• The guaranteed payment options allow you to name anyone as your beneficiary(ies) (does not have to be your spouse).
• Your retirement benefit will be reduced, and if you should pass before all the guaranteed payments have been made, any remaining payments will go to your beneficiary(ies).
• You must name a beneficiary or beneficiaries (person, trust, corporation, organization, charity, or your estate) to receive any remaining guaranteed payments.

No survivor payments will be paid if you have received all payments in the guaranteed period (other than the final payment).

We send Annual Benefit Statements in March to all active members. You can access last year’s statement by logging in to myMOSERS, clicking on Online Documents, and selecting Document Express. It is available to print or save as a PDF. Once all 2023 statements are sent, we will send you an email and you will be able to access this year’s statement by logging in to myMOSERS. If you have opted to receive paper notifications, we will mail your statement to you. Please be sure your email address and mailing address is up to date with us!

Retirees get their Annual Benefit Statement each year on the anniversary of their retirement date or BackDROP date. We send benefit statements to elected officials and members on LTD in July, and we send statements to vested former state employees once every 5 years. 

Yes, you may postpone your retirement.

If you have already submitted a Retirement Application and decide to postpone your retirement date, you must send a written notice to MOSERS. We must receive your written notice prior to issuing your first benefit payment (ideally by mid-February in the situation described). Once your first benefit payment has been mailed or electronically transferred by MOSERS, your retirement election is irrevocable and cannot be changed. You may submit this request on paper or by email to mosers@mosers.org  from an email address we already have on file for you.

Your new retirement date must be the first of the month and within 120 days of the date of your application. If you choose a date that is more than 120 days from the date of your application, you must complete a new application.

Example: If you filed your application on January 6 for a March 1 retirement date, you may postpone until April 1 or May 1 since those dates are within 120 days of January 6. If you decide to postpone your retirement until June 1 or later, you must submit a new application since June 1 is more than 120 days from January 6. 

All eligible state employees are members of a retirement plan based on when they are first employed in a MOSERS benefit-eligible position and their vested status.

 Our records indicate that you are a member of MSEP. State law allows members of MSEP to choose either MSEP or MSEP 2000 at the time of retirement. A plan will not be picked for you. Your plan is not dependent upon if you attend a Ready to Retire seminar or not. Additionally, you are not required to make that decision a year in advance.

 It is important for you to learn about the retirement process and your choices at retirement. Below are options:

• We have a Ready to Retire webinar on December 1, 2022, which we have opened up to additional attendees. You may register via myMOSERS or contact us at MOSERSEducation@mosers.org.
• At any time of year, you may call or make an in-person appointment to meet individually with a MOSERS benefit counselor to discuss your options.
• In mid-December, we will post the education schedule for next year to our website. We encourage you to watch for that and, as soon as possible, register to attend an in-person seminar or webinar.

This is a great question. Below is a breakdown of the benefit formula.

If you are a general state employee (including college and university employees), when you apply for retirement, your monthly base benefit* is calculated using a formula, as defined by law, that takes into account the following factors:

• Final Average Pay (FAP) – The average of your highest 36 consecutive months of compensation
• Multiplier – The multiplier established by the legislature (1.6% or 0.016 for MSEP; 1.7% or 0.017 for MSEP 2000 and MSEP 2011)
• Credited Service – Your years and months of credited service earned, purchased, or transferred, and unused sick leave (if applicable)

* Base benefit is the amount before any reductions, taxes, or other deductions.

Examples - Using the multiplier for MSEP 2000 or MSEP 2011 retirees:

$3,000 (FAP)   x   0.017 (Multiplier) 15 years (Credited Service)   =   $765 monthly base benefit

$3,500 (FAP)   x   0.017 (Multiplier) 17.5 years (Credited Service)   =   $1,041.25 monthly base benefit

$4,000 (FAP)   x   0.017 (Multiplier) 30 years (Credited Service)   =   $2,040 monthly base benefit

$_____ (FAP)   x   ____ (Multiplier) x ____ years (Credited Service) = $_______ monthly base benefit

There is also the Temporary Benefit, which is available if you retire under the "Rule of 80" (MSEP 2000) or the "Rule of 90" (MSEP 2011), and it provides you with an additional benefit until age 62 along with your base benefit. The formula for the Temporary Benefit is: Final Average Pay (FAP) x .008 (Multiplier) x Credited Service. At age 62, it ends but your base benefit continues.

