Dean has earned $75,000 annually for the past seven years working as an architect for WCC Inc. Under WCC's defined benefit plan (which uses a 7-year graded vesting schedule) employees earn a benefit equal to 4.5% of the average of their three highest annual salaries for every full year of service with WCC. Dean has worked for seven full years for WCC and his vesting percentage is 99%. What is Dean's vested benefit (or annual retirement benefit he has earned so far)?