Section 661.402.206. Termination prior to retirement.

       402.206(1) Members who terminate covered employment prior to age 55 other than by death or disability have certain rights to their accumulated contributions.

        a.           A member with fewer than four years of service is not entitled to benefits under the system. A member terminating employment with less than four years of service has the following options for the handling of the member’s contributions to the system:

       (1)             The member may withdraw the member’s contributions along with accumulated interest.

       (2)             The member may have all or a part of the member’s qualifying contributions along with accumulated interest rolled forward to a qualified retirement plan and may withdraw the balance of the member’s contributions.

       (3)             The member may leave the member’s contributions in the system as long as the member continues to be a member of the system. A member ceases to be a member of the system should the member in any period of five consecutive years after last becoming a member be absent from service for more than four years. Should a member cease to be a member, the member’s contributions shall be paid to the member as provided in this paragraph.

        b.           A member with four or more years of service is a “vested member” and is entitled to benefits under the system. The member’s options under the system are as follows:

       (1)             Upon attaining retirement age, the member may receive a service retirement allowance of four twenty-seconds of the retirement allowance the member would receive at retirement if the member’s employment had not been terminated, and an additional one twenty-second of such retirement allowance for each additional year of service not exceeding 22 years of service. Should the member have over 22 years of service, upon the member’s retirement there shall be added 2¾ percent of the member’s average final compensation for each year over 22 years for up to 10 additional years of service. The amount of the retirement allowance shall be calculated in the manner provided in this subparagraph using the average final compensation at the time of termination of the member’s employment.

       (2)             The member may withdraw the member’s contributions pursuant to Iowa Code section 97A.16, along with accumulated interest.

       (3)             The member may have all or a part of the member’s qualifying contributions along with accumulated interest rolled forward to a qualified retirement plan and may withdraw the balance of the member’s contributions.

       402.206(2) The interest rate shall be the composite rate of return for the fiscal year as reflected in the investment performance analysis, provided by the investment consultants for the system, as specified in the report for the quarter ending June 30 of the fiscal year, adjusted by the administrative expense of the system for the fiscal year. The administrative expense rate shall be calculated by dividing the actual administrative expense for the fiscal year by the fund balance on June 30 of the fiscal year.

       402.206(3) Interest shall be credited to the member’s account annually as of June 30. The interest credited to the member shall be calculated by multiplying the annual interest rate by the member’s average balance for the fiscal year, with interest credited for each full month of membership.

       402.206(4) Members withdrawing contributions under this rule shall submit a written request to the secretary.