2025 Winter Edition - Employer Newsletter

On behalf of the Montana Public Employee Retirement Administration (MPERA), we convey the warmest wishes for a joyful holiday season and a happy New Year. We are grateful for the dedicated service of Montana’s public employees and retirees, and we look forward to continuing to serve you in the year ahead. May this season bring you peace, good health, and time with those you cherish.

Celebrating a Milestone Year
This year marks the 80th anniversary of MPERA, a milestone built on the dedication of generations of Montana’s public employees and retirees. Since its earliest days, MPERA’s core mission has remained the same: to provide secure, dependable retirement benefits and responsive service to the people who keep Montana’s communities running.

Over the past eight decades, MPERA has evolved to meet changing laws, workforce needs, and economic conditions, while staying focused on long‑term sustainability and fiduciary responsibility. Today, every defined benefit plan administered by MPERA is amortizing within the 30‑year maximum targeted in statute and funding policy. MPERA continues to administer retirement benefits for a broad range of public employees, from state and local government employees to public safety personnel and other essential workers across Montana. The anniversary is both a celebration of the past and a renewed promise to support current and future retirees who devote their careers to serving Montana.

Looking Ahead
As MPERA looks ahead to the next 80 years, our commitment to provide top-tier educational resources, and to support our members and employers in every way possible remains as strong as ever. As we celebrate this anniversary year, we also look forward to 2026 with optimism and determination. During this upcoming year, MPERA and the Public Employees’ Retirement Board will have an actuarial experience study conducted by its actuary and presented to the Board in the spring of 2026. This study will review the economic and demographic actuarial assumptions that are used to project the costs and liabilities of each defined benefit pension plan administered by MPERA to continue to ensure each plan’s long-term sustainability for its members and employers.

Warm Holiday Wishes
During this holiday season, we hope you find time to relax and celebrate with your loved ones. From all of us at MPERA, we wish you a joyful and a prosperous New Year.

Happy Holidays! 
               

William Holahan                                        Hollie Resler

Executive Director                                     Deputy Executive Director         

January is our busiest month for new retirees. If you have an employee who plans to retire, please refer them to our office for more information. Employees must contact MPERA to request an official benefit estimate, and our benefit analysts will provide them with the paperwork they need to complete. You can also refer them to our Preparing for Retirement Checklist for helpful resources.

Don't forget - if an employee works into the beginning of a new month, they are not eligible to be a retiree for that month.

• Beginning January 2026, all adjustments that have not been submitted and paid will be automatically voided after 90 days. If you currently have an adjustment that has not been submitted, please get it finalized and paid so it is not voided. 
• Employers will be allowed to copy forward an MPERA-voided adjustment so you can continue to work on it if needed. 
  
  

MPERA has updated our beneficiary forms. We now have just two forms:

• NonStatutory Beneficiary Form (PERS, JRS, GWPORS, and SRS)
• Statutory Beneficiary Form (MPORS, FURS, HPORS, and VFCA)

We will continue to accept the old forms through June 2026. Please visit the Employer Forms page to download the new forms for your use.