2014 Iowa Code
TITLE III - PUBLIC SERVICES AND REGULATION
SUBTITLE 3 - RETIREMENT SYSTEMS
CHAPTER 97B - IOWA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES’ RETIREMENT SYSTEM (IPERS)
SECTION 97B.49F - Retirement dividends.

97B.49F  Retirement dividends.

1.  Cost-of-living dividend.

a.  Effective July 1, 1997, commencing with dividends payable in November 1997, and for each subsequent year, all members who retired prior to July 1, 1990, and all beneficiaries and contingent annuitants of such members, shall be eligible for annual dividend payments, payable in November of that year, pursuant to the requirements of this subsection. The dividend payable in any given year shall be the sum of the dollar amount of the dividend payable in the previous November and the dividend adjustment.  A dividend determined pursuant to this subsection shall not be used to increase the monthly benefit amount payable.  In no event shall the dividend payable be less than twenty-five dollars.

b.  (1)  The dividend adjustment for a given year shall be calculated by multiplying the total of the retiree’s, beneficiary’s, or contingent annuitant’s monthly benefit payments and the dividend payable to the retiree, beneficiary, or contingent annuitant, in the previous calendar year by the applicable percentage as determined by this paragraph.

(2)  The applicable percentage shall be the least of the following percentages:

(a)  The percentage representing the percentage increase in the consumer price index published in the federal register by the federal department of labor, bureau of labor statistics, that reflects the percentage increase in the consumer price index for the twelve-month period ending June 30 of the year that the dividend is to be paid.

(b)  The percentage representing the percentage amount the actuary has certified that the fund can absorb without requiring an increase in the employer and employee contributions to the fund.  The actuary’s certification of such percentage amount shall be based on a comparison of the actuarially required contribution rate for the fiscal year of the dividend adjustment to the statutory contribution rate for that same fiscal year.  If the actuarially required contribution rate exceeds the statutory contribution rate for that same fiscal year, the percentage amount shall be zero.

(c)  Three percent.

c.  If a member eligible to receive a cost-of-living dividend dies before November 1 of a year, a cost-of-living dividend shall not be payable in November of that year in the name of the member.  If a member dies on or after November 1, but before payment of a dividend is made in that month, the full amount of the retirement dividend for that year shall be paid in the member’s name upon notification of the member’s death.

2.  Favorable experience dividend.

a.  Commencing January 1, 1999, all qualified recipients who have received a monthly allowance for at least one year as of the date the dividend is payable shall be eligible to receive a favorable experience dividend, payable on the last business day in January of each year pursuant to the requirements of this subsection.  If the qualified recipient eligible to receive a favorable experience dividend dies before January 1 of a year, a favorable experience dividend shall not be payable in January of that year in the name of the qualified recipient.  However, if the qualified recipient dies on or after January 1 but before the dividend is paid in that month, the full amount of the dividend payable in that month shall be paid in the name of the qualified recipient, upon notification of death.  For purposes of this paragraph, “qualified recipient” includes all members who retired on or after July 1, 1990, or a beneficiary or contingent annuitant of such a member who receives a monthly benefit, and a beneficiary of an active member who elects a monthly allowance under section 97B.52, subsection 1, paragraph “c”.

b.  A favorable experience dividend reserve account, hereafter called the “reserve account”, is established within the retirement fund.  Moneys credited to the reserve account shall be used by the system for the purpose of providing a favorable experience dividend pursuant to this subsection.

c.  Moneys shall be credited to the reserve account in the retirement fund as follows:

(1)  On or before January 15, 1999, there shall be credited to the reserve account an amount that the system’s actuary determines is sufficient to pay the maximum favorable experience dividend for each of the next following five years, based on reasonable actuarial assumptions.

(2)  Beginning with the annual actuarial valuation of the retirement system as of June 30, 1999, and for each annual actuarial valuation of the retirement system thereafter, there shall be credited to the reserve account on each applicable January 15 following an actuarial valuation, an amount that represents that portion of the favorable actuarial experience, if any, that the system’s actuary determines shall be credited to the reserve account pursuant to rules adopted by the system.

(3)  The portion of the favorable actuarial experience, if any, that is not initially credited to the reserve account pursuant to subparagraph (2), but which, if applied to the retirement fund, would result in the actuarial valuation of assets exceeding the actuarial accrued liability of the retirement system based on the most recent annual actuarial valuation of the retirement system, shall be credited to the reserve account.

(4)  Notwithstanding the provisions of this paragraph to the contrary, moneys credited to the reserve account in any applicable year shall not exceed an amount which, if credited to the reserve account, would exceed an amount that the system’s actuary determines is sufficient to pay the maximum favorable experience dividend for each of the next following ten years, based on reasonable actuarial assumptions.

(5)  Notwithstanding any provisions of this paragraph to the contrary, moneys shall not be credited to the reserve account if the system is not fully funded or if the system would not remain fully funded if moneys were credited to the reserve account.

(6)  As used in this paragraph, “favorable actuarial experience” means the difference, if positive, between the anticipated and actual experience of the retirement system’s actuarial assets and liabilities as measured by the system’s actuary in the most recent annual actuarial valuation of the retirement system pursuant to rules adopted by the system.

d.  The favorable experience dividend is calculated by multiplying the monthly retirement allowance payable to the retiree, beneficiary, or contingent annuitant for the previous December, or such other month as determined by the system, by twelve, and then multiplying that amount by the number of complete years the member has been retired or would have been retired if living as of the date the dividend is payable, and by the applicable percentage.  For purposes of this paragraph, the applicable percentage is the percentage, not to exceed three percent, that the system determines shall be applied in calculating the favorable experience dividend if the system determines that the reserve account is sufficiently funded to make a distribution.  In making its determination, the system shall consider, but not be limited to, the amounts credited to the reserve account, the distributions from the reserve account made in previous years, the likelihood of future credits to and distributions from the reserve account, and the distributions paid under subsection 1.

98 Acts, ch 1183, §40; 2000 Acts, ch 1077, §41 – 45, 77; 2001 Acts, ch 68, §21, 24; 2002 Acts, ch 1135, §23; 2003 Acts, ch 145, §178, 286; 2006 Acts, ch 1091, §7; 2008 Acts, ch 1171, §34, 48

Referred to in §97B.46, 97B.48, 97B.48A, 97B.50, 97B.51, 97B.53, 602.11115, 602.11116