OAR 459-007-0005: Annual Earnings Crediting

(1) For purposes of this rule, “remaining earnings” means earnings available for distribution to a particular account or reserve after deduction of amounts required or authorized by law for other purposes. (2) Except as otherwise specified in this division, earnings on all accounts and reserves in the Fund shall be credited as of December 31 of each calendar year in the manner specified in this rule. (3) Health insurance accounts. All earnings attributable to the Standard Retiree Health Insurance Account (SRHIA), Retiree Health Insurance Premium Account (RHIPA) or Retirement Health Insurance Account (RHIA) shall be credited to the account from which they were derived, less administrative expenses incurred by each account, as provided in ORS 238.410, 238.415 and 238.420, respectively. (4) Employer lump sum payments. All earnings or losses attributable to the employer lump sum payment accounts established under ORS 238.229 shall be credited to the accounts from which they were derived. (5) Member variable accounts. Earnings on the Variable Annuity Account shall first be used to pay a pro rata share of administrative expenses in accordance with ORS 238.260(6). If the annual earnings from the Variable Annuity Account are insufficient to pay for the pro rata share of administrative expenses, those administrative expenses shall be paid from earnings on other accounts within the Public Employees Retirement Fund (PERF), if available. If earnings from those accounts within the PERF are insufficient to pay for the administrative expenses, those expenses shall be paid from employer accounts as required by ORS 238.610. All remaining earnings or losses attributable to the Variable Annuity Account shall be credited to the participants of that account, as provided under 238.260(6) and (7)(b). (6) Individual Account Program accounts. Earnings on the Individual Account Program accounts established under ORS 238A.350 shall first be used to pay a pro rata share of administrative expenses in accordance with ORS 238A.350(1). Losses on Individual Account Program target date funds shall be increased by a pro rata share of administrative expenses. After administrative expenses, each Individual Account Program account established under ORS 238A.350 shall be credited with the earnings or losses of the specific target date fund to which the account is allocated, except for account balances allocated to the retirement installments fund, which shall be credited with earnings or losses on a monthly basis. (7) Administrative expenses. Earnings attributable to Tier One regular accounts, the Tier One Rate Guarantee Reserve, Tier Two member regular accounts, judge member regular accounts, the OPSRP Pension Program reserve, Employee Pension Stability Accounts, employer contribution accounts, the Contingency Reserve, the Benefits-in-Force Reserve and the Capital Preservation Reserve shall first be used to pay the system’s remaining administrative expenses under ORS 238.610. (8) Contingency Reserve. (a) In any year in which total earnings on the Fund equal or exceed the assumed rate, an amount not exceeding seven and one-half percent of remaining earnings attributable to Tier One regular accounts, the Tier One Rate Guarantee Reserve, Tier Two regular accounts, judge member regular accounts, the OPSRP Pension Program reserve, Employee Pension Stability Accounts, the Benefits-in-Force Reserve, employer contribution accounts, the Capital Preservation Reserve and the Contingency Reserve shall be credited to the Contingency Reserve to the level at which the Board determines it is adequately funded for the purposes specified in ORS 238.670(1). (b) The portion of the Contingency Reserve allowed under ORS 238.670(1)(a) for use in preventing a deficit in the fund due to employer insolvency may only be credited using earnings attributable to employer contribution accounts. (9) Tier One Member Rate Guarantee Reserve. All remaining earnings attributable to Tier One regular accounts, the Tier One Member Rate Guarantee Reserve, judge member regular accounts, the Benefits-in-Force Reserve, and the Contingency Reserve may be credited to the Tier One Member Rate Guarantee Reserve established under ORS 238.255(1). (10) Capital Preservation Reserve. Remaining earnings attributable to the Tier Two member regular accounts, judge member regular accounts, OPSRP Pension Program reserve, Employee Pension Stability Accounts, employer contribution accounts, the Benefits-in-Force Reserve, the Contingency Reserve and the Capital Preservation Reserve may be credited from those sources to one or more reserve accounts that may be established under ORS 238.670(3) to offset gains and losses of invested capital. (11) Tier One regular accounts. All remaining earnings attributable to Tier One regular accounts and the Tier One Rate Guarantee Reserve shall be credited to Tier One member regular accounts at the assumed rate in any year in which the conditions set out in ORS 238.255 have not been met. Crediting under this subsection shall be funded first by all remaining earnings attributable to Tier One regular accounts and the Tier One Rate Guarantee Reserve, then moneys in the Tier One Rate Guarantee Reserve. (12) Judge member regular accounts. All remaining earnings attributable to judge member regular accounts shall be credited to all active and inactive judge member regular accounts at the judge member rate. Crediting under this subsection shall be funded first by all remaining earnings attributable to the judge member regular accounts and the Tier One Rate Guarantee Reserve, then moneys in the Tier One Rate Guarantee Reserve. (13) Tier Two member regular accounts. All remaining earnings or losses attributable to Tier Two member regular accounts shall be credited to all active and inactive Tier Two member regular accounts under ORS 238.250. (14) Employee Pension Stability Account (EPSA). All remaining earnings or losses attributable to the EPSAs shall be credited to all active and inactive EPSAs under ORS 238A.353. For administrative expenses: (a) EPSA accounts of Tier One and Tier Two members will be treated as Tier Two funds. (b) EPSA accounts of OPSRP members will be treated as OPSRP Pension Program Reserve funds. (15) OPSRP Pension Program Reserve. Remaining earnings attributable to the OPSRP Pension Program Reserve, the Contingency Reserve, and the Capital Preservation Reserve may be used to credit the OPSRP Pension Program reserve. (16) Benefits-in-Force Reserve. Remaining earnings attributable to the Benefits-in-Force Reserve, the Contingency Reserve, the Capital Preservation Reserve and employer contribution accounts, in that order, shall be used, to the extent available, to credit the Benefits-in-Force Reserve with earnings for that calendar year in accordance with ORS 238.670(2). (17) Employer contribution accounts. All remaining earnings attributable to employer contribution accounts shall be credited to employer contribution accounts. (18) Remaining earnings. Any remaining earnings shall be credited to accounts and reserves in the Fund at the Board’s discretion.