We will calculate the COLA in mid-January (once all the data is available) and post it on our website. Be sure to keep an eye out for it!

According to Missouri state law, each January, MOSERS must compare the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the calendar year just completed (2024) to the average CPI from the prior year (2023) to determine the percentage change between the two years. For general state employees, COLAs are based on 80% of the percentage increase in the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) from one year to the next. The maximum increase is 5% (minimum 0%).

How MOSERS calculates the COLA for retirees is outlined in state law. The Social Security Administration uses a different process to calculate COLAs for Social Security benefits:

• SSA uses the CPI-W index; MOSERS uses the CPI-U index, the Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers.
• SSA bases their COLA off the 3rd calendar quarter change; MOSERS COLAs are based on the percentage increase in the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) from one year to the next using data from the entire year.
• The SSA COLA is 100% of the change; the MOSERS COLA is 80% of the percentage increase from one year to the next.

See the Cost-of-Living Adjustments page on our website for more information.

UPDATE: See The 2025 COLA is here. 

All retired general state employees will receive a 3.293% COLA in 2024. MOSERS provides annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) to retired members and their surviving beneficiaries. A COLA increases your pay or pension benefits to help with inflation, allowing you to maintain your purchasing power as the cost of goods and services increases.

You will receive your COLA on the anniversary of your retirement date, with the following exceptions:

• If you converted from MSEP to MSEP 2000 during the conversion window in 2000, you would receive your COLA in July.
• If you elected BackDROP, you will receive your COLA on the anniversary of your BackDROP date.
• If you are a retired inactive-vested member of MSEP 2011, you will receive your first COLA on the second anniversary of your retirement (rather than the first anniversary).
• If you are a retired legislator who took office after July 1, 2000, your benefit will be adjusted according to the increase in pay for an active member of the general assembly. No other COLAs will be provided.
• If you are a retired statewide elected official who took office after July 1, 2000, your benefit will be adjusted according to the increase in pay for an active member in that office. No other COLAs will be provided.

Yes. General state employees who retire under MSEP 2000 or MSEP 2011, who are eligible for the temporary benefit, will continue to receive an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) on their continuing base benefit after their temporary benefit ends. 

Any COLAs associated to the temporary benefit, and the temporary benefit itself, will end directly after the member’s 62^nd birthday. To learn more, see our Cost-of-Living Adjustments page. 

Retirees will receive their first COLA on the anniversary month of their retirement. The amount of the COLA for the calendar year is calculated each year in January. The COLA this year is 5%.

COLAs are payable on the anniversary of your retirement date except for:

• Retirees who converted from MSEP to MSEP 2000 during the conversion window in 2000 will have COLAs payable in July.
• Retirees who elected a BackDROP will have COLAs payable on the anniversary of their BackDROP date.
• Retirees who were terminated-vested members of the MSEP 2011 will receive their first COLA on the second anniversary of their retirement (rather than the first anniversary).

We will send you a notice, either in the mail or in your MOSERS Document Express online mailbox, during the month when you get your COLA.

Please see the COLA page on our website for additional 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. 

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%). 

You may have read information about another type of COLA Cap: Members employed before August 28, 1997, who retired under MSEP, have a COLA cap. Retirees in this situation, get a guaranteed COLA of at least 4% each year (maximum 5%) until they reach the COLA cap. They reach the COLA cap when the sum of their COLAs equals 65% of their initial benefit amount.

Example:

$1,000 (Initial Base Benefit) x .65 (65%) = $ 650 (COLA Cap) 

• After reaching the COLA cap, annual COLAs will be equal to 80% of the percentage increase in the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) from one year to the next. The minimum is 0% and the maximum is 5%. In other words, retirees eligible for the guaranteed 4% COLA continue receiving a COLA after reaching the COLA cap, however, it isn’t guaranteed at any rate.
• Typically, members reach the COLA cap around 12 to 13 years after retirement.

The maximum cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for MOSERS retirees and beneficiaries is 5%. If the percentage change in the CPI from one year to the next were 5%, the COLA would be 4% (80% of 5%). If the percentage change in the CPI from one year to the next were 6.2%, the COLA would be 4.96% (80% of 6.2%). If the percentage change in the CPI from one year to the next were 10%, the COLA would be 5% (80% of 10% is 8% but the maximum COLA is 5%).

The COLA that our retirees or their beneficiaries will receive this year is 3.758%. 

This is a great question! The source you reference is comparing the change from just the month of December in 2020 to just the month of December in 2021. According to Missouri state law, each January, MOSERS must compare the average monthly values of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the calendar year just completed (2021) to the average CPI from the prior year (2020) to determine the percentage change between the two years. For example, while the difference from the month of December 2020 to the month of December 2021 was nearly 7%, the difference from January 2020 to January 2021 was 1.38%. We must use the average change from one year to the next. Please see the 2022 COLA Calculation Memo for details.

 As you noted, for general state employees, COLAs are based on 80% of the percentage increase in the average (CPI) from one year to the next. The maximum increase is 5% (minimum 0%). Please see the article, The 2022 COLA is Here, for additional information. 

The COLA rate for 2022 is 3.758%.

According to Missouri state law, MOSERS calculates COLAS as follows:

Each January, we must compare the average Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the calendar year just completed (2021) to the average CPI from the prior year (2020) to determine the percentage change between the two years. For general state employees, COLAs are based on 80% of the percentage increase in the average (CPI) from one year to the next. The maximum increase is 5% (minimum 0%).

The 2022 COLA rate of 3.758% applies to: 

• All retired members of MSEP 2000 and MSEP 2011
• MSEP retirees who have reached their 65% COLA cap
• MSEP retirees first employed on or after August 28, 1997

If you were employed before August 28, 1997, and retired under MSEP, you will get a COLA of at least 4% each year (maximum 5%) until you reach your COLA cap. You reach the COLA cap when the sum of your COLAs equals 65% of your initial base benefit amount. After reaching your COLA cap, your annual COLA will be equal to 80% of the percentage increase in the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) from one year to the next, which, as noted above, is 3.758 for 2022.

The purpose of a COLA for any type of pay or retirement benefit is to help you cope with inflation. COLAs help you maintain your purchasing power as inflation increases the cost of various items you buy. See the article, The 2022 COLA is Here, and the COLA page on our website for more information.