Welcome to the ORS website for state of Michigan employees who are in the Defined Benefit plan. (Not sure if you're in the Defined Benefit or 401(k) Defined Contribution plan? Click here).

We encourage you to and come back often for important information.

Retirement reform.

The deadline to make your retirement election has passed and you can no longer choose a plan option. Retirement plan changes due to P.A. 264 of 2011 will take effect April 1, 2012.

Click here to read more about the retirement reform.

Our office will be closed on the following dates:

• January 21 - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• February 18 - Presidents' Day
• May 27 - Memorial Day
• July 4 - Independence Day

State office closings for holidays are regulated by the Michigan Department of Civil Service Regulation 5.08. Public Act 124 of 1865 is the Michigan law governing official state holidays.

Published January 3, 2013

The October 2012 issue of Connections, our semiannual retiree newsletter, is now available. Articles in this issue include:

• ORS no longer delivering pension payments through U.S. mail
  
• Michigan income tax rate changes
• Message from the director
• Tips to protect yourself from fraud
• Did you know?
• Ask an Expert
• When to Contact ORS

On September 29, an Ingham County Circuit Court judge ruled that the mandatory 4 percent employee contribution to the pension system for all state employees who chose to remain in the Defined Benefit (DB) plan under PA 264 of 2011 is unconstitutional. This matter remains in the courts and ORS will continue to deduct the 4 percent contribution until this issue is resolved.

Published October 1, 2012

The 2012-2013 Insurance Rates are now available on the Employee Benefits page of the Michigan Civil Service Commission website.

Published on August 23, 2012

Attention all Defined Benefit (DB) members who switched to the Defined Contribution (DC) plan on April 1, 2012: If your contribution percentage to your 401(k), Roth 401(k), and 457 accounts combined was less than 3 percent, or if you were contributing a flat dollar amount to the 401(k) plan, your contribution to your pre-tax 401(k) was automatically increased by up to 3 percent on April 1, 2012. This was done so that you would qualify for the full 3 percent employer match available to all DC plan participants. However, as we explained in the letter sent to you, the state cannot currently match funds across accounts (this will be available beginning June 21, 2012).

If you currently have contributions in your pre-tax 401(k) AND your Roth 401(k), the state will only be able to match whichever account between the two has the largest contribution, up to the 3 percent maximum allowed. You may need to temporarily move your contributions into either your 401(k) OR your Roth 401(k) to get the maximum match available to you. Make sure you're not leaving match money on the table! Contact ING at 1-800-748-6128 or log into your account at stateofmi.ingplans.com.

Remember that the state will be able to match across plans beginning on June 21, 2012, so you can reallocate your funds back between your 401(k) AND your Roth 401(k) after that date.

Published May 9, 2012

The March 2012 issue of Connections, our semiannual retiree newsletter, is now available. Articles in this issue include:

• Message From the Director

• Financial Summary for FY 2011

• Ask an Expert

• When to Contact ORS 

Published March 22, 2012

If you want to know how the retirement reform will affect your Final Average Compensation (FAC) calculation, especially in regard to overtime, we have put together several tools that may help. Click on the links below for more information.

• FAQs: Impact on Overtime and Your FAC.
• Tutorial: Defined Benefit Plan, Overtime Rules.
• Handout: Overtime and Your Pension.

Published January 18, 2012

If a member of a public pension gets divorced, the court may order that a portion of their pension be paid to an alternate payee such as a former spouse or dependent child. For active or deferred members, this order is known as an Eligible Domestic Relations Order (EDRO). For retired members, it is known as a Domestic Relations Order (DRO). To make things easier for you and your attorney, ORS has developed downloadable, fillable forms to allow our members to create accurate and complete EDROs or DROs that can be administered under the retirement statutes:

Eligible Domestic Relations Order (EDRO) (R0259G) 
Eligible Domestic Relations Order: Background and Instructions (R0911X)

Domestic Relations Order (DRO) (R0323X)
Domestic Relations Order to Void the Survivor Option Only (R0914CGB)
Domestic Relations Orders: Background and Instructions (R0912X)

These are the preferred documents to file with the Office of Retirement Services. They are the fastest, most efficient way to complete your filing. Complete it online, save it, print it, then take the printed copy to the court for the judge's signature.

Published October 7, 2011

No more waiting for your Member Statement - it is now available in miAccount. Your personalized statement displays your wages, service credit, service credit purchases, and contributions as reported to us from your employer.

Because of this time-saving tool, we will no longer mail paper statements. Log in to miAccount, and then click on Member Statement in the left navigation bar to view your up-to-date account information.

Published on March 8, 2011