana teacher with 8 years of service has exactly $50,000 in a rollover IRA, which happens to be the exact amount needed to purchase 5 years of service credit. Buying those years would accelerate him to 30 years of service and increase his pension by about $1,000 ... The $50,000 Pension Trap: Why This Teacher Should Keep Their IRA Invested