Resource Center for VRS Employers: Defined Contribution Plans

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Administrative Updates

Direct Questions to MissionSquare Retirement's VRS Employer Support Center

MissionSquare Retirement's VRS Employer Support Center is dedicated to answering your questions in a timely and knowledgeable manner. VRS participating employers may direct all questions about administering the Defined Contribution Plans to DefinedContributionsEmployerSupport@icmarc.org or 877-327-5261 (select Option 3 to speak with an employer representative).

Note: The plans' Defined Contribution Plans Retirement Specialists focus on providing on-site education and assistance for your participants, including group seminars and one-on-one consultations. They can work with you to coordinate educational opportunities for your participants; call 877-327-5261 and select Option 2.

Agency Transfer Form Eliminated

Previously, plan participants who transferred from one agency to another could use an Agency Transfer Form to continue their retirement plan contributions through their new employer.

Now, upon receipt of a termination date for a participant from VRS, MissionSquare Retirement will automatically decrease the participant's contribution amount to $0.

The participant will receive a confirmation letter indicating that he or she can restart contributions upon return to covered employment. The participant should contact MissionSquare Retirement directly to indicate the contribution amount he or she would like to make through the new employer.

This process provides a more automated approach to managing contribution amounts for employees who transfer among agencies.

Find Deferral Changes Report in EZLink

View instructions for viewing and downloading the Deferral Change Report available in EZLink for decentralized state employers, political subdivisions and school divisions that participate in the Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Plan.

Automatic Enrollment Feedback File Provided Once Monthly

If you are an employer that auto-enrolls employees in the Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Plan, please note that auto-enroll files are now provided only at the beginning of each month.

Employees who are subject to automatic enrollment will become a participant as of the first pay date of the next calendar month following the 90th day of employment, or as soon as administratively possible thereafter.

Dual Employment Deferrals

MissionSquare Retirement handles the deferral for the primary employer. The secondary employer must complete the Payroll Authorization Dual Employment form and submit to MissionSquare Retirement to ensure deferred contributions are properly attributed. Participants can also obtain this through the Forms menu at www.varetirement.org/dcp.html.

Discard Old Forms and Publications

Employers should destroy their supply of ING forms and publications. You can find the current forms and publications on the defined contributions plan's websites. Check under Forms and Publications.

Wage Employees Only – Updating Employment Separation Date

VRS employers must provide MissionSquare Retirement, the record keeper for the VRS Defined Contribution Plans, with their Wage (non-covered) employee’s employment separation date through EZLink. Please note that the employment separation date for covered positions must be reported to VRS via PMIS (for CIPPS-reporting state agencies) or myVRS Navigator (for political subdivisions, school divisions and non-CIPPS-reporting state agencies).

Upon receipt of a separation date, MissionSquare Retirement will automatically decrease the participant's contribution amount to $0. Wage employees will then be able to receive a distribution from the plan once there is a bona fide break in service of at least a full calendar month.

If you need assistance with EZLink, please contact the MissionSquare Retirement Defined Contribution Employer Support Team at 877-327-5261 (select option 3), or via email at DefinedContributionsEmployerSupport@icmarc.org.

Note for ORP Participants

To be eligible for the health insurance credit upon leaving employment, ORP participants must:

  • Have a minimum of 15 years of service, and
  • Meet the age and service requirements for reduced or unreduced retirement under the VRS plan (i.e., Plan 1, Plan 2 or Hybrid Retirement Plan) for which the employee would have been eligible, based on hire date, had the employee not elected ORP.

To be eligible for group life insurance coverage upon leaving employment, if applicable to the employer, ORP participants must:

  • Meet age and service requirements for reduced or unreduced retirement under the VRS plan (i.e., Plan 1, Plan 2 or Hybrid Retirement Plan) for which the employee would have been eligible, based on hire date, had the employee not elected ORP.

How to Order New Materials

Use EZLink, our plan-sponsor administration site, to order new materials. The site also makes it simple and quick to access plan-specific information and process transactions.