Updating or Changing Your Beneficiaries

How to Ensure your Life Insurance, Retirement System, and Supplemental Retirement Plan Beneficiaries are Up-to-date

Ensuring Your Life Insurance and Retirement System Beneficiaries are Up-to-date

Major life events such as marriage, birth/adoption of children, or divorce warrant review of your beneficiary designations. Employees can view life insurance coverage amounts by logging in to UConnect and clicking on “My Benefits” and then “Current Benefits.” Don’t forget to also review your beneficiary designations for pension benefits. These can be different than your life insurance beneficiary designation, and one does not automatically update when you change the other.

 

Determining Your Retirement System(s):

Most employees have this designated on their Pay Advice. Check the column labeled "Tax Deferred & Post-Tax Deductions" on your most recent Pay Advice. Deduction codes that start with “FC” are members of the FCERS system; codes that start with "VRS" and "ERFC" are members of VRS/ERFC.

 

Checking Your Current Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation:

  • Virginia Retirement System (VRS) members can review and update beneficiaries online through their secure myVRS account. 
  • Fairfax County Employees’ Retirement System (FCERS) members receive life insurance benefits from MetLife. MetLife’s website allows you to designate or change your beneficiaries at any time by doing the following:
    • Go online: Go to www.metlife.com/mybenefits. Under employer name, search for “Fairfax County Public Schools”, then click “Register” to create your account.
    • By phone: Contact MetLife at 1-866-492-6983 (Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. ET.)
    • In writing (be sure to include your name and other identifying information):  MetLife, P.O. Box 14401, Lexington, KY 40512-4401
      .

Checking Your Current Retirement System Beneficiary Designation:

  • ERFC members can log-in to ERFCDirect and click on “Named Beneficiaries” in the left column menu under “Member Information” to designate or update beneficiary information.
  • VRS members can review and update beneficiaries online for the defined benefit portion of their VRS Plan through their secure myVRS account. 
    • VRS Hybrid members should also review/update beneficiaries for the defined contribution portion of their retirement plan. This can be done by logging in to your MissionSquare account and designating/updating your beneficiary information online.
  • FCERS members need to establish a Web Member Service (WMS) account to view their retirement beneficiary information.
    • To access WMS, you will need to go to the FCERS website and click on “Member Area: Secure Log In” in the left navigation bar. Establish an account and proceed.
    • Once you have established your account and logged in, click on “Nominated Beneficiary” on the left side.
    • To make changes to the beneficiary listed, you will need to submit a Retirement System Change Request form to FCERS. Be sure to keep a copy for your records.

Checking Your Current Supplemental Retirement Plan Beneficiary Designation:

If you are enrolled in a supplemental retirement plan, such as the 457(b), 403(b), and/or the VRS Hybrid 457, your beneficiary designations are handled by your chosen vendor(s). To view/update your current beneficiary designation, you will need to log into your member account where you will able to update your designations electronically*.

457(b):

403(b):

VRS Hybrid 457: Log in to your MissionSquare account and designate/update your beneficiary information online.

 

*Hardcopy forms are available upon request. You will need to reach out to your vendor directly.

HR Connection

Question for Human Resources? Submit it through the HR Connection portal or call 571-423-3000 or 1-800-831-4331.
HR Connection