N o t e w o r t h y N e w s 1

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1 Noteworthy News 1

2 BOARD OF TRUSTEES Don Martin, Board Chair Lori Neidel, Vice-Chair Senator Jason Crowell Marty Drewel Representative Ward Franz Senator Tim Green Laura Davis Jackson Representative Mike Leara Travis Morrison Commissioner Kelvin Simmons State Treasurer Clint Zweifel EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Gary Findlay MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 209 Jefferson City, MO BUILDING LOCATION 907 Wildwood Drive Jefferson City, MO OFFICE HOURS 8:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. Monday - Friday PHONE (573) (800) AUTOMATED PHONE OPTIONS Deferred Compensation/MCHCP...1 Password Assistance...2 Change /mailing address...3 Benefit Counselor...4 Investments...5 Dial Employee by Name...8 Operator...0 FAX (573) MISSOURI RELAY (Voice) (800) (TTY) Noteworthy News 3 Investment Gains MOSERS investment portfolio generates a net return of 16.3% for 2010 calendar year. 3 COLAs The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2011 has been calculated to be 1.312%. Life Planning 4 You & Your Taxes Tax Relief Act of 2010 may impact retirees. 4 Tax Reminder For more information regarding your 1099-R tax form go online or see the winter 2010 RetireeNews. 5 Event Calendar Check out important holidays, events, and mailings for MOSERS in Stay Connected: Retirement & You 6 Online Q&A How to change or edit your personal information by going online to 7 Coffee Breaks The 2011 spring schedule is in full swing for MOSERS postretirement coffee breaks. Go online and register today. Board Corner 12 Board News MOSERS welcomes Representative Mike Leara of St. Louis County to the system s board of trustees. mosers@mosers.org WEBSITE Graphic Designer - Tracy Upschulte Writer/Editor - Jade Elwess RetireeNews is published quarterly by the Missouri State Employees Retirement System. To obtain an alternative format of this publication, please contact MOSERS. This publication is designed using stock photography. The photographs chosen are for illustrative purposes only; they do not imply any particular attitudes, behaviors, or actions on the part of any person who appears in the photographs.

3 MOSERS Earns 16.3% on Investments in 2010 $2.9 Billion Gain Since Economic Downturn MOSERS investment portfolio generated a net return of 16.3% for the 2010 calendar year, ending the year with nearly $7.7 billion in assets. Noteworthy News The net investment returns mark the second straight calendar year of double-digit gains for the public pension fund. MOSERS investments have generated $2.9 billion since the fund s low point in March 2009, for a cumulative return since then of nearly 50%. The MOSERS board is committed to a resilient long-term investment program, and has established investment policies in order to manage risk and take advantage of investment opportunities in a fiscally responsible, efficient and transparent manner, said Gary Findlay, MOSERS executive director. In 2010, the fund s public equity program returned 16.5%, the public debt portfolio returned 11.4%, and the alternative investments returned 19.6%. It was a strong absolute year for the fund and just as importantly it was a strong year of value added, said Rick Dahl, chief investment officer of MOSERS. We outperformed our benchmark by 4.2%, generating, approximately, an additional $260 million in earnings which will keep contributions from the state down, helping to relieve pressure on the state budget. To learn more about the CPI, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has a section of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on their website at MOSERS has more information about the 2011 COLA in the Retiree section of our website. You can also get more historical information on the following topics on our website: COLA amounts from How MOSERS Calculates COLAs 2011 COLA calculation memo When COLAs are payable Cost-of-Living Adjustment Eligible Retirees Receive 1.312% The cost-of-living- adjustment (COLA) for 2011 has been calculated to be 1.312%. This will be effective for MSEP retirees who have reached their original 65% COLA cap under MSEP, or who were first hired on or after August 28th, 1997, and for members retired under MSEP 2000, regardless of date of hire. (See COLA Exceptions below for legislators and MSEP members who have not yet reached their COLA cap). 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. According to Missouri state law, each January MOSERS must compare the average CPI for the calendar year just completed (2010) to the average CPI from the prior year (2009) to determine the percentage change between the two years. The MOSERS COLA rate for any year is based on 80% of the percentage increase in the average CPI from one year to the next. COLA Exceptions If you are a retired legislator who took office after July 1, 2000, your benefit will be adjusted according to the percentage increase in pay for an active member of the general assembly. No other COLAs will be provided. If you retired under MSEP, and were hired before August 28, 1997, you will receive a minimum 4% COLA until your benefit is equal to 165% of the initial benefit amount. This is called your COLA cap. Upon reaching the cap, your COLA will be calculated like other retirees and will range from 0% to 5% each year. 3

4 Life Planning Tax Relief Act of 2010 Federal Legislation Impacts Retirees Congress has passed and the president has signed the Tax Relief Act of There are two things that impact retirees. First, back in March, 2009, we told you about the Making Work Pay Credit. The Making Work Pay Credit was enacted in 2009, and expired at the end of As a bit of background, the Making Work Pay Credit was 6.2% of a taxpayer s earned income with a maximum credit of $800 for a married couple filing a joint return and $400 for other taxpayers. These credits were factored into the IRS tax tables used to determine federal tax withholding on your MOSERS benefit for 2009 and 2010, but the credit did not apply to retirement benefit income. You may have adjusted your withholding elections to offset the Make Work Pay Credit included in those tables. As mentioned above, the Making Work Pay Credit expired at the end of last year and President Obama signed into law the Tax Relief Act of This act did NOT include the Making Work Pay credit which means the IRS tax tables for 2011 have been adjusted, resulting in a greater federal tax withholding from monthly benefit payments for many individuals. The Making Work Pay Credit is being replaced with a social security tax cut from 6.2% down to 4.2%. Retirees will not benefit from that change since pension payments are not subject to social security tax. The net affect for retirees is that their federal income tax withholding will go up in 2011 if no change is made to their withholding elections. We are providing this information so our benefit recipients are aware of the basis for these changes. MOSERS provides a tax withholding calculator on our website that will allow you to compare your tax withholding for 2010 and 2011 using your current elections and determine what the impact will be if you change those elections. If you need to make an adjustment to your federal tax withholdings, you should submit an updated Substitute W-4P form. From MOSERS website you may click on the link to the PDF form online, fill it out, print it and mail it to MOSERS, or use the Secure Member Login on our website and submit the form electronically from your secure Member Homepage. If you have any questions on this matter, you should consult your tax accountant or financial advisor. Tax Reminder 1099-R Information Refer to the Winter RetireeNews for information on understanding your 1099-R form if you haven t already. You will also be able to access your 1099-R form online if you need a replacement copy. If you have questions regarding this information, we suggest you contact your tax advisor. 4

