Yes, in most cases, you can designate multiple beneficiaries on your MOSERS benefits. The number of beneficiaries you can name depends on the specific type of benefit. Here's a quick breakdown:

• Life Insurance Beneficiaries – You may name multiple primary and contingent beneficiaries for both your basic and optional life insurance coverage.
• Final Payment Beneficiaries – Once you retire, you can list multiple individuals to receive your final benefit payment. MOSERS will pay your beneficiaries if that payment is returned to MOSERS by your financial institution. The final payment is the payment that is due to you at the end of the month in which you pass away.
• Guaranteed Payment Option Beneficiaries – At retirement, if you elect a guaranteed payment option (5, 10, or 15 years), you may name multiple beneficiaries to receive any remaining payments if you pass away during the guarantee period.
• Joint & Survivor Beneficiary – At retirement, if you elect a Joint & 50% or Joint & 100% survivor benefit, your beneficiary is automatically your spouse.
• Contribution Beneficiaries (MSEP 2011 and Judicial Plan 2011 only) – If you are a member of MSEP 2011 or the Judicial Plan 2011 and are eligible for a refund of your contributions (in the event of death before retirement), you may name multiple beneficiaries to receive those funds.

If you’re unsure which beneficiaries you currently have listed or would like to update your designations, log in to myMOSERS to review or make changes. If you have an account with MO Deferred Comp, please ensure your beneficiary designations are up to date there as well.

As a state employee, you may be participating in both the MOSERS defined-benefit pension and the supplemental retirement savings program through MO Deferred Comp. Since we are not sure which one you are referring to, we’ve addressed both below.

Defined Benefit Pension: You cannot access your MOSERS defined benefit pension until retirement. However, if you no longer work in a MOSERS benefit-eligible position and are a member of MSEP 2011, you may request a refund of your employee contributions. Please see our Employee Contributions brochure for more information. Use the Request for Refund of Employee Contributions - Member form, have it notarized and return it to MOSERS by mail, bring it into our office during normal business hours, or put it in our 24/7 drop box near the front of our building. Our address is on the top of the form.

Missouri law requires MOSERS to pay your refund within an administratively reasonable period but no sooner than 90 days from the date your state employment ended.

By taking a refund, you will lose all your credited service and future rights to receive pension and LTD benefits from MOSERS.

MO Deferred Comp: If you are still employed with the state, you cannot access your MO Deferred Comp 457 retirement savings except for qualified unforeseen emergency withdrawals. However, upon separation of service and notification from your employer – either voluntary, by retirement, or otherwise – you may be eligible to withdraw money from your MO Deferred Comp Plan account.

Visit the MO Deferred Comp website for more information, or if you have any questions, please call (800) 392-0925.

As a member of MSEP 2011, you may request a refund of your employee contributions plus any credited interest after leaving state employment. You are not required to withdraw your employee contributions if you leave the state, but you may do so if you wish. By law, there is a 90-day waiting period before we can issue a refund. By taking a refund, you forfeit all your credited service.

You can log in to myMOSERS to find your total employee contributions plus any interest. Once logged in, you can view your accumulated balance listed under Employee Contributions on your Member Dashboard.

If you decide to request a refund, complete the Member Request for Refund of Employee Contributions form. You must get it notarized and submit it to MOSERS before a refund will be processed.

A reason to NOT take a refund of your employee contributions is if you think you may return to state employment at any time in the future.

• You experience a qualifying, unforeseeable emergency that causes extreme financial hardship, or
• If your account balance is $5,000 or less – you may elect a one-time, in-service distribution, provided you have not made a contribution during the prior two-year period.

Once you are vested (5 years of service for general state employees), you are eligible to receive a future pension benefit from MOSERS, even if you leave state employment. Once you reach retirement age and complete the retirement process, you will receive a monthly pension payment for your lifetime.

You cannot increase your 4% employee contributions that go into the MOSERS trust fund, but you can certainly increase the amount of supplemental savings that you put in MO Deferred Comp. For many state employees, income in retirement comes from three sources:

1. Your MOSERS defined benefit pension (based on your years of service and final average pay)
2. Social Security retirement benefits
3. Supplemental personal savings, such as with MO Deferred Comp

Another thing to consider is that, even if you aren’t vested, you may leave your employee contributions with the System if you think you might return to work for the state at some point in the future and would like for those years of service to count toward an eventual retirement benefit.  

However, if you leave state employment, you may request a refund of your employee contributions plus any credited interest. By law, there is a 90-day waiting period before we can issue a refund. By taking a refund, you forfeit all your credited service.

You can log in to myMOSERS to find your total employee contributions plus any interest. Once logged in, you can view your accumulated balance listed under Employee Contributions on your Member Dashboard. If you are unable to log in, you may contact a MOSERS benefit counselor for your balance. See our Employee Contributions brochure for more information.

We are unable to see members’ pay stubs, so we can’t speak definitively about that information. Please speak with your employer regarding your pay stub details.

However, it sounds like you are referring to your employer’s contributions to MOSERS. As a member of MSEP 2011, you are part of the contributory defined benefit pension plan. By law, you contribute 4% of your pay toward your future pension benefits. Your employer also contributes a percentage of your payroll toward your future retirement benefits. Employee and employer contributions go into the MOSERS trust fund. The third and largest source of System funding is investment income. 

You can log in to myMOSERS to find your total employee contributions plus any interest. Once logged in, you can view your accumulated balance listed under Employee Contributions on your Member Dashboard. If you are unable to log in, you may contact a MOSERS benefit counselor for your balance.

As a member of MSEP 2011, if you leave state employment, you may request a refund of your employee contributions plus any interest. By taking a refund, you forfeit your service and eligibility for future retirement benefits. Alternatively, when eligible, you can retire and receive a monthly pension benefit for life. Your monthly benefit is based on your final average pay and years of service.

Please see our Employee Contributions brochure (MSEP 2011 & Judicial Plan 2011) and the MSEP 2011 web page for more information.