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  • MSEP 2011 and BackDROP

    Aug 22, 2023, 2:01 PM By MOSERS

    Why are MSEP 2011 employees not eligible for BackDROP?

    All benefit provisions are outlined in law and MOSERS must administer benefits according to the law. In 2010, the Missouri General Assembly made changes to pension plans including the elimination of BackDROP for newer state employees. However, state employees retained the valuable defined benefit plan structure, which provides lifetime retirement benefits. BackDROP is available only to general state employees in MSEP and MSEP 2000. You can track proposed legislative changes on our Legislation page when the General Assembly is in session from January through mid-May.

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  • Notifying MOSERS about BackDROP

    Aug 8, 2023, 2:23 PM By MOSERS
    If my retirement for example is 1/1/2024 and I elect to continue... Do I notify Mosers and let you know I am doing a back drop or does it automatically start as a back drop from that date

    You do not need to notify MOSERS of any decisions about BackDROP until you are completing the retirement process. You can just keep working. Also, you are not required to take BackDROP, regardless of how long you work beyond normal retirement eligibility. We encourage you to sign up for a Ready to Retire seminar or webinar where we will explain the retirement process and BackDROP in more detail. If you register and provide an anticipated retirement date at least two years beyond your normal retirement eligibility date, we will provide benefit estimates with and without BackDROP.

    Please note that BackDROP is available only to general state employees in MSEP or MSEP 2000. To be eligible for BackDROP, you must continue working in a MOSERS benefit-eligible position for at least two years beyond your normal retirement eligibility.


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  • Understanding the BackDROP Period

    Apr 4, 2023, 4:07 PM By MOSERS
    I am eligible for retirement January 1, 2025. If I choose to do a backdrop say for instance for 5 years. So continue working until January 1, 2030. Can I continue working after the 5 year back drop? I am aware that my pay will remain the same pay rate the day I retire until I leave employment. 

    Yes, you may continue working as many years as you like beyond your initial retirement eligibility date. If, at retirement, you elect BackDROP, this would affect when your BackDROP period would start. Your BackDROP period will always be the period immediately prior to actual retirement date.

    Based on your example:

    If you are initially eligible to retire 1/1/2025, but decide to work to 10 more years, retiring in 1/1/2035, and elect a 5-year BackDROP, your BackDROP period would start 1/1/2030.

    If you elect a BackDROP, we will calculate your monthly benefit using your final average pay (FAP) and credited service as of your BackDROP date. We would look at your entire pay history prior to the BackDROP period and find the highest 36-consecutive months of pay. We will not include any service credit or pay (including pay increases, overtime, etc.) earned during the BackDROP period to calculate your monthly pension payment.

    See the BackDROP page on our website or contact a MOSERS benefit counselor for more information.

    Note: BackDROP is available only to general state employees (including university employees) in MSEP and MSEP 2000. 

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  • BackDROP Options

    Mar 7, 2023, 3:40 PM By MOSERS

    Hi Folks, Just wondering if a person earns Backdrop time, if they can cash out some of their Backdrop and roll over the rest into Deferred Comp, CD"s etc? Thank you.

    Yes, if you are eligible for and elect BackDROP, you have three options for your BackDROP lump-sum payment:

    • 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, such as Mo Deferred Comp. 
    • 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.  

    MO Deferred Comp is a qualified employer plan and you may be able to roll over your funds to them. Before you make any decisions, we recommend that you read the Special Tax Notice to ensure you understand the tax implications of your choice. We also encourage you to consult a tax professional. Read Thinking About the BackDROP? for more information.

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  • The BackDROP Period

    Feb 21, 2023, 11:37 AM By MOSERS
    If an employee is eligible to retire and stays more than 5 years past normal retirement eligibility ( I will use 10 years as an example), does the 5 year Backdrop period start from the time of normal retirement eligibility or does it start 5 years prior to whenever the employee actually retires? If so, which time period is used to calculate the FAP at retirement?

    In the example you gave and assuming the employee elected a 5-year BackDROP, the BackDROP period would be the 5 years prior to when they actually retire.

    The BackDROP period is the period of time between the employee’s BackDROP date (the day their BackDROP period begins) and their actual retirement date. The maximum BackDROP period is five years. The BackDROP date can move depending on when the employee actually retires and the BackDROP period they elect at retirement.

    For example:

    If the employee is initially eligible to retire 3/1/2023, but decides to work to 10 more years, retires 3/1/2033, and elects a 5-year BackDROP, their BackDROP period would start 3/1/2028.

    If they elect a BackDROP, we will calculate their monthly benefit using their final average pay (FAP) and credited service as of their BackDROP date. We would look at the employee’s entire pay history prior to the BackDROP period and find the highest 36-consecutive months of pay. We will not include any service credit or pay (including pay increases, overtime, etc.) earned during the BackDROP period to calculate their monthly pension payment.

    See the BackDROP page on our website for more information.

    Note: BackDROP is available only to general state employees (including university employees) in MSEP and MSEP 2000. 

