You can update both your Missouri state and your federal tax withholdings on the Substitute W-4P form and submit it to MOSERS. The fastest, easiest way to submit it is by logging in to myMOSERS. Or, you may send it to us via mail, email, or fax (see our Contact page for details). Please note that the amount of withholdings you elect does not change your tax liability. For additional information, contact the Missouri Department of Revenue.

As you consider reemployment after leaving your current position, please review the list of MOSERS-covered employers.

The University of Missouri is not a MOSERS-covered employer, so you could begin interviewing with them at any time.

State Technical College of Missouri is a MOSERS-covered employer so you must have a “bona fide termination” with your current employer before reemployment with State Tech or any other MOSERS-covered employer.

For purposes of MOSERS Board Rules, a "bona fide termination" occurs when:

• You have completely severed employment;
• You have 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
• You are 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 your employment with your prior employer has ended.
  

Practically speaking that means you must wait until after your retirement date (the first day of the month in which you begin receiving retirement benefits) to interview with any MOSERS-covered employer. However, you could not be rehired prior to the expiration of the 30-day separation-of-service period.

Example: Let’s say you plan to retire in May. Your last day at work is April 23^rd but you take annual leave for the rest of the month until April 30.

• Your “termination date” would be April 30.
• Your “retirement date” would be May 1.
• Assuming you meet the deadlines and complete all the steps for retirement, we would issue your first monthly pension payment on May 31.
  

In this scenario, you may begin interviewing with other MOSERS-covered employers on or after May 1. You may begin reemployment with a MOSERS-covered employer on or after May 31. Please note, if your reemployment is in a MOSERS benefit-eligible position, your monthly pension payments from MOSERS will stop.

For additional information, please see: Ready to Retire and Working After Retirement on our website or contact us to speak with a MOSERS benefit counselor about your particular situation.

A W-2 form comes from an employer, not from MOSERS.

MOSERS provides you with a 1099-R tax form. We mailed your 1099-R form on January 21. You can also access it online by logging into  myMOSERS You will find it under Personal Information and available for you to print. This form lists your 2020 retirement benefit income from MOSERS. You will need this form to file your income tax return. If you receive more than one benefit from MOSERS, you may receive more than one 1099-R from us. If you are unable to log in to myMOSERS, call us at (800) 827-1063 or (573) 632-6100 and we can mail you a replacement. For security reasons, we cannot email it to you.

We are unaware of any legislative proposals related to changing MSEP 2011 normal retirement eligibility from “90 and out” to “80 and out”. Members of MSEP 2011 reach normal retirement eligibility when they have at least 5 years of service and are age 67 OR under the “Rule of 90”. Under the “Rule of 90”, they must be at least age 55 and their age plus years of service must equal 90 or more at the time of termination of employment. For example, if someone leaves employment at age 60 and has 30 years of service, they would meet the Rule of 90.

RETIREMENT ELIGIBILITY  REQUIREMENTS:

MSEP Members

• Age 65 + 5 years of service or
• Age 60 + 15 years of service or
• “Rule of 80” – (at least age 48) when age + years of service = 80 or more

MSEP 2000 Members

• Age 62 + 5 years of service or
• “Rule of 80” – (at least age 48) when age + years of service = 80 or more at time of termination. 

MSEP 2011 Members

• Age 67 + 5 years of service or
• “Rule of 90” – (at least age 55) when age + years of service = 90 or more at time of termination

Not sure if you are in MSEP, MSEP 2000, or MSEP 2011? See What’s My Plan? with information about plan membership, retirement eligibility requirements, and other plan provisions.

Your W-2 form comes from your employer, not from MOSERS. You will need to reach out to your employer for your W-2.

MOSERS does provide you with a 1099-R tax form. We mailed your 1099-R form on January 21. You can also access it online by logging into myMOSERS You will find it under Personal Information and available for you to print. This form lists your 2020 retirement benefit income from MOSERS. You will need this form to file your income tax return. If you receive more than one benefit from MOSERS, you may receive more than one 1099-R from us

If applicable, all of the following deductions may be withheld from your MOSERS monthly pension benefit payment but they are all post-tax:

• Missouri income tax as specified on your W-4P (tax withholding form)

• Federal income tax as specified on your W-4P (Without this form, we are required to withhold federal taxes as if you are married claiming three allowances.)

• MOSERS optional life insurance premium

• Aflac insurance premium

• Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan (MCHCP) premium

• Department of Conservation’s health and life insurance premium(s)

• Miscellaneous deductions such as vision and dental insurance and Missouri State Employees Charitable Campaign (MSECC) contributions

However, information from ASI/MO Café indicates that in the year that you retire, you are entitled to pre-pay for health, dental, and vision coverage through the end of that calendar year. If you can afford to have money deducted from your paycheck before you retire or from any payout for unused annual leave, you can authorize a pre-tax lump-sum insurance deduction. There is also some information about it on MCHCP’s Retirement – State Members page. 

The COLA rate for 2021 is 0.987%. We calculate it every year in mid-January. This COLA rate applies to: 

• All retired members of MSEP 2000 and MSEP 2011
• MSEP retirees who have reached their 65% COLA cap
• MSEP retirees first employed on or after August 28, 1997

If you were employed before August 28, 1997, and retired under the MSEP, you will get a COLA of at least 4% each year (maximum 5%) until you reach your COLA cap. You reach the COLA cap when the sum of your COLAs equals 65% of your initial base benefit amount. After reaching your COLA cap, your annual COLA will be equal to 80% of the percentage increase in the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) from one year to the next, which, as noted above, is 0.987% for 2021.

The purpose of a COLA for any type of pay or retirement benefit is to help you cope with inflation. COLAs help you maintain your purchasing power as inflation increases the cost of various items you buy. See the article, The 2021 COLA is Here, and the COLA page on our website for more information. 

No, we are not aware of any legislative proposals related to a “70 and out” retirement. MOSERS administers retirement benefits but we do not have the authority to change plan provisions. Any change to the Rule of 80/”80 & Out” (or any other state employee pension provisions) would require a change in the law. Anytime the Missouri General Assembly is in session, you can follow any bills affecting MOSERS on our Legislation page.

RETIREMENT ELIGIBILITY  REQUIREMENTS

MSEP Members

• Age 65 + 5 years of service
• Age 60 + 15 years of service
• “Rule of 80” – (at least age 48) when age + years of service = 80 or more

MSEP 2000 Members

• Age 62 + 5 years of service
• “Rule of 80” – (at least age 48) when age + years of service = 80 or more

MSEP 2011 Members

• Age 67 + 5 years of service
• “Rule of 90” – (at least age 55) when age + years of service = 90 or more at time of termination

When you log in to myMOSERS to generate a benefit estimate or to retire online, our system will display your “Next Available Retirement Date(s)”. This may be a future date, even if you were already eligible for retirement. This is because there is a deadline for getting your retirement application in. If you don’t submit an application by the deadline for a given month, the system automatically rolls forward to your NEXT available retirement date.

For example, if you were initially eligible to retire on January 1 but didn’t apply, then you logged in to myMOSERS, in February, you would see a retirement date of April 1. Again, the reason for this is to retire on April 1, you need to apply by February 28. See the chart showing deadlines on our Ready to Retire page. You may apply for retirement up to 120 days prior to your retirement date. Please see the Retirement Guide or contact us if you have any questions about the retirement process.