Overview
A combined service annuity (CSA) allows Minnesota public pension plans to work together so all of your state government service counts toward retirement eligibility—even if you worked in roles under more than one plan.
If you change jobs within Minnesota public service and your retirement coverage moves to a different plan, your contributions and service credit stay with the plan where you earned them. They are not transferred from one plan to another.
Each plan calculates its portion of your retirement benefit using its own formula. However, all participating plans use the same high-five average salary when calculating benefits under a combined service annuity.
Advantages of a combined service annuity
If you have service credit in more than one Minnesota public pension plan, a combined service annuity may:
- Increase your total monthly benefit
- Help you meet vesting requirements
- Maximize your high-five average salary
- Help you reach retirement eligibility sooner
TRA counselors calculate retirement benefit estimates for all available scenarios and provide the highest allowable benefit based on your combined service.
Eligibility requirements
You may qualify for a combined service annuity if you have at least six months of allowable service credit in one or more Minnesota public pension plans, including:
- Minnesota State Retirement System (MSRS)
- Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA)
- St. Paul Teachers' Retirement Fund Association (SPTRFA)
To receive a combined service annuity, you must:
- Have at least six months of service credit with each plan in which you are or were a member.
- Meet the longest vesting requirement among all of the plans in which you hold service credit.
- Terminate all Minnesota public service employment.
- Submit a separate retirement application to each plan.
How a combined service annuity works
At retirement, each applicable plan pays its portion of your benefit, which results in a separate payment from each plan. Each plan calculates your benefit using your high-five average salary from your highest five successive years of covered employment, regardless of in which plan those years occurred.
If you took a refund of contributions from another Minnesota public pension plan, repaying that refund may increase your future retirement benefit.
Working while receiving a benefit
Under certain circumstances, you may continue working in a position covered by one Minnesota public pension plan and receive a retirement benefit from a different plan for prior service. Because this may impact your eligibility for a combined service annuity, contact TRA to discuss your specific situation.
