MOSERS building

About

The Missouri State Employees' Retirement System (MOSERS) was established on September 1, 1957 by state statute.

Overview

We administer retirement, life insurance, and long-term disability benefits for most state employees, including:

  • General state employees
  • Employees of ten regional colleges and universities
  • Members of the Missouri General Assembly
  • Statewide elected officials (including the Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, State Treasurer, Secretary of State, and State Auditor)
  • Judges, administrative law judges, and legal advisors

MOSERS’ eleven-member Board of Trustees has responsibility for the operation and administration of the System.

Retirement Benefits

MOSERS is a single-employer, public employee retirement plan administered in accordance with Chapter 104 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo). As a retiree, the benefits you receive are considered a “public pension” for tax reporting purposes.

Defined Benefit Pension Plans

Acting as administrative agent, MOSERS oversees retirement, life insurance, and long-term disability insurance benefits for most state employees. MOSERS administers the following retirement plans:

  • Missouri State Employees’ Plan (MSEP) for:
    • General State Employees
    • Legislators
    • Elected State Officials
  • The Missouri State Employees’ Plan 2000 (MSEP 2000) for:
    • General State Employees (including MSEP 2011 members)
    • Legislators (including MSEP 2011 members)
    • Elected State Officials (including MSEP 2011 members)
  • The Judicial Plan/Judicial Plan 2011
  • The Administrative Law Judges and Legal Advisors’ Plan (ALJLAP)
    • The ALJLAP is closed to new members. (April 26, 2005)

MOSERS operates tax-qualified defined benefit plans under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. A defined benefit (DB) plan is one that requires a member to be vested (work a set number of years in a benefit-eligible position) and it provides a set benefit (based on salary and credited service) for life once a member meets the age and service requirements for retirement. In other words, the benefit is defined by the law. A DB plan can be either contributory or noncontributory. MSEP, MSEP 2000, the ALJLAP, and the Judicial Plan are noncontributory defined benefit plans. The MSEP 2011 tier and the Judicial Plan 2011 tier are contributory defined benefit plans.

Deferred Compensation

The MO Deferred Comp Plan is a retirement savings plan for state of Missouri employees, including faculty and staff at ten state universities. The money you invest in the deferred comp plan is designed to provide additional income to supplement your MOSERS defined benefit pension and Social Security benefits in retirement.

Life Insurance

Group term life insurance helps protect you and your family from financial hardship in case of death. Term life insurance does not accumulate cash value and results in a benefit payment only upon the death of the covered individual.

We offer basic and optional term life insurance to eligible members. Basic life insurance provides you with life insurance of one times your salary. This coverage is free to you as an employee. You may elect additional life insurance, up to the lesser of 6 times your annual salary or $800,000, whichever is less. The cost of this coverage depends on your age. If eligible, you may purchase life insurance for your spouse and child(ren) through MOSERS.

Long-Term Disability Insurance

If eligible, this coverage is available at no cost to you. There is a 90-day benefit waiting period in the event you become disabled. This benefit may replace up to 60% your pre-disability earnings less any deductible income. While on long-term disability, you continue to accrue creditable service in your defined-benefit pension plan.

MISSION, VISION, VALUES

MISSION STATEMENT

MOSERS exists to advance the financial security of its members.

VISION

We endeavor to:

Exceed customer expectations

Educate stakeholders

Ensure sound investment practices

Encourage responsible funding of the plans,

all through a commitment to excellence always.

VALUES
Quality
Strive to exceed the expectations of internal and external customers through innovation, competence, and teamwork. Seek to "do it right" the first time.
Respect
Be sensitive to the needs of others, both within and outside of the organization. Be courteous, considerate, responsive, and professional.
Integrity
In all endeavors, act in an ethical, honest, and professional manner.
Openness
Be willing to listen to, and share information with, others. Be receptive to new ideas. Be trusting of others.
Accountability
Take ownership of and responsibility for actions and their results. Learn from mistakes. Control system risks and act to protect the security of member information and system assets.

History

1956
State employees contributed 50 cents each in an effort to start a retirement program. Morss, Seal, and Tebbetts, a St. Louis actuarial firm, helped draft legislation to create a retirement plan.
1957
The Missouri legislature established MOSERS, effective September 1, 1957. MOSERS began with 17,513 members and an initial investment of $100,000 in a 90-day U.S. Treasury Bill on behalf of plan participants.
1961
On October 13, 1961, the multiplier used to calculate retirement benefits increased to 1%.
1972
Effective September 1, 1972, the legislature suspended employee contributions to MOSERS.
1984
Effective May 1, 1984, members could elect to purchase optional life insurance coverage through MOSERS in multiples of one, two, or three times their annual salary. Retiring employees could retain up to $5,000 in optional life insurance. Membership in the optional life insurance program increased by 27% from 1983 to 1984.
1993
Legislation established a one-year window (ending on August 27, 1993) allowing eligibility for normal retirement if a member’s age and service equaled 80 or more. The “Rule of 80” became permanent on August 28, 1994.
1993
State law established the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan (MCHCP) and transferred administration of state employee medical insurance from MOSERS to MCHCP.
1998
In an effort to better serve members, MOSERS moved to its new home on Wildwood Drive.
1999
The MOSERS total fund value reached $5 billion. This is a notable fact given that it took MOSERS more than 30 years to reach the $1 billion mark.
2000
The legislature established the Missouri State Employees’ Plan 2000 (MSEP 2000).
2002
BackDROP lump-sum payment option established.
2002
MOSERS created the member login (the forerunner to myMOSERS) making it possible for members to access their benefit information online at any time.
2007
The MOSERS total fund value reached $8 billion.
2007
In September 2007, MOSERS assumed oversight of the State of Missouri Deferred Compensation Plan (MO Deferred Comp).
2010
The Missouri State Employees’ Plan 2011 (MSEP 2011) was created, which reinstated employee contributions and increased the retirement eligibility age for members first employed in a benefit-eligible position on or after January 1, 2011.