5 Life Planning MAY May 9th Truman s Birthday Office Open May 30 Memorial Day Office Closed JUNE Summer RetireeNews distributed JULY Monday, July 4 Independence Day Office Closed SEPTEMBER Monday, September 5th Labor Day Office Closed Fall RetireeNews distributed OCTOBER October 10th Columbus Day Office Open NOVEMBER November 11th Veterans Day Office Closed November 24th Thanksgiving Day Office Closed DECEMBER December 26th Christmas Observed Office Closed Winter RetireeNews distributed - (Summary Annual Report insert included) 2011 Holiday, Event, and Mailing Calendar May June July August September October November December BENEFIT PAYMENT SCHEDULE FOR RETIREES WITH DIRECT DEPOSIT 5

6 Retirement & You Online Q&A How-to Guide... How do I know if MOSERS has my current address? Here s how to check: If the address we have on file is incorrect or outdated, by default, you will receive your correspondence or notifications from MOSERS on paper instead. To check your address, or to make changes, simply login to your secure Member Homepage and click on the link to Update Personal Information from the left menu. An up-to-date address will ensure you get notifications of: RetireeNews as soon as they are posted online New information posted to your secure Document Express online MOSERS Account Access Notifications (a security feature to let you know when your account has been accessed or your password has been changed) Monthly benefit payments New Benefit Statement posted How do I locate my benefit payment online? All MOSERS retirees can access a history of their paystubs online. Here s how: 1. Login to your secure Member Homepage. You will need your MOSERS password, plus either your Member ID or Social Security number. 2. Under Personal Information, click on Benefit Checks for your most recent paystub 3. Under Check Stub Detail, click on View Check Details to see your payroll deductions itemized. This would include Charitable Campaign, taxes, and medical premiums. 4. You can also click on Benefits Current YTD to see payments by year. Password Reminder You will need your MOSERS password in order login to your secure Member Homepage. If you don t have one, the process is easy and you can do it anytime you want. Remember, if you haven t ever registered for your MOSERS password or forgot it, you can obtain it yourself through our website. From any page on MOSERS website, located on the Secure Member Login box, click on the link for Register if you don t have a password. Click on Forgot Your Password if you had one but don t remember it. You will be taken through a process to verify your identity and set up security questions so you can change your own password whenever you want. This is a secure process, easy enough for you to do at your convenience. 6

7 Espresso Yourself Let s Talk Retirement in 2011 MOSERS, in association with our Retiree Connection group, will continue hosting post-retirement Coffee Breaks for fiscal year These Coffee Breaks allow us to reach out to our retirees, give you a chance to have face-to-face communication with MOSERS staff, and provide you with the opportunity to interact with other state retirees in your area. Topics for this fiscal year include: Hearty Healthcare Stew: It is important you know the recipe to make this turn out well. Add the right ingredients and you ve got a bowl full of goodness mess up the recipe and you re just in a stew. The presentation includes a healthcare update from MCHCP with time for questions and answers. Please note that this topic will be presented last so those who don t have coverage through MCHCP may leave. Volunteer Thyme: Sprinkle this generously throughout your retirement to add spice and flavor to your life. Learn about the services offered by your local Area Agency on Aging and the volunteer opportunities available. Pension Pie: With a well planned retirement system everyone benefits, including citizens, state and local governments. This presentation includes information about how a defined benefit plan is a win-win for all, the funding status of your retirement system, its stability, and the security of your benefit. Retirement & You Q Coffee Break Enrollment You must login to your secure Member Homepage to enroll in a Coffee Break. After logging in, click on the Coffee Break link in the left menu beneath the Seminar Enrollment header. The enrollment program will walk you through the rest of the process. If you cannot enroll online or have questions about your Coffee Break enrollment, call (800) , ext or maggier@mosers.org. We hope to see you soon! Remaining Schedule for Spring 2011 March 29 - Seminar Currently Full MOSERS 907 Wildwood Dr. Jefferson City, MO April 5 Metropolitan Community College Independence, MO April 14 Boone County Historical Society Museum 3801 Ponderosa St. Columbia, MO April 26 - Seminar Currently Full MOSERS 907 Wildwood Dr. Jefferson City, MO 7

8 PO Box 209 Jefferson City MO PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Jefferson City, MO Permit No. 327 RetireeNews Newsletter Board Corner Board News Representative Mike Leara Appointed to the Board MOSERS welcomes Representative Mike Leara of St. Louis County to the system s board of trustees. Representative Leara has been appointed to the MOSERS board by Speaker of the House Steven Tilley, and will take the seat vacated by former trustee, Representative Bill Deeken of Jefferson City. More information about Representative Leara can be found on the Missouri House of Representatives website at Also, at the January board of trustees meeting, new officers were elected for Don Martin will again be chair, and Lori Neidel was elected vice-chair.