The Family Death Benefit Plan (FDBP) is a voluntary program that provides a monthly financial benefit that may give your family increased financial protection should you pass away before retiring. An employee becomes eligible for membership in the FDBP after 18 months of City Service. There is a nominal cost per period to participate.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

2022 Anthem Medicare Preferred (PPO) Plan Information​: There is exciting news for LACERS Members under the 2022 Anthem Medicare Preferred (PPO) Plan! Members can access information about their benefits, as well as access the Personalized Member Account with Anthem Preferred PPO. Visit their website, and learn more here.

Upcoming City Holiday: LACERS will be closed on Monday, March 28, 2022 in observance of Cesar Chavez Day. LACERS office hours are Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and Tuesday 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. To experience the lowest call wait time, contact LACERS Tuesday through Thursday between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Stay Safe With Cybersecurity Best Practices: At LACERS, we routinely review and enhance the security of our information technology infrastructure to safeguard against unauthorized access. Learn how to strengthen your web practices by visiting LACERS’ new Cybersecurity Best Practices webpage and watching videos in the Cybersecurity Videos playlist on our YouTube channel.

There’s no time like the present to review and update your information with LACERS! As we begin 2022, there are some important items you can review to ensure you are on the right track with LACERS. Watch the 2022 LACERS Active Member Check-Up video, and then select a topic below to learn more about items you should review as a LACERS Member.  

LACERS Cares About the Security of Our Members

We routinely review and enhance the security of our information technology infrastructure to safeguard against unauthorized access. Additionally, we regularly review and refine our privacy policies so that all Member information received and processed by our staff is kept secure at all times.

Happy New Year Members! Please take a moment to review our January Retired Member Update! 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

1099-R Form – What You Need to Know: LACERS is in the process of mailing 1099-R tax documents to retirees and beneficiaries for the 2021 tax year and will complete this process by February 1. Don’t want to wait for the mail? Save time by viewing and printing your 1099-R via your MyLACERS online account now. To learn more, click here.

As LACERS Members near retirement, one voluntary program they should consider cancelling is the Family Death Benefit Plan (FDBP). Often times, employees elect to participate in the FDBP plan early in their City career due to having a young family, dependent parent and/or not qualifying for other survivorship benefits due to an insufficient amount of service credit. As Members move further along in their career, these criteria may not exist and cancelling the FDBP should be considered.

‘Tis the Season to Reduce Stress: One effective way to reduce stress this holiday season is by displaying kindness. Kindness has been shown to increase self-esteem, empathy and improve mood. If your holiday season feels stressful, try a random act of kindness such as leaving a kind note for a neighbor or a snack for your mail person. Other ideas include calling a family member or making concrete plans with someone you haven’t seen in a while.

It doesn’t have to be something big and extravagant. Kindness can be contagious and help reduce stress levels for yourself and everyone around you. Happy Holidays!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

RETIREMENT APPLICATION PORTAL DEMO

Take time to learn about LACERS’ exciting new Retirement Application Portal (RAP)! Click here for details, or sign up for the upcoming RAP Demonstration webinar on Wednesday, December 15 at 12:00 p.m. via MyLACERS. Can’t make it to the webinar? Watch a recording of a prior RAP Demonstration on the LACERS YouTube channel here.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Open Enrollment is Here!: Be on the lookout over the next few days for mailings pertaining to Open Enrollment. Take time to access Open Enrollment virtual meeting dates for each health carrier and other important information on the Open Enrollment webpage here. 

Protecting your personal information is as important to LACERS as it is to you. With this in mind, on November 1, 2021, LACERS will launch a new email communication platform that provides added safeguards when corresponding with our Members. The new platform meets industry standards for protecting personal identifiable information content by encrypting email attachments you receive from LACERS. Members who receive email attachments with confidential information will receive them in a two-step process.

Open Enrollment took place from October 15 to November 15, 2021. 

Retired Members under age 65 received an Open Enrollment statement, the Open Enrollment Overview and instructions on how to access the 2022 Health Benefits Guide online. Retired Members age 65 and over received a printed copy of the 2022 Health Benefits Guide in their packet.

SECURE DOCUMENT UPLOAD NOW AVAILABLE

Members can now access the “Secure Upload” page on the LACERS website. We are excited to offer this safe and convenient way for Members to submit documents! Visit the page here. 

LACERS BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION OFFICER ELECTIONS

President Cynthia M. Ruiz was re-elected as LACERS Board President and Commissioner Sung Won Sohn was re-elected as LACERS Board Vice President for the term of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022. 

FAREWELL FROM LACERS’ EXECUTIVE OFFICER, LITA PAYNE

We’d like to congratulate Lita Payne, LACERS’ Executive Officer, on her career with the City and thank her for her service to LACERS. Please take a moment to read a special farewell message from Lita here.

LEARNING ABOUT SURVIVOR BENEFITS QUIZ

Preparing for the unexpected isn’t always easy, but one way you can do so is by learning about your survivor benefits. Click here to watch the Survivor Benefits Overview video on the LACERS YouTube channel. Make sure to subscribe to the channel while you’re there! Then, take the Learning About Survivor Benefits quiz here to be entered into a drawing to win one of five $50 Amazon e-gift cards! Winners will be randomly selected. Complete the quiz by Friday, July 9, 2021 to be entered.

