Thank you so much for your interest in Rumor Central and in notifications, in particular! Usually, the busiest time for Rumor Central is January through May during the legislative session. Summer months tend to be somewhat slow for Rumor Central questions. This year, perhaps due to the pandemic and people working from home, it seems to be even slower. However, I expect that we will start getting more questions once the session begins again. 

You are correct. We used to send updates once each week or every other week. However, in August, since we had just two questions, we did not send an update to subscribers. Going forward, our intention is to send an email update, at minimum, once a month on the third Friday of each month. We will send them more often if we get several questions.

The amount of a BackDROP lump sum could decrease if you were eligible to retire before age 62 but worked beyond age 62 and retired under MSEP 2000. This is due to a provision in MSEP 2000 called the Temporary Benefit. The Temporary Benefit is an amount paid to you in addition to your Base Benefit but the Temporary Benefit ends at age 62. The 5-year milestone significance is that it is the longest BackDROP period allowed by the state statutes.

Since your BackDROP lump-sum amount is 90% of what you would have received if you had been retired during the BackDROP period, it can max out at age 62 under the MSEP 2000 and begin decreasing if you work beyond age 62 (and retire under MSEP 2000).

The Temporary Benefit is not available to those who retire under MSEP, so your MSEP BackDROP lump-sum amount will not decrease if your work beyond age 62 and retire under MSEP.

You are not required to take BackDROP, regardless of how long you work beyond normal retirement eligibility, and you don’t have to notify MOSERS of any decisions about BackDROP until you retire.

The BackDROP is simply a benefit payment option that is available to eligible members. Members who are or may become eligible for BackDROP are encouraged to attend a Ready to Retire/PreRetirement Planning Seminar and/or contact a MOSERS benefit counselor to make an appointment for further explanation.

*BackDROP is available only to general state employees who are members of MSEP & MSEP 2000 and who work at least two years beyond normal retirement eligibility

I would encourage you to utilize our Comparison Calculator to look at different scenarios. Additionally, our benefit counselors would be happy to provide you with a more in-depth explanation of BackDROP, your options, and various benefit estimates under different scenarios. Contact us to schedule an appointment or virtual counseling session.

As you are aware, a retirement incentive would require legislative authorization. The specific provisions of any such proposed legislation would determine timeframes and who would be eligible. We are not aware of any such proposals. You can follow any bills affecting MOSERS on our Legislation page. 

Yes. You or your beneficiary or a survivor will receive, at minimum, benefit payments or a refund in an amount equal to what you contributed and any interest credited thereon, less any benefits received. 

For example, let’s assume the following (numbers rounded for simplicity):

• Your member contributions plus interest (earned on your contributions while you were actively employed) equaled $10,000.
• You retired and you receive a monthly benefit of $800 per month.
• During the 10th month, unfortunately, you pass away.
• We will pay your final benefit payment at the end of the month in which you die to the person or entity you designated to receive your final benefit payment. At this point, MOSERS would have paid $8,000 in benefits.
• If you elected a benefit payment option on your Election Form resulting in a spouse or someone else becoming eligible to receive a benefit based on your service, MOSERS would begin payments to that person, according to the election you made.
• If you elected the Life Income Annuity, which has no ongoing survivor benefits, then the person or entity you designated to receive a refund of your member contributions would receive the balance of $2,000.
• If you died without designating a beneficiary, we would pay the refund in the following order to your:
  • Surviving spouse (to whom you were married at the time of death)
  • Surviving children (divided equally)
  • Surviving parents (divided equally)
  • Surviving brothers and sisters (divided equally)

If there are no eligible family members, your final benefit payment will be paid as otherwise permitted by law.

You can log in to myMOSERS to check and/or update your Final Payment Beneficiary and/or Contribution Beneficiaries under Forms from your Member Homepage. Feel free to contact MOSERS with any questions for additional assistance. 

No, we are not aware of any legislative proposals related to these rumors. MOSERS administers retirement benefits but we do not have the authority to change plan provisions. Any retirement incentive, such as paying retiree medical insurance or changing retirement eligibility rules, would require legislative authorization. There were no retirement incentives that passed during the recent legislative session, which ended May 15. Any time the Missouri General Assembly is in session, you can follow any bills affecting MOSERS on our Legislation page. If the Governor were to call a special session of the General Assembly having to do with the state employee benefits that we administer, we will post that information on our website. Otherwise, the General Assembly will meet again in January 2021. 

RETIREMENT ELIGIBLILITY  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
  

HB 1467 has NO impact on employee contributions to MOSERS.

As it relates to employee contributions, this bill affects members of the Missouri Local Government Employees’ Retirement System (LAGERS), NOT state employees.

(House Bill 1467, which the Governor signed on July 13, extends LAGERS employers' options for the employee contribution election from the current 0% or 4% employee contribution to a 0%, 2%, 4%, or 6% employee contribution election.)

Currently, members of MSEP 2011 and the Judicial Plan 2011 contribute 4% of their pay toward their future retirement benefit with MOSERS. We are not aware of any proposals to require other state employees (members of MSEP and MSEP 2000) to contribute.

See our Legislation page for more information and to follow any bills affecting MOSERS.

You cannot access your pension from MOSERS until you are eligible for retirement. However, if you have money in the MO Deferred Comp 457 retirement savings plan, in-service withdrawals from your account are permitted under the following circumstances; 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. Please visit https://www.modeferredcomp.org for more information or, if you have any questions, please call (800) 392-0925.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act provides a new in-service distribution type from a plan or IRA called a “coronavirus-related distribution” (CRD). To be eligible for CRD treatment, the distribution must be made to an individual who is diagnosed with the disease, has a spouse or dependent who is diagnosed, or has experienced adverse financial consequences as a result of the disease. Employees may self-certify eligibility. More info on the CARES act, qualifications and provisions can be found here: https://www.modeferredcomp.org/news/2020-caresact.html

No. Currently, members of MSEP 2011 and the Judicial Plan 2011 contribute 4% of their pay toward their future retirement benefit. We are not aware of any proposed legislation to require other state employees (members of MSEP and MSEP 2000) to contribute. See our Legislation page for more information and to follow any bills affecting MOSERS.