You can log in to myMOSERS to generate a benefit estimate or contact a MOSERS benefit counselor. 

Since you are only two years from retirement, we encourage you to attend a Ready to Retire session to learn about the process. Registration is now open for 2022 sessions. Log in to myMOSERS to sign up. You can also contact a MOSERS benefit counselor to make a 1-on-1 appointment. Check out our Ready to Retire page and the Retirement Guide for more information.  

Retirement benefits for general state employees (including university employees) are calculated using a three-part formula: FAP x Multiplier x Credited Service = Monthly pension benefit payment. 

Learn more about your benefits in the Summary of Pension Benefit Provisions (All Plans) and by plan on our website: MSEP, MSEP 2000, and MSEP 2011.

You can change your mailing address by logging in to myMOSERS. Select Personal Information then click Update Personal Information. You can also make changes to your email address and phone number(s). Updates to email addresses become effective by the next working day. If you wish, you may choose a future date (up to 3 months ) for other changes to become effective. If you are unable to do so online, please contact a MOSERS benefit counselor, who would be happy to assist you.

The Authorization to Release Information form gives us your permission to share or discuss your benefit information with someone else. You may amend or revoke it at any time. You can also set it up to automatically revoke after 90 days. You may submit it at any time by logging in to myMOSERS. During the retirement process, we encourage you to submit this form but it is optional.

Common Reasons to Complete this Form

• Another Person Takes Care of Your Finances - Some members prefer to have a spouse, other family member, advisor, or some other trusted person assume the responsibility for getting information from MOSERS about their benefits either because that person is well versed in such matters or because it is simply easier for that person to understand or get the information in person, over the phone, or via email.
• Housing - If you move, your new housing provider may require proof of your income.
• Military Leave or Other Extended Absence - If you will be away from home for an extended period of time, you may wish to authorize another trusted person to be able to get information from MOSERS on your behalf.
• Change in Marital Status - If you previously completed an Authorization to Release Information form and later get married, divorced, remarried, or have another life event, you may want to consider completing and submitting a new form.

It is possible this employee may have prior state service or may have purchased or transferred service in order to meet the requirements for “80 and Out” or they may be misstating or misunderstanding the terminology. Also, it is important to remember that, in order to retire, members are not required to have age and service equal 80 (or 90 for MSEP 2011) if they meet another set of age and service requirements first. If you or your co-workers have any additional questions about retirement eligibility, see the requirements and click on the plan information below or contact a MOSERS benefit counselor.  

NORMAL (UNREDUCED) 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

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

EARLY (REDUCED) RETIREMENT ELIGIBILITY  REQUIREMENTS:

If you elect early retirement, your base benefit will be reduced by one-half of one percent (0.005) for each month your age at early retirement is younger than your normal retirement age.

MSEP: Age 55 with 10 years of service

MSEP 2000: Age 57 with 5 years of service

MSEP 2011: Age 62 with 5 years of service

Any member who is currently receiving a pension benefit of any kind or who is an inactive-vested member must submit proof to change their name or marital status.

Proof of name change is required:

• For any member when applying for retirement or after retirement if the name or information provided on the retirement application or other form differs from our records.
• For any member when applying for a refund of employee contributions.
• For any beneficiary applying for survivor or remaining guaranteed payments.

For proof of name change and marital status, we can accept a divorce decree or a marriage certificate.

We accept documents of proof in the format of photo or electronic copy. You can mail, e-mail, upload through myMOSERS account, or fax them to us.

If you have additional questions, please contact a MOSERS benefit counselor at (800) 827-1063 or (573) 632-6100.