CURP Overview – February 2023

CURP Transfers to MOSERS flyer – February 2023

Employer Contribution Rate infographic – February 2023

Retirement Guide – February 2023

Smart Start Checklist – February 2023

Your Guide to the Colleges & Universities Retirement Plan – February 2023

New Employee Orientation brochure – January 2023

Total Compensation Calculator – January 2023

Highlights of Your Total Compensation Package brochure – January 2023

Destination Retirement Checklist (University Employees) – January 2023

Destination Retirement Checklist – January 2023 

SEBES Benefits Enrollment Guide – January 2023 

Phoenix Update 

From the Education Desk...

Proper LTD Submissions

Welcome, Tricia Kliethermes!

MOSERS Month is Coming in April

Recently Updated Resources

You may recall receiving periodic updates regarding the new pension administration system we’re developing called Phoenix. Phoenix is a modernized system that will be more intuitive and help us – MOSERS and its covered employers – to be even better at administering timely and accurate benefits to state employees. Staff and other key stakeholders are fine-tuning the project timeline, and we anticipate launching Phoenix later in 2023. We look forward to sharing details in the coming months and will provide training opportunities before we deploy this new system. Stay tuned! 

The 2023 education schedule is here!

MOSERS educational programs are designed to help state employees learn information about their benefits as they progress through their careers and experience different life events along the way. Please encourage your employees to register for a session! The schedule includes both in-person seminars and online webinars.

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.

Mid-Career Webinar – Employees can learn how different career and life events may affect their pension benefit.

Ready to Retire Sessions – Employees can learn about the retirement process and how different decisions may impact their pension benefit.

Please send your employees our way and remind them to visit the Education page for more information!

We need your help with LTD submissions!

Please remember to submit the simplified and updated Long Term Disability Employer Statement to ltdmosers@standard.com when you know your employee is applying for long-term disability (LTD) benefits.

Please advise your employee to call The Standard at (844) 505-6026 to initiate their LTD claim. Among other personal questions, The Standard will ask for the name, address, phone and fax number of their physician, as well as their HR representative’s name and e-mail address.

For more information on the LTD application process, please watch the LTD webinar put together by The Standard to illustrate the most effective way to file for LTD benefits.

We are happy to introduce Tricia Kliethermes as our newest employer services analyst. Tricia joins a team of analysts dedicated to assisting you, our valued employer representatives, in administering the retirement, life insurance, and long-term disability benefits important to your employees. Tricia has over 26 years of experience working for the State of Missouri, including almost nine years with MOSERS. Tricia brings a diverse range of experience to the position, serving as a senior benefit specialist, executive assistant, and education and legal specialist. Please don't hesitate to contact the Employer Services team with your MOSERS-related questions by emailing employers@mosers.org or calling (800) 827-1063 option 2.

This year is our third annual MOSERS Month. We are excited to introduce the theme for this year in the coming months. If you would like to be included in the sneak peek and receive a fun MOSERS Month package from us, please email nicolea@mosers.org.  

New Employee Orientation brochure – January 2023

Total Compensation Calculator – January 2023

BackDROP for General State Employees (MSEP & MSEP 2000) flyer – December 2022

Destination Retirement Checklist (University Employees) – December 2022

Destination Retirement Checklist – December 2022

2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report – November 2022

SEBES Brochure and 2023 Publications

The 2023 Education Schedule is Here!

Transfers Quick-Reference Guide

Farewell Juanita 

Please note that we update the SEBES brochure annually in January. Please do not submit “Order Materials” requests for the SEBES brochure until after the first of the year. 

TRUE or FALSE? MOSERS updates ALL our publications in January of every year so you should order a whole new supply every January?

FALSE! We do not update ALL of our publications in January. Most publications are updated annually but not specifically in January. This includes all member handbooks. Be sure to always check the online library on our website for the most up-to-date versions. 

The 2023 education schedule is here! Please encourage your employees to register for one of our educational programs that are specifically designed for each career stage. The schedule includes both in-person seminars and online webinars.

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

Mid-Career Webinar – Employees can learn how different career and life events may affect their pension benefit.

Ready to Retire Sessions – Employees can learn about the retirement process and how different decisions may impact their pension benefit.

Please remind them to visit the Education page for more information!

A “transfer”, as MOSERS defines it, occurs when an employee moves from one MOSERS-covered agency to another without a 30-day break in service or when an employee moves from one org/section to another org/section within the same agency.

When a transfer occurs, MOSERS needs a record of where the employee left and where the employee is going to ensure the continuity of the employee’s benefits through MOSERS. 

The action you take to report the activity to MOSERS depends on the circumstances. 

Here’s a quick-reference guide we hope will help you in those situations:

*If you have a group of employees moving from one org/section to another org/section within your agency rather than an individual employee, please email employers@mosers.org. We can initiate a mass transfer of employees on your behalf without you having to submit individual Transfer forms.   

Farewell, Juanita! One of our employer services analysts, Juanita Libbert, is retiring on January 1st, after 30 years and 4 months of service with MOSERS. Many of you have interacted with Juanita over the years in addressing status changes and payroll adjustments for your employees. Juanita possesses a thorough knowledge of employer reporting processes, and we will miss her dedicated service. Juanita’s last day in the office will be Friday, December 23^rd.  We wish her the best in her retirement years! 

