Purchasing Part-Time Service

If you were employed by a StanCERA covered employer (Stanislaus County or a special district) on a part-time or extra help basis, before you became a StanCERA member, you can purchase your part-time service and add it to your retirement service credit. This type of buy back is available to all retirement tiers, except Tier 3.

Please note: Time worked through a temporary agency (ie: Kelly Services, Account Temps etc.) does not qualify for a buyback, because you were employed by that agency, not by the StanCERA covered employer.

Purchasing additional retirement service credit will increase the years of service used in the calculation that determines the amount of your monthly retirement allowance. In other words, the more retirement service credit you have, the higher your retirement allowance may be.

The additional retirement service credit is also counted towards vesting and membership requirements.

It is also used when determining the date that a member’s contribution will be discontinued upon achieving 30 years of retirement service credit, if you are in Tiers 2, 4 or 5.

The cost will depend on how much retirement service credit you have available for purchase.

StanCERA staff will research payroll records to determine how many hours you actually worked, and how much you were paid as a part-time employee. The rates are determined by your age at entry into StanCERA membership and will be applied to calculate the initial cost of the purchase. Then, interest will be added from your date of entrance into StanCERA membership until the amount is paid in full.

The longer you wait, the more it will cost, because interest will be added to the initial cost of the buyback. So, the sooner you complete the purchase, the more affordable it will be.

To obtain a buyback calculation request form, it is available on our website at www.stancera.org or you can submit it online directly from the member portal.

Once StanCERA receives your completed buy back request form, we will calculate the cost of your buy back. When completed, the information will be sent to you for review. If you chose to proceed with the buy back, you will need to submit the “Confirmation” form to StanCERA. Once received, a Specialist will contact you regarding your payment options.

Due to the need for extensive research of old payroll records, it can take some time for StanCERA staff to complete your buyback calculations. Depending on the number of requests received, it can take as long as 3 to 12 weeks to complete the buyback calculation.

You will be given up to four payment options. They will include all or some of the following:

• You can sign up to have additional contributions withheld from your regular payroll checks.
• You can write a check to cover the entire cost of the purchase.
• You can transfer money from a deferred compensation account (457 plan), a traditional IRA, or a 401K plan.
• A possible combination of two or more of the previously stated options.

This brochure provides general information about the part-time buyback process. If any discrepancies exist between information in this brochure and the law, the law will prevail. You are encouraged to call StanCERA’s retirement office should you have any questions about the buyback process.