Phoenix Update

Spring Cleaning Reminder

Encourage Your Employees to Sign Up for a Webinar Today!

Annual Benefit Statements are Available!

Recently Updated Resources

If you attended Benefits U last fall, you may have heard about MOSERS' upcoming transition to a new pension administration system called Phoenix. The new system will store your employees' demographic, service, salary, and contribution records so we can administer benefits for your employees.

As an employer representative who works closely with MOSERS, you will interact with Phoenix each pay period to ensure the accurate exchange of information from your agency to MOSERS. We have been working closely with our vendor to test the system and remain on track for deployment in the second half of 2024.

Once we have identified a deployment date, we will begin sharing important information with you to help us complete the transition, including how you will receive access to the new system and attend a training session.

In the meantime, please continue to send timely termination, transfer, and leave of absence forms to MOSERS for your employees and work monthly Aged Accounts Receivable (AAR) reports. Carrying past-due AAR errors can lead to inaccurate records for your employees and cause a potential backlog of work when we transition to Phoenix.

We have designed our educational programs to help state employees learn information about their benefits as they progress through their careers and experience different life events along the way.

Newer Employees & MOSERS Webinars – Employees can start learning about the state benefits administered by MOSERS, including pension plan features, life insurance, long-term disability, and their personal retirement savings plan options with MO Deferred Comp.

• For employees who are newer to the state with at least six months but less than five years of service (not yet vested).
• Speakers include MOSERS and MO Deferred Comp.
• Sessions last approximately 2 hours.
• Daytime sessions run from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
• Evening sessions run from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

• For employees with at least five years of service (vested) and ten or more years until retirement eligibility.
• Speakers include MOSERS and MO Deferred Comp.
• Sessions last approximately 2.5 hours.
• Daytime sessions are held from 9:30 a.m. to noon.
• Evening sessions are held from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Stay up to date and visit our Education page frequently for more information, including schedules and how to register.

Annual Benefit Statements for active members are available online. Employees can access their statements by logging in to myMOSERS, clicking on Online Documents, and then Document Express. From there, they can download and save or print it.

Now is a good time to encourage your employees to review their Annual Benefit Statement. A significant part of their total compensation is represented through the value of the benefits they receive as a state employee, including:

• Their MOSERS defined benefit pension plan
• Healthcare benefits
• Life insurance
• Long-term disability insurance
• The MO Deferred Comp Plan contribution match
• Paid time off such as annual leave, sick leave, and holidays

Employees who work in a retirement-eligible position and become vested will be eligible for a lifetime monthly benefit once they meet retirement eligibility. Their MOSERS defined benefit pension is guaranteed income in retirement for the rest of their life! The estimated monthly benefit highlighted on their Annual Benefit Statement is calculated based on a formula, which includes their years of service and final average pay. The longer they work, the higher their benefit!

CURP Overview - March 2024

CURP Transfers to MOSERS flyer - March 2024

Your Guide to the Colleges & Universities Retirement Plan - March 2024

General Employees' Retirement Handbook (MSEP, MSEP 2000, MSEP 2011) - March 2024

April is MOSERS Month!

Updates Coming Soon to the Employer Web Pages!

Hour Tracking for Non-Benefit-Eligible Employees

Stay Up to Date with Status Change Form Submissions

Important Reminders About Terminations

• For employees retiring directly from active employment, use the last calendar day of the month as the termination date.
• For employees not retiring directly from active employment, use the last day actively employed or on a leave of absence (not including regular days off) as the termination date.
• Delete the member’s work email (please keep the member’s personal email address on record).
• Use the comments section sparingly! The comments section should be used in unique situations when you want to convey something not already captured on the termination form.

An Easy Way to File for LTD

Refund of Employee Contributions

Benefit Education at Every Career Stage

Recently Updated Resources

Life Services Toolkit flyer - February 2024

History of COLAs flyer - January 2024

Lifetime Benefits - January 2024

Tax Withholding Authorization and IRS W-4P form - January 2024

Total Compensation Calculator - January 2024

Termination and Reemployment Rules and Potential Corrective Action

We Need Your Help to Correct Member Data Errors

Scheduling In-Person Visits

Learn About Your MOSERS Benefits!

Recently Updated Resources

Please remind employees that before receiving a benefit payment from MOSERS, IRS rules require a “bona fide termination” of the member’s employment. For purposes of MOSERS Board Rules, a "bona fide termination" occurs when:

• The member has completely severed employment;
• The member has not entered into a prearranged agreement (written or oral), prior to retirement, with the State of Missouri or any MOSERS-covered employer for subsequent employment on any basis (full-time, part-time, or other); and
• The member is not subsequently employed with the State of Missouri or any MOSERS-covered employer on any basis (full-time, part-time, or other) within 30 days after their employment with their prior employer has ended.

If a member receives retirement benefits without a bona fide termination, then all further benefit payments will end and the member will be required to repay the System all retirement benefits received, plus applicable interest, based on the assumed rate of return on the date of the member's retirement. Any amounts (including interest) not repaid by the member to the System will be subject to collection from the member's future retirement benefits. In addition, any payment considered to be an in-service distribution may be subject to a 10% early distribution penalty by the IRS.

The member's retirement will be considered null and void. The member can apply for retirement benefits at any time during the member's continued employment but must have a bona fide termination of service and observe the 30-day separation-of-service period to receive retirement benefits.

We collect contributions from you — our employer partners — to help fund retirement, life insurance, and long-term disability benefits for benefit-eligible state employees.

Each month, we receive a record of the previous month's pay and contributions for all covered employees. A small percentage of those records contain an error, or discrepancy, between the pay and contributions MOSERS expected to receive for an employee and what MOSERS actually received.

There are two error reports within the secure Employer Login that employers must work each month to address pay and contribution discrepancies:

• The Aged Accounts Receivable Report (for active employees)
• The Terminated Report (for separated employees)

Employer representatives responsible for working the reports receive an email notification when a report is released and ready to work. 

Staying current on monthly error reports and submitting outstanding leave of absence, transfer, and termination forms to MOSERS is vital in administering timely and accurate benefits for your employees.

Maintaining the integrity of member records is a joint effort between MOSERS staff and covered employers. Feel free to contact the Employer Services team with your questions by emailing employers@mosers.org or calling (800) 827-1063 and selecting option 2.