On November 8, SDCERS’ Board of Administration voted to approve new DROP account and DROP annuity interest rates, which will be effective January 1, 2020. The rates are calculated annually using publicly available indexes as of September 30 of each year.
Therefore, effective January 1, 2020, the DROP account interest rate (compounded quarterly) will be reduced to 2.5%, compared to the current rate of 2.7%. This interest rate will be applied to active DROP participants’ accounts. This rate is subject to change annually, which means a DROP participant’s account may receive a different interest rate every year during their participation period, depending on the Board’s actions.
Also beginning January 1, 2020, the DROP annuity interest rate will be increased to 3.1%, compared to the current rate of 3.0%. This interest rate will be applied to the funds remaining in a DROP retiree’s account if the retiree chooses to annuitize their DROP account, and it will be factored into the calculation of their monthly annuity. Unlike the DROP account interest rate, the DROP annuity rate will not change for an individual member – the rate that is in effect when a member exits DROP is the rate that will be applied to their annuity, regardless of whether or not the DROP annuity rate changes in future years. Therefore, if you are close to the end of your five-year DROP participation period, your decision to exit DROP before or after the New Year may be affected by the Board’s decision to increase or decrease the DROP annuity interest rate.