Please direct any emails intended for Juanita to employers@mosers.org or call an employer services analyst at (573) 632-6100 and press option 2. 

BackDROP for General State Employees (MSEP & MSEP 2000)flyer – December 2022

Destination Retirement Checklist (University Employees) – December 2022

Destination Retirement Checklist – December 2022

Total Compensation Calculator – November 2022

2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report – November 2022

Key Facts Regarding Funding – October 2022

Summary of Pension Benefit Provisions (All Plans) – October 2022

The 2023 Education Schedule is Coming Soon! 

Scheduling In-Person Visits

Submit Termination Forms ASAP

HR Update Anytime, Anywhere! 

We are currently finalizing our 2023 education schedule and anticipate having registration open by mid-December. The schedule includes both in-person seminars and online webinars.

We have designed our educational programs to help state employees learn information about their benefits as they progress through their career 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 1 ½ hours
• Daytime sessions run from 9:30 a.m. until11:00 a.m.
• Evening sessions run from 5:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Mid-Career Webinar – Employees can learn how different career and life events may affect their pension benefit.

• 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. until Noon
• Evening sessions are held from 5:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m.

Ready to Retire Sessions – Employees can learn about the retirement process and how different decisions may impact their pension benefit.

• For employees within 5 years of retirement eligibility
• Speakers include MOSERS, MO Deferred Comp, the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan (MCHCP), and the Social Security Administration (SSA).
• For MSEP/MSEP 2000 members:
  • Full-day webinars are from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., with a 30 minute lunch break.
  • Full-day seminars are from 8:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and include a box lunch.
  • Evening webinars are held from 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and speakers include MOSERS and MO Deferred Comp only.
• For MSEP 2011 members:
  • Full-day webinars are from 9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., with a 30 minute lunch break.
  • Full-day seminars are from 9:30 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and include a box lunch

If members have questions about their MOSERS retirement, life insurance, or long-term disability benefits, they can certainly ask those questions over the phone or by email. However, if they prefer, they can schedule an appointment in our office. There are several advantages to scheduling the appointment in advance rather than just stopping by. The biggest advantage is that members are likely to have a much shorter wait time if they have an appointment. Counselors are available to assist members from 8:00 a.m. until noon and from 1:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m Monday through Friday. Our office is open during the noon hour for members who would like to drop off forms, however, we also have a drop box outside our office available 24/7.

Our benefit counselors can:
• Print off benefit estimates during an appointment
• Discuss retirement options
• Demonstrate how to retire online
• Provide personal assistance when submitting a claim for life insurance or long-term disability benefits
• And so much more!

Please encourage your employees to make an appointment in advance and to see our tips for in person visits.

If employees would rather meet virtually, instead of in-person, they can just let us know when they contact us to schedule an appointment. We will set it up through GoToMeeting, making it easy to connect one-on-one with a benefit counselor.

We appreciate all the work that you do for your employees and know that your time is valuable! We want to remind you how important it is to submit termination forms on time. We are unable to properly calculate a member’s Final Average Pay (FAP), which is used in calculating retirement benefits, without an accurate termination date. Submitting the termination form late stalls the retirement process for your employees and can delay retirement benefits. Additionally, we need the accurate and timely submission of termination forms to relay time-sensitive information to members regarding their MOSERS benefits. Submitting these forms late also impacts members in the following ways:

• Terminated members have 60 days to purchase portable group life insurance or convert their life insurance coverage to an individual policy if they wish to retain it. The termination form prompts us to notify members of their option to do so. Submitting the termination form late could deny the member the opportunity to continue this coverage.
• Members with life insurance coverage through MOSERS’ group policy who are eligible to retire may retain coverage as a retiree if they retire within 60 days of termination. Delayed submission of the termination form may complicate a member’s ability to retain coverage as a retiree.
• MSEP 2011 members may request a refund of employee retirement contributions. These contributions can only be paid 90 days after the date of termination, or 90 days after the member’s request is received, whichever is later. MOSERS notifies members of their eligibility to request this refund after we receive the termination form. Submitting the termination form late delays this notice and can delay payment of refunds to members.

Thank you for your continued support in making these processes smooth and efficient for you and your employees.

Did you know that you can access HR Update anytime from our website?

The HR Update webpage is similar to our Rumor Central Blog and features a tags sidebar. This allows you to filter through the posts based on the subject (or tag) of the post. You can also search by year, where we keep posts published for three years. We know HR Update is an important resource for MOSERS employers. Keeping this platform up to date and efficient is a top priority. 

Key Facts Regarding Funding – October 2022

Summary of Pension Benefit Provisions (All Plans) – October 2022

Summary of Pension Benefit Provisions (MSEP & MSEP 2000) – October 2022

MOSERS Benefits During Military Leave flyer – September 2022

MOSERS Strategic Plan – July 2022

Employee Contributions (MSEP 2011 & Judicial Plan 2011) brochure – May 2022

Glossary of Terms – April 2022