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  • State Taxes and BackDROP

    Mar 23, 2022, 1:31 PM By MOSERS
    As a recent retiree, I had a bad shock from my 2021 taxes when I discovered state withholding taxes were not taken out of my lump sum retirement benefit.  Despite the language on the BackDrop distribution form mentioning state and local taxes were my responsibility, I assumed since MOSERS took care of the Federal taxes they would take care of state taxes.  I don't recall this being covered in various pre-retirement information. You may want to make this information more prevalent to retirees,

    Thank you for your email. While we mention the member’s responsibility for state taxes on BackDROP cash payments in the Ready to Retire seminar (and reference book) and on the BackDROP Distribution form, we appreciate your feedback and will try and highlight this point in the future. 

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  • High 36 and the Rule of 80

    Feb 23, 2022, 3:56 PM By MOSERS

     A co-worker told me that any pay I earn after my "Rule of 80" date doesn't count toward by 3 highest years. I am currently in back drop, but wanted to postpone my retirement if the state raises salaries by 5.5%. This co-worker said they talked to a MOSERS benefit counselor and were told anything past the date they can "80 and out" isn't used for the 3 highest years to calculate benefits. I have never gotten that impression in the retirement seminars I've attended. Please help! Thank you

    When you make an application to retire with MOSERS, you will have options regarding how your retirement benefit will be paid. BackDROP is simply another payment option available to you if you have worked at least 2 years beyond eligibility for normal retirement (“Rule of 80” or any other age & service eligibility criteria).   

    If you work beyond when your reach eligibility for normal retirement (under the “Rule of 80” or any other eligibility criteria), your pay can be included in your highest 36 months of pay IF it is not in your BackDROP period.

    Any pay or service you get during your BackDROP period is not counted when calculating your monthly benefit payment. If you become eligible for and elect the BackDROP upon retirement, your highest 36 consecutive months would be determined from your MOSERS-covered work history prior to your BackDROP date.

    But keep in mind, 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.

    Options:

    • You may elect not to take BackDROP, if you want all your service and pay to count and, likely, increase your monthly benefit, or,
    • You could elect to take a shorter BackDROP period, or
    • You could work additional years, if you want to take advantage of a significant increase in pay being included in your Final Average Pay.

    Our BackDROP page, with a BackDROP graphic near the bottom, may help you visualize how it works or you can read the BackDROP brochure for more information. BackDROP can be complicated to understand, so MOSERS benefit counselors are available to help by phone or through an in-person appointment.

    Note: BackDROP is available only to general state employees (including university employees) in MSEP and MSEP 2000. 

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  • Tax Penalty and BackDROP

    Feb 15, 2022, 1:45 PM By MOSERS
    This year(2022) I will be 54 and will have completed 32 years working for the State. I will have my 5 year backdrop complete in 2024 at age 56. I plan to roll over my back drop sum. Will I be penalized for collecting my monthly retirement checks before 59-1/2? 

    Once you meet both the age and service requirements for normal retirement, there is no tax penalty for collecting your monthly defined benefit pension payment from MOSERS prior to age 59 ½.

    Given a retirement of age 55 or later and a rollover of a BackDROP payment to a qualified retirement account *(such as MO Deferred Comp), future withdrawals from that account prior to age 59 ½ would not be subject to a 10% early withdrawal penalty.

    For further reference, please see the Special Tax Notice brochure for more details.

    *Excludes Individual Retirement Accounts (IRA’s).

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  • A Breakdown of BackDROP

    Jun 21, 2021, 4:15 PM By MOSERS
     I have never understood what "back drop" means. I do not think it was ever explained to me at the time of retirement.

    In order to be eligible for the BackDROP, a member must work at least 2 years past their first normal retirement date. The "DROP" in BackDROP stands for Deferred Retirement Option Provision. With BackDROP, eligible members can get a one-time lump-sum payment in addition to their monthly pension payments from MOSERS. Members can make the choice to take BackDROP on their Retirement Election form.

    The BackDROP period is the period of time between a member’s BackDROP date (the day their BackDROP period begins) and their actual retirement date. The maximum BackDROP period is five years. The lump-sum payment is equal to 90% of the pension benefits (based on the Life Income Annuity option) that the member would have received during the BackDROP period had they been retired. Choosing BackDROP will, most likely, reduce the amount of their monthly benefit. 

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  • BackDROP Lump-Sum Payment Explained

    Apr 28, 2021, 4:08 PM By MOSERS
    I am planning to retire in 2024 and at that time, I would receive my full backdrop. I need a better understanding of the "backdrop". After retiring, can I draw from my back drop as needed or is there a set amount of money that I will get monthly? 

    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.

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We strive to provide the most accurate information possible in our answers to Rumor Central questions. However, occasionally, laws, policies or provisions change and individual circumstances may vary. Please contact a MOSERS benefit counselor or see the handbooks in our website Library for more detailed information. If there is any difference between the information provided in this blog or on the MOSERS website and the law or policies that govern MOSERS, the law and policies will prevail. See our Privacy, Security & Legal Notices for more information.