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  • Final Average Pay (FAP) and "High 36"

    Jan 27, 2022, 4:06 PM By MOSERS
    Everyone talks about your "BIG THREE" as far as retirement goes. How does this work? Is it the top three in all years of service? Do they have to be in a row? Can they be spread out? Does that included Backdrop time? What if your income for the years served are higher than the salary of a specified job? For example, if you made $70,000 but your max pay for that job is $49,000 what is your retirement based on? Never was explained clearly. Thank You.

    When you retire, you will get a monthly pension benefit for life. Your 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 pay

    Multiplier – The multiplier established by the legislature

    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.)

     To answer your questions, specifically,

    • Is it the top three in all years of service? Do they have to be in a row? Can they be spread out? It is your highest 36 consecutive months pay. We will look at your entire pay history and find the “high 36”.  All 36 months must be in a row.
    • Does that include Backdrop time? No. If you elect BackDROP at retirement, any pay earned during the BackDROP period does not count in your “high 36”.
    • What if your income for the years served are higher than the salary of a specified job? For example, if you made $70,000 but your max pay for that job is $49,000 what is your retirement based on? We look at your gross pay, as reported by your employer, which may include overtime pay and holiday pay. We do not look at your job title or pay ranges.

     

    Here is an example of how the base benefit formula works for a person whose gross pay is $50,000 per year (for at least 36 months) and who retires under MSEP 2000 with 25 years of service:

     FAP ($4,167) x Multiplier (0.017) x Credited Service (25) = $1,770.98 monthly base benefit in retirement

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  • Annual Leave Payout for Health Insurance Premiums

    Jan 27, 2022, 10:13 AM By MOSERS

    When you retire can you turn in your Annual Leave to pay for your health insurance to cover the rest of the year you retire?

    Yes, there is an option to pre-pay health insurance premiums in retirement with a payout for unused annual leave. However, this is outside of the scope of benefits that MOSERS administers.

    Please contact your HR office, MCHCP, and ASI Flex for details on the forms you will need to complete and the associated deadlines. Additionally, we encourage you to check with your human resources office about policies on annual and sick leave accrual and usage before retirement. 

    Please note that the amount of your unused annual leave has no impact on your MOSERS retirement benefits.

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  • W-2 vs.1099-R

    Jan 26, 2022, 3:24 PM By MOSERS
    tax forms. W2 vs. Form 1099R Are these the same forms

    No, they are not the same. A W-2 form comes from an employer, not from MOSERS. A W-2 shows income you’ve earned from your employer. A 1099-R shows distributions you have received from pensions and other retirement plans.

    MOSERS provides you with a 1099-R tax form. This form lists your 2021 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. 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.

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  • 2022 COLA Rate

    Jan 25, 2022, 9:17 AM By MOSERS
    Will we get the 5% Cola this year? Medicare gave a raise of 5.9%. If not please explain.

    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. 

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  • Retirement Application Due Date

    Jan 21, 2022, 10:04 AM By MOSERS
     How far in advance of retirement do you need to turn in your paperwork?

    There must be one entire month between the date we receive your application and your retirement date. For example, if your retirement date is March 1, your Retirement Application is due no later than January 31 and your Retirement Election Form is due no later than February 28. You can submit your retirement application as early as 4 months (120 days) prior to your retirement date.

    Visit our Ready to Retire page to view the table showing all due dates. You can also find the due dates on p. 6 of the Retirement Guide along with step-by-step instructions for the retirement process. We also encourage you to participate in a Ready to Retire Webinar or Seminar

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  • 1099-R Tax Forms are Coming Soon

    Jan 11, 2022, 4:21 PM By MOSERS
    Hi, When will we receive our 2021 tax forms for pensions and for deferred comp rmds? Thanks!

    We will mail your MOSERS 1099-R tax form to you by the end of January. After we have mailed it, your MOSERS 1099-R will also be available for you to view and print or save from your Document Express online mailbox after you log in to myMOSERS. This form lists your 2021 pension 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. For more information, please see our latest news item regarding 1099-Rs.

    Your 1099-R tax form from the MO Deferred Comp Plan will be available in your online account by the fourth week of January 2022. The plan will also mail you a copy no later than January 31, 2022.

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  • Unused Sick Leave and the MSEP 2011

    Dec 30, 2021, 11:52 AM By MOSERS

    I am under the MSEP 2011 pension plan. Will my unused sick leave apply towards qualifying service at time of retirement or upon leaving State employment once vested?

    A member of MSEP 2011, who leaves state employment after January 1, 2018 but prior to being eligible for early or normal retirement, will get no service credit for unused sick leave. However, a member of MSEP 2011 who remains employed until they reach early or normal retirement eligibility will receive one month of credited service for every 168 hours of unused sick leave.

    Unused sick leave cannot be used to determine retirement eligibility – it will not allow you to retire sooner – but it converts to credited service, which can increase your monthly pension benefit. 

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  • Ex Spouses and Pension Benefits

    Dec 21, 2021, 4:10 PM By MOSERS
    If my ex spouse remarried before I receive benefits do they still get half? 

    Yes, pension benefit payments to your ex-spouse will commence when you begin receiving benefits from MOSERS in accordance with applicable statutes and the Division of Benefits Order(DBO) we have on file for you. Re-marriage of your ex-spouse does not affect their eligibility to receive their portion of your benefit. Upon either your death or the death of your ex-spouse, the DBO will automatically terminate.

    See the Divorce and Your Pension Benefit brochure for more information. 

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  • COLA for Retirees

    Dec 17, 2021, 3:56 PM By MOSERS
    If I retire in August of 2022 will I get that years cola.

    A general state employee who retires directly from active service will receive their first COLA on the anniversary month of their retirement. So, if you retire in August of 2022, you will receive your first COLA in August of 2023. The amount of the COLA for the calendar year is calculated each year in January.  

    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.
    • 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.

    *If you retired under MSEP, and were hired before August 28, 1997, your COLA may be different. See “What is the COLA cap?”

    Please see the COLA page on our website for additional information.

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  • Benefit Formula Breakdown

    Dec 16, 2021, 10:16 AM By MOSERS
    I have a new supervisor and she is curious on how to give staff the correct information about how Moser's comes up with retirement amounts to be paid. Could you send me the information on how this is figured out like a step-by-step so she will be able to answer some of the questions she will be getting? Also, would you send me an e-mail of what & when I need to do as far as my retirement? I believe I can retire Nov. 1, 2023.

    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.  

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Disclaimer

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.