Plan Book A/B for Safety Members

Before we explore the benefits included under Plans A and B, it’s important to emphasize the value of long-term planning in maximizing one’s retirement benefit. LACERA offers free workshops that provide valuable knowledge you can use to strengthen your retirement and position yourself and your family to gain the greatest available advantage. If you are three to five years from retirement, we strongly recommend you attend a Pre-Retirement Workshop. Reserve your time online with LACERA's Appointment and Workshop Reservation System.

Videos of Pre-Retirement Workshop presentations are available in the Retirement University section of lacera.com. The videos outline various retirement issues and offer general advice, along with guidelines to help you properly prepare for your retirement. Links to documents referenced in the videos are also included. For personalized advice, it’s best to speak with a LACERA Retirement Benefits Specialist.

My LACERA: Your Online Retirement Account

My LACERA is your secure, online retirement account. Once registered, you can review your personal retirement data and perform a variety of secure account transactions.

On My LACERA you can:

• View your retirement plan information
• Update your personal information, including change of address
• Update your beneficiary information
• See your current contribution rate
• Purchase service credit
• See your recent LACERA interactions and contributions
• Upload documents
• View your annual benefit statement
• Create a personalized retirement benefit estimate
• Generate an amount in fund or pension verification letter
• Sign up for direct deposit
• View automated deposit receipts (ADRs) and 1099-Rs
• Change federal and California tax withholding elections

Visit My LACERA to sign up.

Retirement Options

At the time of retirement, Plans A and B allow you to choose from six Retirement Options. The Option you elect affects the amount of your retirement allowance, your survivor’s eligibility for LACERA-administered healthcare, and the amount of the continuing benefit payable to your spouse, domestic partner, or named beneficiary upon your death.

The Retirement Options are designed to offer flexibility and address the needs of various lifestyle and family situations.

Safety Plans  A and B Service Retirement Options

Unmodified

Overview

Highest monthly retirement allowance available

Eligible Beneficiary

Eligible spouse or domestic partner or minor child*

Note: If there is no eligible surviving spouse or domestic partner or minor child, you may designate a beneficiary. The beneficiary will receive any remaining portion of your accumulated contributions and is not eligible for a continuing benefit.

Continuing Benefit*

65% of member’s allowance

Change Beneficiary After Retirement

If your eligible beneficiary dies before you, you may name a new beneficiary who will receive any remaining portion of your accumulated contributions. The new beneficiary is not eligible for a continuing benefit.

Unmodified Plus

Overview

Allows member to provide survivor a customized percentage of member’s reduced allowance

Eligible Beneficiary

Eligible spouse or domestic partner*

Continuing Benefit*

Custom percentage between 66% and 100% of member’s reduced allowance (reduced by only enough to cover the difference between 66% and the percentage selected, based on the age of the member and the beneficiary)

Change Beneficiary After Retirement

No

Option 1

Overview

Member receives reduced (slightly lower than an Unmodified) allowance during his/her lifetime; named beneficiary receives remaining balance of member’s accumulated contributions

Eligible Beneficiary

Member’s estate or any named beneficiary with an insurable interest

Continuing Benefit*

Lump-sum payment (remaining balance of member’s accumulated contributions); there is no continuing benefit

Change Beneficiary After Retirement

Full flexibility to change beneficiary at any time

Option 2

Overview

Member receives reduced (less than an Unmodified) allowance during his/her lifetime; named beneficiary receives 100% of reduced allowance

Eligible Beneficiary

Any named beneficiary with an insurable interest

Continuing Benefit*

100% of member’s reduced allowance (reduction covers the entire cost of beneficiary’s continuing benefit, based on age of member and beneficiary)

Change Beneficiary After Retirement

No

Option 3

Overview

Member receives reduced (less than an Unmodified) allowance during his/her lifetime; named beneficiary receives 50% of reduced allowance

Eligible Beneficiary

Any named beneficiary with an insurable interest

Continuing Benefit*

50% of member’s reduced allowance (reduction covers the entire cost of beneficiary’s continuing benefit, based on age of member and beneficiary)

Change Beneficiary After Retirement

No

Option 4

Overview

Member receives reduced (slightly lower than an Unmodified) allowance during his/her lifetime; named beneficiary receives remaining balance of member’s accumulated contributions

Eligible Beneficiary

Any named beneficiary

Continuing Benefit*

Lump-sum payment (remaining balance of member’s accumulated contributions); there is no continuing benefit

Change Beneficiary After Retirement

Full flexibility to change beneficiary at any time

Overview

Member receives reduced (less than an Unmodified) allowance during his/her lifetime; can be customized to provide for multiple beneficiaries

Eligible Beneficiary

Any named beneficiary(ies) with an insurable interest

Continuing Benefit*

Member can provide a fixed percentage or a set dollar amount to one or more beneficiaries (allowance reduction covers entire cost of beneficiary(ies)’s continuing benefit, based on age of member and beneficiaries)

Change Beneficiary After Retirement

No

About Plan A and B Retirement Options

Survivors and beneficiaries must meet certain eligibility requirements.

