With BackDROP, you will get a lump-sum payment at retirement in addition to your monthly pension payments from MOSERS. Choosing BackDROP will, most likely, reduce the amount of your ongoing monthly benefit payments. We will provide you with Benefit Estimates at the time of retirement to show your BackDROP options and the impact of taking BackDROP on your monthly benefit payments. You can get estimates at any time by logging in to myMOSERS or by contacting a MOSERS benefit counselor.

At retirement, we will ask you if you want to elect BackDROP or not and, if so, how you want to take your BackDROP lump-sum payment. Your choices are to take it as a cash payment, as a direct rollover to an individual retirement account or eligible employer plan such as MO Deferred Comp, or as a combination of cash and rollover

Along with your first monthly pension benefit payment, we will issue your BackDROP payment (as either cash, rollover, or a combination) on the last working day of the month in which you retire.

Your question about how much you can draw from your BackDROP is really about taxes and possible IRS penalties.

• Cash Option: This is either one lump-sum payment at retirement or three annual installments. From any amounts paid in cash, we will deduct 20% for federal income tax (as required by the IRS) and any Missouri state income tax withholding you choose. You will be responsible for any IRS early withdrawal penalties that may apply.
• Rollover Option: We will send your tax-deferred distribution directly to a qualified employer plan. See the MO Deferred Comp flyer, Thinking About the BackDROP?, for more information.
• Combination Cash & Rollover Option: You can take a portion of the lump sum in cash (less 20% for federal income tax, as required by the IRS, and any Missouri state income tax you choose to have withheld) and roll the rest over to a qualified employer plan. You will be responsible for any IRS early withdrawal penalties that may apply.  

Visit the BackDROP page on our website for additional information.

Note: BackDROP is available only to general state employees in MSEP and MSEP 2000 who work at least two years beyond normal retirement eligibility.

Yes, overtime can increase a member’s pension benefits.

Retirement benefits for general state employees are calculated using a three-part formula: Final Average Pay (FAP)  x credited service  x  a multiplier =  Monthly Base Benefit

To calculate your pension benefit, we will use your highest 36 full consecutive months of pay – wherever that occurs in your individual pay history. 

In identifying your “high 36” months, overtime pay is included in the pay period for which it was earned. 

The multiplier for general state employees in MSEP is 1.6%; it is 1.7% for general state employees in MSEP 2000 and MSEP 2011.

You will need your 1099-R form from MOSERS to file your federal income tax return. You may have already received yours in the mail back in early February. If you prefer an electronic copy of your 1099-R or if you find you need a replacement copy of it, simply log in to  myMOSERS  and you will find it listed under Personal Information. It is available to print.

If you lived in Missouri at any point during the tax year, you may owe Missouri state taxes, but you may also qualify for the Missouri State Public Pension Exemption. Contact the Missouri Department of Revenue and state tax agency in Michigan for additional information about and to inquire if you will need to file a state tax return in either or both states. 

Yes, that is correct. The benefit you receive through MOSERS is considered a public pension for tax reporting purposes. If you are a Missouri resident, you may qualify for the Public Pension Exemption. Visit the Missouri Department of Revenue's Public Pension Exemption page or read our Missouri Public Pension Exemption flyer for more information. Additionally, you can visit the Taxes page on our website.

 Yes, there is an early retirement option for members who are members of the MSEP 2000. What we referenced in the previous Rumor Central post was just normal retirement eligibility, not early retirement eligibility. You can find more information on our MSEP 2000 web page.

To update your beneficiary designations, log in to myMOSERS. Complete and submit the Designation/Change of Beneficiaries form (“Life Ins Beneficiaries” from the Forms drop-down menu) for basic and optional life insurance. If you are a member of the MSEP 2011 or the Judicial Plan 2011, you should also complete and submit the Contribution Beneficiaries form for your employee contributions.

If you cannot log in to submit the forms online, contact a MOSERS benefit counselor at mosers@mosers.org, (800) 827-1063 or (573) 632-6100 to request paper forms, which we will mail to your home address.

If you participate in the state’s deferred compensation program, you may want to update your beneficiaries with MO Deferred Comp, as well.

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.