The new online Retirement Application Portal (RAP) is launching this month! In mid-June, Members retiring in August 2021 and beyond will have access to this secure and convenient way to apply for retirement. 

Here are some key steps to take before accessing the RAP:

PERSONAL SAFETY TIPS

The world around us is constantly changing and at times can be very unpredictable; it’s therefore more important than ever to make sure that you take the necessary measures to keep yourself safe as you begin to venture out into your communities and beyond. Click here for tips to increase your personal security while away from your home.

The launch of the new online Retirement Application Portal (RAP) is just around the corner! Soon Members will have access to this efficient and convenient way to apply for retirement. 

If you will be retiring in the near future, here are some key steps to take before accessing the RAP:

Coming Soon: Online Retirement Application Portal

The development of the new online Retirement Application Portal (RAP) is nearing completion, and soon you will be able to apply and complete the entire retirement process from the comfort of your own home! 

MEMBER RESOURCES

Forms Now Available on MyLACERS: Did you know a variety of forms are now available in your MyLACERS account portal? Login and click on “Forms” in the left-side menu. 

Introducing the Online Retirement Application Portal

You are now able to apply and complete the entire retirement process online, from the comfort of your own home, using a safe and secure portal.  Below are a few details you should know so that you will be prepared to use the portal!

The Winter 2021 edition of the LACERS Well newsletter is ready to view here on the LACERS website! In its pages you’ll find ways to give back to your community, stay connected virtually, manage stress in a positive way, and more. Printed versions of the newsletter will be arriving through the mail next week.

Los Angeles is proud to be a protector of the American Dream and a defender of the inclusive values that are the bedrock of this great country. Mayor Garcetti is a national leader in the movement to help create new pathways to citizenship for people who are American by every measure except the papers they hold — and who deserve job opportunities, better wages, the right to vote, and peace of mind that citizenship brings into people’s lives.

Quick Links:

• Mayor’s Thank You to LACERS’ Retirees
• LACERS Fall Active Member Newsletter is Here!
• LACERS Holiday Hours
• Have You Signed Up for the Family Death Benefit Plan?
• LACERS and Your Benefits Quiz Winners

LACERS Holiday Hours

Thanksgiving is quickly approaching, and this year the LACERS 800 phone number will not be in service from November 23 through November 25. Members can still reach LACERS for urgent matters by email at lacers.services@lacers.org. LACERS will be closed on November 26 and 27. Please keep these dates in mind and plan ahead if you would like to speak with a LACERS representative via phone. We look forward to continuing to assist our Members and hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Combat the “Holiday Blues” with an Upcoming Zoom Meeting

Please join us for our LACERS Zoom Meeting – Holiday Wellness Workshop: Understanding Holiday Blues. This Zoom meeting will feature Dr. Haydeh Fakhrabadi, Psy.D., CPII Clinical Psychologist with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. 

Quick Links:

• From the General Manager’s Desk: LACERS Reports Preliminary 1.1% Investment Return for Fiscal Year 2019-20
• Open Enrollment Update 
• Wildfire Impact on Members
• Escape the Weather with City of Los Angeles Relief Centers
• Now Available: Pension Verification form and Change of Email form
• COVID-19 Resources
• Flu Prevention Tips

Making Healthy Choices in the Kitchen

Making healthy lifestyle choices will benefit you in the long-run and allow you to continue doing the activities you love. One way you can work toward a healthy lifestyle is by making healthier eating choices. Click here to read an article by the American Heart Association about ways you can be smart in the kitchen.

City Separation Incentive Program FAQs

You may have heard about the City of Los Angeles’ Separation Incentive Program (CSIP) that is currently open for applications. LACERS has compiled a list of Frequently Asked Questions to help you navigate the program and determine if it is the right option for you. Please click here to view these questions. For further information about the CSIP, please visit the CAO’s website here.

LACERS processed most of the retroactive check adjustments, for retirees who retired before negotiated pay increases were included in their final average compensation, in the June payroll. Parts of this process were interrupted by social disturbances in the downtown area. In addition, retirements with a Domestic Relations Order (DRO) require additional analysis and calculations; therefore, they are still being processed. We hope to have the remaining adjustments processed and reflected in the July payroll.

We have implemented a new two-step verification security feature to enhance the safety of your information in the MyLACERS member portal. This feature has been enabled and you will be asked to verify your account via your choice of a code sent via SMS text messaging or email. Once your device is verified, you will not need to repeat the verification process unless:

Mayor Garcetti has ordered City departments and agencies to take additional steps that can help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), strengthening the local response to the outbreak with measures that include new limits on public gatherings in City facilities.

For this reason, LACERS has suspended public access to our offices from external visitors at this time. Please know that assistance is still available via telephone and email during our normal business hours, 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., excluding holidays. 

The Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System (LACERS) undergoes review by its actuary at least annually to ensure that its benefits are administered in accordance with all legal, tax and fiscal standards. This year a recommendation will be implemented requiring a minor adjustment to account for the Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) that spouses/domestic partners, eligible for a Continuance (a member’s retirement allowance continuedat 50% or greater for the spouse’s lifetime), receive upon the member’s death.