Unmodified Option:

This Option pays you the full amount of the monthly benefit to which you are entitled based on your age at retirement, amount of service credit, and final compensation. Under this Option, if your eligible surviving spouse or domestic partner or minor child dies before you, you may change your beneficiary after retirement.* Upon your death, your new beneficiary will receive any remaining portion of your accumulated contributions and is not eligible for a continuing benefit. Unless otherwise designated, your new beneficiary will also receive a $5,000 lump-sum death/burial benefit. However, if you prefer, you may designate a different beneficiary to receive the death/burial benefit. (See last section on this page, Death/Burial Benefit, for details.)

If there is no eligible surviving spouse or domestic partner or minor child, you may designate a beneficiary. Upon your death, the beneficiary will receive any remaining portion of your contributions and interest and is not eligible for a continuing benefit.

Unmodified Plus:

Under this customizable Option, if you are married or in a duly registered California domestic partnership you can designate the percentage of your monthly allowance — between 66 and 100 percent — that your eligible surviving spouse or domestic partner will receive upon your death.* To fund your survivor’s continuing benefit, your monthly allowance is reduced during your lifetime. The reduction is calculated using an actuarial equivalent to cover the cost difference between 66 percent and the percentage you select.

Restrictions of this Option limit the payment of a continuing benefit to an eligible spouse or domestic partner. You cannot change your beneficiary after retirement. If your beneficiary dies before you, the reduction to your retirement allowance remains in effect.

Option 1:

This is a lump-sum benefit under which you receive a reduced (slightly lower than an Unmodified) allowance during your lifetime. If you die before receiving the contributions you paid into the Fund, the balance of your accumulated contributions is paid in a lump sum to your named beneficiary or estate. Under Option 1, the rate by which your contributions are depleted during your lifetime is lower than under the Unmodified Option; this maximizes the amount of accumulated contributions that could be available to your designated beneficiary(ies) as a lump sum upon your death.

If your beneficiary dies before you, the reduction to your retirement allowance remains in effect. However, you may name another beneficiary to receive the Option 1 lump-sum payment. Only Option 1 allows full flexibility to change your beneficiary designation after you retire.

Option 2:

If you elect Option 2, you will receive a reduced (less than an Unmodified) allowance during your lifetime. The reduction will be calculated based on your age at retirement and the age of your beneficiary. Upon your death, your named beneficiary will receive 100 percent of your reduced allowance.

If your beneficiary dies before you, the reduction to your retirement allowance remains in effect. You cannot name another beneficiary to receive the previous beneficiary’s portion of your monthly allowance.

Option 3:

This Option pays you a reduced (less than an Unmodified) allowance during your lifetime; upon your death your named beneficiary receives 50 percent of your reduced allowance as a monthly continuing benefit. Both your age at retirement and the age of your beneficiary are used to calculate the amount of your reduced allowance.

If your beneficiary dies before you, the reduction to your retirement allowance remains in effect. You cannot name another beneficiary to receive the previous beneficiary’s portion of your monthly allowance.

Option 4:

Perhaps the most flexible of the Retirement Options, Option 4 allows you to name one or more beneficiaries to receive a fixed percentage of the reduced (less than an Unmodified) allowance you receive during your lifetime.

If you prefer, you may designate a set dollar amount rather than a fixed percentage as a monthly continuing benefit for one or more of your beneficiaries. The reduction to your allowance is calculated using your age at retirement and the age of your beneficiaries.

If one or more of your beneficiaries dies before you, the reduction to your retirement allowance remains in effect. You cannot name another beneficiary to receive the previous beneficiary’s portion of your monthly allowance.

Designating Beneficiaries

Eligible beneficiaries referenced in Plan A and B Retirement Options are defined as follows:

Eligible Spouse:

Must be married one year prior to the member’s retirement and submit a photocopy of the marriage certificate. The copy of the marriage certificate must be submitted with a signed Certificate Attestation Form to certify that the copy submitted is correct and contains no alterations from the original.* Any photocopied certificate submitted without the signed attestation will be rejected. Contact LACERA if you need the attestation mailed to you.

You can easily provide LACERA with the necessary documents by:

• Uploading a scanned copy of your certificate to your My LACERA account and providing your digital signature to the Certificate Attestation Form,
• Printing and mailing the attestation form with a photocopy of your certificate(s), or
• Faxing to (626) 564-6155.

