Once you are vested (5 years of service for general state employees), you are eligible to receive a future pension benefit from MOSERS, even if you leave state employment. Once you reach retirement age and complete the retirement process, you will receive a monthly pension payment for your lifetime.

You cannot increase your 4% employee contributions that go into the MOSERS trust fund, but you can certainly increase the amount of supplemental savings that you put in MO Deferred Comp. For many state employees, income in retirement comes from three sources:

1. Your MOSERS defined benefit pension (based on your years of service and final average pay)
2. Social Security retirement benefits
3. Supplemental personal savings, such as with MO Deferred Comp

Another thing to consider is that, even if you aren’t vested, you may leave your employee contributions with the System if you think you might return to work for the state at some point in the future and would like for those years of service to count toward an eventual retirement benefit.  

However, if you leave state employment, you may request a refund of your employee contributions plus any credited interest. By law, there is a 90-day waiting period before we can issue a refund. By taking a refund, your forfeit all your credited service. You can log in to myMOSERS and find your total employee contributions plus any interest. Once logged in, click on the Personal Information tab. Then, click on Contribution Calculator. Scroll all the way to the bottom for your accumulated balance. If you are unable to log in, you may contact a MOSERS benefit counselor for your balance. See our Employee Contributions brochure for more information.

We are unable to see members’ paystubs so we can’t speak definitively to that information. Please speak with your employer regarding your pay stub details.

However, it sounds like you are referring to your employer’s contributions to MOSERS. As a member of MSEP 2011, you are part of the contributory defined benefit pension plan. By law, you contribute 4% of your pay toward your future pension benefits. Your employer also contributes a percentage of your payroll toward your future retirement benefits. Employee and employer contributions go into the MOSERS trust fund. The third and largest source of System funding is investment income. 

You can log in to myMOSERS and find your total employee contributions plus any interest. Once logged in, click on the Personal Information tab. Then, click on Contribution Calculator. Scroll all the way to the bottom for your accumulated balance. If you are unable to log in, you may contact a MOSERS benefit counselor for your balance. 

As a member of MSEP 2011, if you leave state employment, you may request a refund of your employee contributions plus any interest. By taking a refund, you forfeit your service and eligibility for future retirement benefits. Alternatively, when eligible, you can retire and receive a monthly pension benefit for life. Your monthly benefit is based on your final average pay and years of service.

Please see our Employee Contributions brochure (MSEP 2011 & Judicial Plan 2011) and the MSEP 2011 web page for more information. 

We will not have all the data we need to calculate the 2023 COLA until mid-January. As you noted, by law, the maximum increase for the COLA in a single year is 5%. COLAs for most retirees are equal to 80% of the percentage increase in the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) from one year to the next, with a maximum of 5% (minimum of 0%). We will post the 2023 COLA to our website in January. Be sure to visit the COLA page on our website for more information. 

I believe you may be referring to a 1099-R form.

 A 1099-R shows distributions you have received from pensions and other retirement plans. A W-2 form comes from an employer, not from MOSERS. A W-2 shows income you’ve earned from your employer.

MOSERS provides you with a 1099-R tax form. This form lists your 2022 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.

We will mail your 1099-R form by the end of January 2023. You can also access it online by logging into myMOSERS. You will find it under Personal Information and available for you to save or print. 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.

Congrats on your upcoming retirement! Yes, we do offer our Ready to Retire session as both in-person seminars and online webinars. As a member who has less than 5 years until retirement eligibility, attending a Ready to Retire session is a great decision and one that will allow you to learn more about the retirement process and how you can prepare. Our seminars are full for the remainder of this year, however, we will be releasing the education schedules for 2023 in mid-December. Be sure to check the Education page on our website and watch your email for updates.  

If you are retired and not a Missouri resident, please contact the Missouri Department of Revenue and state tax agency in your state for additional information, to inquire if you will need to file a state tax return in either or both states, and to determine the taxability of your MOSERS benefit where you live. Our staff is not authorized to provide tax advice.

You can find a replacement copy of your 1099-R form by logging into myMOSERS. Select Personal Information and from there you will find it available for you to download and print.

The process for changing your name or marital status in our system is different, depending on if you are an active employee or if you are receiving a MOSERS benefit.

Retirees and Beneficiaries

If you are currently receiving a pension benefit of any kind, you must submit proof to MOSERS to change your name or marital status. For proof of name change, we accept an updated Missouri driver’s license showing your new name. For proof of name change and marital status change, we can accept a divorce decree or a marriage certificate.

We also require proof of name change for any inactive vested member or beneficiary applying for survivor or remaining guaranteed payments.

We accept documents of proof in the form of photo or electronic copy. You can mail, e-mail, fax, or upload documents through myMOSERS

Active Employees

If you are currently an active state employee, you do not have to provide documentation for a name change or marital status change. You can update your marital status by logging in to myMOSERS. Simply select Personal Information, then click Update Information and scroll down to change your marital status.

If you are unable to log in, contact a MOSERS benefit counselor for assistance. 

No, you cannot add or increase life insurance through MOSERS once you have retired. Below are the guidelines.

Basic Retiree Coverage After Retirement

• If you retire within 60 days of leaving state employment, the state will continue to provide you with $5,000 of coverage at no cost to you.
• If you wish to do so, you have 60 days from your retirement date to port or convert any remaining basic life insurance through The Standard Insurance Company.

Optional Life Insurance and Retaining Coverage After Retirement

If you retire within 60 days of leaving state employment, or retire directly from active employment, you may be eligible to retain some of your optional life insurance coverage.

• You may retain up to $60,000 in coverage if you are a member of MSEP. Your coverage cannot exceed the amount your carried while actively employed.
• You may retain all of your optional coverage until age 62 if you are a general state employee who retired under the “Rule of 80” (MSEP 2000) or the “Rule of 90” (MSEP 2011). At age 62, your coverage will automatically reduce to a maximum of $60,000.

Please feel free to contact a MOSERS benefit counselor if you have more questions or you can view our Life Insurance page.

No, the Temporary Benefit does not affect your Social Security benefit. The Temporary Benefit is a MOSERS plan provision only that is designed to provide you with a supplemental income until age 62 if you elect normal retirement prior to age 62.

The funding for it does not come from Social Security and it doesn’t impact your Social Security benefit amount. As a reminder, the Temporary Benefit is available to MSEP 2000 members but not MSEP members, so you must retire under MSEP 2000 to receive it. The Temporary Benefit and any COLAs earned on that amount will stop at age 62 regardless of whether you take early Social Security or not, but your base benefit will continue for life. For more information, contact a MOSERS benefit counselor or review the General Employees’ Retirement Handbook (MSEP & MSEP 2000).