Can I access my OP&F account online?
Yes. Members can now access their account information online using the Member Self Serve Web link at www.op-f.org. Registration is required to view your specific account information.
Can I transfer my part-time service credit and contributions from another Ohio retirement system to OP&F?
No, by Ohio law, contributions for volunteer or part-time service credit will not be accepted by OP&F even if it comes from another Ohio retirement system such as the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, Ohio State Highway Patrol Retirement System, School Employees Retirement System of Ohio, or State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio.
How can I purchase my military service credit or have it granted?
In order to get your military time granted or purchased you will need to contact OP&F Customer Service at 888-864-8363 for assistance with the proper paperwork and steps you need to follow.
Please be prepared to forward OP&F your DD214 that states:
you were honorably discharged
your date of entry; and
your date of discharge.
You will also need to send a letter expressing interest in receiving a grant or purchase of your military service. Once OP&F receives this information, a representative will contact your employer for wage information. Then information will be mailed to you to complete and file with OP&F.
How can I request an estimate of my service credit?
Please contact OP&F Customer Service at
888-864-8363 to request an estimate
of your service credit. A representative will be able to answer any questions you
may have at this time and will begin the process of calculating your service credit.
Due to the non-secure nature of e-mail, OP&F will not transmit e-mail that includes
any specific details regarding your account or will accept any e-mail request asking
for personal information such as your service credit estimate, especially since
you need to verify your personal information before an estimate is calculated. So
please call Customer Service directly for the most efficient and prompt response
to your request.
How do I access my DROP information online?
Visit www.op-f.org/drop/ and click on "OP&F Online."
Before logging in for the first time, you will be asked to register. You will need
to enter your Social Security number and then click on "Request Account." You will
then be promoted to enter your street or PO box number to verify that the address
OP&F has on file is correct. If the address matches OP&F's records, you will be
asked to choose a new password and security question and will then have access to
your DROP information online.
Once you have logged on you will have access to your account summary including a
monthly breakdown. For your personal records, OP&F will send you two different letters
to your home welcoming you to OP&F online as well as confirmation on your online
profile. If you have any questions or concerns while accessing your online DROP
account you may call OP&F Customer Service at 888-864-8363.
How do I change my address on file with OP&F?
Members may now change or update mailing addresses online by using the secure Member Self-Serve Web. By logging into the secure site, members may select Member Demographics and then update their address, home and work telephone numbers as well as their email address. This will help ensure that you receive important news and information from OP&F. This feature can be beneficial for those “snowbird” members who have a different address during the winter months. You can also submit a Change of Address form by clicking here.
How do I get an estimate of my pension from OP&F?
Call OP&F's Customer Service at 888-864-8363 to verify your current mailing address and Social Security number. Once OP&F has confirmed your information, a Customer Service representative will mail you your estimate. It will take approximately 3 to 5 weeks to process after your request is received.
How do I have my benefit check electronically Direct Deposited into my new account if I change bank accounts or banks?
To have your benefit checks rerouted to a different bank account via Direct
Deposit, complete the Direct Deposit Application and attach a voided check or a
copy of your account's deposit slip to the application. Return the completed application
and necessary documentation to OP&F at 140 East Town Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215.
If OP&F receives your completed form and deposit slip by the 15th of the month,
then your benefit will be electronically Direct Deposited into your new account
the very next month. We suggest that you keep your former account open until you
have verified that your benefit check is being deposited into your new account.
How do I transfer my service credit and contributions from another Ohio retirement system to OP&F?
Write a letter to the Ohio retirement system in which you are transferring
from requesting that your contributions and service credit be transferred to OP&F.
Make certain to include your Social Security number and signature on the letter
to the retirement system.
Subject to restrictions, you may purchase full–time service credit earned under
an Ohio retirement system, such as the Cincinnati Retirement System, Ohio Public
Employees Retirement System, School Employees Retirement System, State Highway Patrol
Retirement System, or State Teachers Retirement System.
If you joined OP&F on or after Sept. 16, 1998, and transferred or purchased service
credit, you can pay the difference between the employee and employer contribution
rates of OP&F and the other retirement system, plus interest, to receive full credit.
Otherwise, service credit will be prorated based on the difference in the retirement
systems’ contribution rates.
Please contact OP&F’s Customer Service at 888-864-8363 for information on the cost
of transferring or purchasing service credit.
How is my "average annual salary" defined in the formula used to calculate service retirement benefits?
Your average annual salary is defined under Ohio law as being the average of your highest years of salary, earnings or compensation, regardless of when in your career the highest years occurred. A year can be 12 consecutive months not specifically a calendar year. Depending on your hire date, your average annual salary will be either your three or five highest years of earnings. Your average annual salary is subject to certain statutory and administrative limitations and not all salary, earnings or compensation may be used in the calculation.
How long does it take for my DROP contributions to be posted online?
The process of posting DROP calculations online will take approximately 2 to 4 months from the time the monthly payroll is due to OP&F. Delays or errors in reporting can slow down this process. For example, if the May monthly report was due to OP&F on June 30, it would be reviewed and posted to your account by the end of July. If there were delays or errors in your employer’s reporting, they have 30 days from the initial notice to correct the reporting deficiency, then OP&F will process the corrections, approve the report, and update the payroll to the member ledgers. DROP interest is posted based on the total amount of money at the end of a month, and the interest will be retroactive back to the date when the money was received for each month.
When is interest posted to my DROP accrual?
Interest is posted every month between the 5th and 10th for the previous month. If for some reason, a pension or contribution is posted late, that does not affect your interest. The interest is calculated back to the due date.
What is the DROP interest rate and why did it change?
As of April 2, 2012, the rate will be equal to the 10-year U.S. Treasury Note Business Day Series, as published by the United States Federal Reserve, with a cap of 5.0 percent. In February 2012, the OP&F Board of Trustees unanimously voted to change the interest rate associated with DROP and re-employed retiree accounts. This change was made in an effort to help OP&F reach a mandated 30-year funding level required by the State of Ohio for public pension funds and also to help keep DROP cost-neutral. In October 2019, a minimum rate of 2.5 percent was approved by the OP&F Board of Trustees.
What happens if I die while participating in DROP, due to either off-duty or on-duty illness or injury?
Members have an option to select an annuity payment plan and pension beneficiary upon DROP entry or they can wait to make the selections at retirement. If an annuity plan selection is made upon entering DROP, it cannot be changed upon retirement.
Most members entering DROP chose not to make an annuity selection because they automatically qualify for a Pre–Retirement Survivor Annuity (PRSA) that continues 50 percent of their monthly retirement allowance to the surviving spouse if the member dies while participating in DROP. Because the member automatically qualifies for a 50 percent PRSA, the monthly retirement benefit credited to DROP is not reduced during active participation.
Members who chose to select a Joint and Survivor Annuity (JSA) plan upon entering DROP will have a reduced monthly retirement benefit credited to DROP each month. By selecting a JSA percentage between 1 and 100, the member designates that, upon death, that percentage of their reduced monthly allowance will be continued to the designated beneficiary.