Eligible Domestic Partner:

• Must be registered with the California Secretary of State, with a Certificate of Registered Domestic Partnership, one year prior to the member’s retirement.

Eligible Child(ren):

• Up to age 18.
• Unmarried.
• Eligibility may be extended until age 22 if the eligible child(ren) remains unmarried and a full-time student in an accredited educational institution.

Under the Unmodified Plus Option, surviving minor child(ren) are eligible for continuing benefits only when there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner.

Person with Insurable Interest:

According to California law, every person has an insurable interest in the life and health of:

• Himself [herself].
• Any person on whom he [or she] depends wholly or in part for education or support.
• Any person under a legal obligation to him [her] for:
  • payment of money
  • property or services of which death or illness might delay or prevent the performance
• Any person upon whose life any estate or interest vested in him [her] depends.

Primary Beneficiary. A member’s primary beneficiary is the first beneficiary entitled to receive a death benefit subsequent to the member’s death. A primary beneficiary may receive 100 percent of the member’s death benefit — or a lesser percentage if there is more than one person named as a primary beneficiary.

Beneficiary Priority. Under the Unmodified Option, the law entitles your eligible spouse or domestic partner, whether or not named as a beneficiary, to a continuing monthly benefit upon your death. If there is no spouse or domestic partner, any eligible minor children will receive the continuing benefit until their eligibility expires.

Dividing Benefits among Beneficiaries. When dividing benefits among your beneficiaries, the percentage of benefits must total 100 percent. Use whole numbers when assigning portions. For example, percentages for three children would be designated as 34, 33, and 33 percent.

If you have a trust and wish to leave a continuing monthly benefit to your spouse or domestic partner, you must designate that person as your Primary Beneficiary-100 percent and the trust as Secondary Beneficiary-100 percent. If your spouse or domestic partner dies before you and you have no eligible minor children, unless otherwise designated, the trust will receive a $5,000 lump-sum death/burial benefit. A trust cannot receive a continuing monthly benefit.

Beneficiary Changes after Retirement. Only Option 1 allows you full flexibility to change your beneficiary designation after you retire. Changing a primary beneficiary post-retirement under Option 2, 3, or 4 is not permitted. The terms of the Unmodified Option allow you to name a new beneficiary only if your eligible spouse, domestic partner, or minor child dies before you. In such a case, the new beneficiary is not eligible for a continuing benefit; he or she will receive any remaining portion of your accumulated contributions. For additional information, visit lacera.com or call 800-786-6464 to speak with a LACERA Retirement Benefits Specialist.

Survivor Eligibility for LACERA-administered Healthcare

Following the death of an active member, a survivor who is receiving a continuing monthly benefit from LACERA is generally eligible to enroll in a LACERA-administered health plan.

Upon the death of a retired member, any survivor or beneficiary who is receiving a continuing monthly benefit from LACERA and who qualifies as a surviving eligible dependent, as defined by LACERA’s Retiree Healthcare Administrative Guidelines, is eligible to enroll in LACERA-administered healthcare coverage.*

At retirement, if you do not designate your eligible spouse or domestic partner or minor child to receive a continuing benefit upon your death, he or she will not be eligible for LACERA-administered survivor healthcare.

Effect of Retirement Option On Survivor Eligibility for Healthcare

Unmodified or Unmodified Plus

Survivor Healthcare Eligibility

Yes*

Reason for Eligibility or Ineligibility

Limits designated beneficiaries to surviving spouses or domestic partners or minor children (Unmodified) who meet eligibility requirements

Both Options provide a continuing allowance

Option 1

Survivor Healthcare Eligibility

No

Reason for Eligibility or Ineligibility

Pays a lump-sum benefit, not a continuing allowance

Option 2, 3, 4

Survivor Healthcare Eligibility

Only if named beneficiary meets definition of eligible surviving dependent

Reason for Eligibility or Ineligibility

Provides a continuing allowance

Eligibility for Survivor Healthcare under Option 2, 3, or 4

Eligibility for Survivor Healthcare under Option 2, 3, or 4. If you have an eligible spouse or domestic partner at retirement and do not designate that individual to receive a monthly benefit, he or she will not be eligible to receive LACERA-administered survivor healthcare upon your death.

Death/Burial Benefit

A $5,000 one-time, lump-sum death/burial benefit is payable upon the death of a retired member.* The beneficiary designation for this benefit is separate from the beneficiary designation for LACERA continuing monthly benefits. You may name any individual, trust, or organization to receive the $5,000 lump-sum death/burial benefit. In addition, you may change the beneficiary designation for this benefit at any time, before or after retirement.

If you do not designate a beneficiary specifically for this benefit, the $5,000 will be paid to your named primary beneficiary(ies). This benefit is taxable; a beneficiary under age 72 may defer taxes by rolling it over to a tax-qualified plan.