A Benefit To Last A Lifetime

As a MERS Defined Benefit Plan member, you join nearly 90,000 public sector employees all across the state, many of them your friends and family, your neighbors and coworkers.

With the MERS Defined Benefit Plan, you have an important tool to help you reach your retirement goals, with a lifetime benefit from your employer.

Action Items

  • Update beneficiary information
    • Log in to myMERS
      • click “MERS Defined Benefit”
      • click on “View Plan Summary”
      • click Beneficiaries “Details”
  • Edit your profile information
  • Get an estimate of what your retirement benefit will be
    • Log in to myMERS
      • click “MERS Defined Benefit”
      • click on “View Plan Summary”
      • click “Calculate My Benefit”

How It Works

MERS Defined Benefit Handbook (download)

Your future retirement benefits are funded by contributions made by you, your employer, and investment earnings.

With a MERS Defined Benefit Plan, your future benefit doesn’t fluctuate due to investment gains or losses in the market. Generally, your benefit is based on three factors:

  1. the number of years you’ve worked
  2. your average salary over a specific period
  3. a multiplier selected by your employer.

To qualify for benefits when you retire, you must meet your employer’s requirements, including age and years of service, called vesting.

The Benefit Formula

The Defined Benefit formula is as follows: Benefit plan multiplier multiplied by final average compensation (FAC) multiplied by years and months of service, divided by 12 for your monthly (Straight Life) amount.

Example: .025 (B-4 multiplier of 2.5%) x $45,000 (FAC) x 25 (years) = $28,125 yearly or $2,343.75 monthly.

Retirement Eligibility

You can begin receiving retirement benefits when you reach the age and service requirements under your plan provisions. If you are vested, the standard retirement age is 60. Learn about the Defined Benefit retirement process.

Resources

 Understanding Defined Benefit Pensions

MERS Defined Benefit Handbook

 Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP)

Ready To Retire?
Learn how to start the retirement process, click here.

Inactive Member Search
Eligible for benefits? Contact MERS for your account status.

Find MERS Employers
View a list of Act 88-participating municipalities here, to help you coordinate your service credit.