Non-Vested Membership
Members of the Defined Benefit(DB) Plan who do not reach five years of creditable service with the city of Richmond or participating
employer of the Richmond Retirement System (RRS) prior to separating from service are considered non-vested members and have no
right to a benefit.
Refund of Defined Benefit Plan Contributions
Non-vested members are eligible to receive a refund of their Defined Benefit (DB) Plan contributions. They may elect to receive a
refund directly in a lump-sum or they may elect to rollover their retirement contributions, paid directly from the System to the
custodian of an eligible retirement plan as defined in Section 401(a), 401(k), 403(b) or 457 of the Internal Revenue Service Code,
a traditional individual retirement account (IRA) or an individual retirement annuity. (Note: Rollover instructions must be provided
by the qualified plan.)
Details about refunds of DB Plan contributions are available in the
Defined Benefit Plan Refund Option Fact Sheet.
To request a refund of DB Plan contributions complete the
Request for Refund Defined Benefit Plan Contributions form, and return it to
the RRS.
If a non-vested member's DB Plan contribution account is $1,000 or less the account will automatically be disbursed directly to the
member via a lump-sum payment.
Returning to City Service
Former Defined Benefit Plan Member
If a non-vested member (previously was participating in the Defined Benefit Plan) returns to work for the city as a general
employee they will be enrolled in the Defined Contribution (DC) plan. The member’s previous period of creditable service will be
reestablished, and the city will begin making contributions into their DC plan account. When the member leaves city service a second
time, they will have access to the city's contributions (plus or minus investment returns) in their DC plan account, provided they
are vested.
Former Defined Contribution Plan Member
If a non-vested member (previously participating in the Defined Contribution Plan, returns to work for the city as a general
employee within five years of their termination date, they will be re-enrolled in the DC plan, and their previous account balance will
be restored. The member's previous period of creditable service will be reestablished, and the city will resume making contributions
into their DC plan account. When the member leaves city service the second time, they will have access to the city's contributions
(plus or minus investment returns) in their DC plan account, provided they are vested.
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