May 2018 eNews

Retirees Targeted in Phone Scam

Members of the MSERS should be on the lookout for individuals contacting you by telephone posing as employees of the State Retirement Board and requesting immediate payments of money. Members have reported such calls to the State Retirement Board over the past week.

The caller informs the family they owe money to the State Retirement Board and that it must be sent through prepaid credit or reloadable cards in order to receive their pensions. Similar activities have previously been reported by other retirement systems across the country.

Please note that State Retirement Board staff will never randomly call members of the retirement system seeking immediate payment of money in this fashion. The initiation or changes to benefits are always preceded by written communication from the MSRB with instructions and information.

If you receive any such calls, please contact the State Retirement Board immediately so we may discuss it with you. We can be reached at 617-367-7770. Reports of calls we have already received have been forward to the Massachusetts State Police for investigation. Thank you

3% COLA Proposed for FY'19

Governor Baker included a 3% COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) increase for retired state employees within his FY'19 budget proposal. The House also included a 3% COLA in their budget proposals, and the Senate budget proposal is expected to be announced this week. If enacted by the Legislature, the COLA will go into effect on July 1, 2018, for those members who retired before July 1, 2017. The adjustment would be based on the first $13,000 of your pension benefit and would equal a maximum annual increase of $390.

Have you, or are you, planning to move?
If so, be sure to notify the Board of your address change! Retirees who already have summer and winter addresses on file with the Board can call us to request the address update. Otherwise, you'll need to notify the Board in writing. You can download our Change of Address form here!

Is there something you would like us to communicate in an upcoming Retiree eNews Bulletin? If so, let us know!

Please e-mail your request and comments to MSRBCommunications@tre.state.ma.us
We look forward to hearing from you!

Did You Know?

May pension checks will be mailed on Tuesday, May 29th and direct deposits will be made on Thursday, May 31st (the last business day of the month) as scheduled. To download the complete 2018 Pension Paycheck Schedule Click here!

Board Updates

The Board voted unanimously to appoint Archibald "Archie" Gormley as its new fifth member. Mr. Gormley, a Brockton firefighter and Legislative Agent for the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM), replaces longtime member Chris Condon.

During the April 26, 2018 Board meeting, Treasurer Goldberg swore in Mr. Gormley and recently re-elected Theresa McGoldrick, Esq. each to three-year terms.

McGoldrick, Gormley & Treasurer Goldberg

2018 Benefit Verification Form (BVF) Update

To date, nearly 20,000 Verification Forms have been received, reviewed and approved by the MSRB. Thank you to all those members who have returned their BVF form!

Acknowledgment postcards are being mailed out on an ongoing basis to those members who have submitted a valid BVF. If you haven’t sent in your Benefit Verification Form, it’s not too late.

During June, a second Benefit Verification Form will be mailed to all those who have not yet submitted a valid form to the MSRB. During the verification process, your pension payments will not be delayed or withheld.

BVF Notes:

• If you retired after December 31, 2017, you will not receive a Benefit Verification Form, and people who received their first monthly payment in 2018 but had a retirement or payment effective date prior to December 31, 2017, also will not receive a 2018 BVF.


• If there is a change to your name or date of birth, we will need additional documentation before we can update your record. Your member ID does not need to be corrected.


• If the benefit recipient has passed away, there is no need to return the form. Instead, please notify the Board of their passing and mail a copy of their Death Certificate to the Board at One Winter St, 8th FL Boston, MA 02108.


• It is acceptable to return the form after the deadline date of May 25, 2018, without harm to a member's benefit payment.

For more information and the latest updates, please visit our Benefit Verification website at http://www.mass.gov/treasury/retirement/for-retirees/retired-members-2016-benefit-verification-form.html

Past issues of our newsletter publications are posted on our website.

Quick links: Visit our website: www.mass.gov/retirement

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/mass.state.retirement

Follow us on Twitter @MassStateRet: https://twitter.com/massstateret

Contact us: