MOSERS has no authority over the policies and procedures of an agency in determining onsite requirements when an employee is ending their service. Therefore, we encourage you to talk with your HR staff and/or your supervisor in advance of your retirement to find out about the policies and procedures at your agency.

Your last day of work as a MOSERS benefit-eligible employee, as reported by your employer, must be at least one day prior to your retirement date with MOSERS. Your retirement date with MOSERS must be on the first day of a month.

If you haven’t already, we encourage you to sign up for a Ready to Retire seminar or webinar, see the Ready to Retire page of our website and contact a MOSERS benefit counselor for more information. 

Yes, since your spouse elected a survivor benefit for you at retirement, you will continue to receive your survivor benefits each month for your life, even if you remarry.

Please update your personal information with us if your name, address or bank information changes. You can do so by contacting us and our benefit staff will assist you. Also, please be sure to review and update, if necessary, who you have designated to receive your final survivor benefit payment. Your final benefit payment is paid on the last working day of the month in which you die.

Yes, he can transfer his credited service with MPERS to MOSERS. If he is a vested member of MSEP or MSEP 2000, the Rule of 80 (“80 and Out”) will still apply for normal retirement eligibility.

To apply for the transfer of service, if he is a vested member of MSEP, MSEP 2000 or MSEP 2011, once he is hired by the Department of Corrections, he must simply notify MOSERS in writing. He should include his name, Social Security number, and his dates of service under MPERS. We will verify his previous service with MPERS. MPERS will send MOSERS the equivalent amount of employer (state) contributions made for this service. We will send him a notice confirming the transfer when the process is complete. This is a free transfer of service; there is no cost to the member.

If he is not vested, he can transfer his service after one complete year of service under MOSERS. Also, for members of MSEP 2011, the retirement eligibility requirements are different.

If he is looking at other options, you can review the complete list of MOSERS covered Employers on our website. See our Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP (Closed Plan) Members or Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP 2000 Member for additional service transfer and purchase options.

You will need to contact your medical insurance provider for help with health insurance-related inquires. For most state employees, that is Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan (MCHCP).

If you are employed at a college, university, or the Department of Conservation, contact your human resources/employee benefits office.

If you are unsure, see our Benefits Providers Table to determine who administers your benefits. 

Early retirement is an existing option available to most MOSERS members (but not available to legislators or statewide elected officials). As a general state employee, if you elect early retirement, your base benefit will be reduced by one-half of one percent (.005) for each month your age at retirement is younger than your normal retirement age.

We are not aware of any proposed early retirement incentives for state employees. Any such incentive would require legislative authorization. There were no early retirement incentives that passed during the recent regular legislative session that ended on May 14, 2021. Anytime the Missouri General Assembly is in session, you can follow any bills affecting MOSERS on our Legislation page.

View Pension Plans on our website for more information including details on normal (unreduced) and early (reduced) retirement eligibility for MSEP, MSEP 2000, and MSEP 2011. 

Your life insurance through MOSERS is term-life insurance, which means it has no cash value and you cannot borrow against it. However, if you are terminally ill with a life expectancy of less than 12 months, you may be eligible to receive a portion of your life insurance benefit (Accelerated Benefits) prior to your death, provided you meet certain conditions. For more information, please see the Life Insurance page on our website and the Accelerated Benefit Instructions. 

As a member of MSEP or MSEP 2000, you may purchase up to four years of active-duty military service credit for service performed prior to last becoming a member of MOSERS. This may include active-duty military training. If you are eligible, please submit the Application to Purchase Active-Duty Military Service. View our Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP (Closed Plan) Members or Purchasing and Transferring Service Guide for MSEP 2000 Members for more information. Any purchase of service must be completed prior to when you apply for retirement.

If you have money in your MO Deferred Comp account, as a member of MSEP or MSEP 2000, you can use those funds to purchase prior military service (exception: Roth 457 assets cannot be used to purchase service credit). If you have additional questions about purchasing service,  contact a MOSERS benefit counselor. If you have questions about accessing your funds, contact MO Deferred Comp.

For your MOSERS benefit, "plan cost at annuity starting date" is the total after-tax contributions used to calculate the exclusion amount (amount of your monthly benefit excluded from taxable income). It is important to note that this total doesn’t include your Employee Contributions, as they are paid in pre-tax. However, the total may include any purchases you made with after-tax funds or payroll deductions. 

Pension benefits are calculated using a formula, which is: Final Average Pay (FAP) x a Multiplier* x Credited Service = Monthly Base Benefit

The additional earnings for working in a second job may increase their final average pay. Statutorily required employer and employee contributions must be paid to the System on any such compensation. See MOSERS Board Rule 2-8 for details. 

However, state law says an employee can earn only one day of service credit for each day worked so it would not increase their credited service in terms of retirement eligibility or for calculating their benefit amount.

Below is a simplified example showing how working in an additional position could potentially impact an employee’s benefit. Employees should contact a MOSERS benefit counselor to get an estimate for their particular situation:

Working in one full-time position making $28,307 per year and retiring in MSEP 2000 with 25 years of service:

$28,307/12 months = $2,358.92 as monthly final average pay

FAP ($2,358.92) x Multiplier (0.017) x Credited Service (25) = $1,002.54 monthly base benefit in retirement

Working in one full-time position making $28,307 per year and retiring in MSEP 2000 with 25 years of service plus working in a part-time position at the same rate of pay (an extra 1,000 hours at $13.61 per hour per = $13,610 per year for 3 years):

$41,917/12 months = $3,493.08 as monthly final average pay

FAP ($3,493.08) x Multiplier (0.017) x Credited Service (25) = $1,484.56 monthly base benefit in retirement

*The multiplier for MSEP is 1.6%; the multiplier for MSEP 2000 and MSEP 2011 is 1.7%.