Plan Description – IPERS membership is mandatory for employees of the County, except for those covered by another retirement system. Employees of the County are provided with pensions through a cost-sharing multiple employer defined benefit pension plan administered by Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System (IPERS). IPERS issues a stand-alone financial report which is available to the public by mail at P.O. Box 9117, Des Moines, Iowa 50306-9117 or at www.ipers.org.
IPERS benefits are established under Iowa Code Chapter 97B and the administrative rules thereunder. Chapter 97B and the administrative rules are the official plan documents. The following brief description is provided for general informational purposes only. Refer to the plan documents for more information.
Pension Benefits – A Regular member may retire at normal retirement age and receive monthly benefits without an early-retirement reduction. Normal retirement age is age 65, any time after reaching age 62 with 20 or more years of covered employment, or when the member's years of service plus the member's age at the last birthday equals or exceeds 88, whichever comes first. These qualifications must be met on the member's first month of entitlement to benefits. Members cannot begin receiving retirement benefits before age 55. The formula used to calculate a Regular member's monthly IPERS benefit includes:
A multiplier (based on years of service).
The member's highest five-year average salary, except for members with service before June 30, 2012 will use the highest three-year average salary as of that date will be used if it is greater than the highest five-year average salary.
Sheriff and deputy and protection occupation members may retire at normal retirement age, which is generally at age 55. Sheriff, deputies and protection occupation members may retire any time after reaching age 50 with 22 or more years of covered employment.
The formula used to calculate a sheriff, deputy's or protection occupation member's monthly IPERS benefit includes:
60% of average salary after completion of 22 years of service, plus an additional 1.5% of average salary for years of service greater than 22 years of service but not more than 30 years of service.
The member's highest three-year average salary.
If a member retires before normal retirement age, the member's monthly retirement benefit will be permanently reduced by an early-retirement reduction. The early-retirement reduction is calculated differently for service earned before and after July 1, 2012. For service earned before July 1, 2012, the reduction is 0.25% for each month that the member receives benefits before the member's earliest normal retirement age. For service earned starting July 1, 2012, the reduction is 0.50% for each month that the member receives benefits before age 65.
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