SCERS Member Self-Service Portal
Welcome to the Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System (SCERS) Member Self-Service (MSS) Portal
Introduction. This Terms of Use document (Agreement) is a contract between you and Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System (SCERS), in connection with the Member Self-Service Portal (the MSS Portal or Portal). The information provided on the Member Self-Service Portal and any related data or information (MSS Portal or Portal) is made available for the convenience of eligible SCERS members and other payees.
By registering for or using this Member Self-Service Portal, you are agreeing to these Terms of Use and you agree to be bound by them. If you do not agree to these Terms of Use, you must not use the MSS Portal. Unauthorized access to online accounts may incur criminal penalties as well as damages.
We reserve the right to change the Terms of Use at any time without prior notice. Continued use of the MSS Portal and any associated forms or materials will constitute acceptance of any such changes.
Description of Portal. The Portal enables you to access and provide information regarding your work history, credited service, potential benefits, and other information related to SCERS, including but not limited to the following: (1) viewing retirement account benefit information pertaining to retirement benefits administered by SCERS; (2) sending and receiving secure messages to SCERS staff members; (3) uploading documents related to your SCERS account; (4) downloading SCERS-related documents to keep for your own records or use; (5) viewing and submitting updates to demographic information; (6) viewing SCERS news and alerts; (7) accessing a benefit estimator tool; and/or (8) accessing a payment estimator tool. The specifically-listed services and functions above are subject to change at any time in SCERS’ sole discretion.
1. Minimum System Requirements for Accessing Your Information. (a) A personal computer or other device which can access the Internet. (b) An Internet web browser, which can support 128-bit SSL encrypted communications, JavaScript, and cookies. Your system or device must have 128-bit SSL encryption software. Your access to this page verifies that your computer or other device, browser, and encryption software or device meets all these requirements.
2. Eligibility. The Portal is offered only to eligible SCERS members and other payees (including beneficiaries and payees under Qualified Domestic Relations Orders). We have the right to suspend, disable, or change the features of the Portal and/or your user account at any time, if in our reasonable opinion, you have failed to comply with any of the provisions of these terms and conditions, or if SCERS in its sole discretion determines that other circumstances warrant changes to access to any user account(s) or the Portal.
3. Amendments: Consent. We may amend this Agreement and the Portal at any time by posting a revised version to the Portal. The revised version will be effective at the time it is posted unless a delayed effective date is expressly stated in the revision. Any use of the Portal after a notice of change or after the posting of a revised version of this Agreement on the Portal will constitute your agreement to such changes and revised versions.
4. Notices to Us Regarding the Portal. The Portal may contain e-forms and other documents that may be used by SCERS staff to make changes on your account. For questions about the Portal, we may also be reached at (206) 386-1293 or via email at retirecity@seattle.gov, but such telephone calls, secure in-product messaging and emails will not constitute legal notices under this Agreement. Legal notices under this Agreement must be sent by postal mail or hand delivery to: Seattle City Employees' Retirement System, 720 Third Avenue, 9th Floor, Seattle, WA 98104.
5. Notices to You. You agree that we may provide notice to you by posting it on the Portal, sending you a secure message within the Portal, emailing it to an email address you have provided to us, or by calling or texting any mobile number that you have provided to us.
6. Calls, Emails and Text Messages to You. By providing us with a telephone number (including a mobile number) and/or email address, you consent to receiving calls and/or text messages from us at that number and/or emails at that email address, in our discretion.
7. Contact Information. Except in the case of information received and updated directly from the Seattle Department of Human Resources regarding current City of Seattle employees, it is your sole responsibility and you agree to ensure that the contact information and other data in your user profile is current and accurate. This includes, but is not limited to, name, physical address, phone number(s), email address(es), and marital status. Changes can be requested through the Portal or by contacting us as set forth in section 4 above.
8. Your Privacy. Protecting your privacy is very important to us. Please review our Privacy Policy in order to better understand our commitment to maintaining your privacy, as well as our use and disclosure of your information. Our privacy policy can be viewed by clicking here. However, please note that information provided to and/or maintained by the Portal is subject to the Washington Public Records Act (RCW 42.56) and may be subject to disclosure to a third-party requestor. We are committed to protecting your privacy and will ensure that any disclosures are done according to law.
Information may be automatically collected when you access the Portal, including:
· your Internet Protocol (IP) address, a numerical identifier assigned to your internet
service provider and/or your computer or other device
· dates and times of your access to the Portal, and the pages and/or information that you
access at the Portal
Except as otherwise legally required, information provided to the Portal will only be used to carry out SCERS’ responsibilities to manage and provide retirement benefits to participants, beneficiaries, and/or payees under qualified domestic relations orders. Data provided to the Portal will be maintained in accordance with the data retention policies of the City of Seattle and, if applicable, any additional policies of SCERS.
9. Information Authorization. Your enrollment in the Portal may not be fulfilled if we cannot verify your identity or other necessary information. Through your enrollment in the Portal, you agree that we may request a review of any information reasonably necessary to verify your identity or other pertinent information. In addition, you agree that we may obtain personal information about you as described in our Privacy Policy. Our Privacy Policy can be viewed by clicking here.
10. Service Termination, Cancellation, or Suspension. If you wish to cancel your access to the Portal, you may contact us as set forth in section 4 above.
11. Errors, Questions or Complaints.
(a) The information provided on the Portal is made available for the convenient access of eligible members and payees. While SCERS makes every attempt to ensure the information provided is reliable, human errors, inadvertent errors, and/or mechanical errors and omissions may occur. Therefore, SCERS does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of information, and will not be held responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the use of, or results obtained from the use of information. Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System (SCERS) is governed by various statutes, rules, and regulations which are complex and subject to change. In the event of a conflict between the statutes, rules, and regulations governing SCERS and the information contained on this website, the statutes, rules, and regulations shall control. The information provided on the Portal is not intended to advise users on retirement, or on legal or financial matters. Seattle City Employees’ Retirement System (SCERS) strongly encourages users to consult with an appropriate SCERS staff member regarding questions about retirement benefits, and to consult with an appropriate professional regarding legal or financial matters.
(b) In case of questions or errors about your information viewed on the Portal, you should contact us as soon as possible as set forth in section 4 above. When reporting an error, provide your name and describe the error or the transaction in question and explain as clearly as possible why you believe it is an error or why you need more information.
12. Links and Other Resources. For your convenience, the Portal may provide links to other websites and other resources. Where the Portal contains links to external websites and/or other resources, these links are provided for your information only, and SCERS makes no representations or warranties, express or implied, with respect to the materials found on such external websites or other resources. By providing these links, we are not sponsoring, recommending or endorsing such sites or the materials disseminated, and make no representations concerning the content of sites listed in any of them. Consequently, we cannot be held responsible for the accuracy, relevancy, copyright compliance, legality or decency of material contained in sites or other resources listed in any search results or otherwise accessed through the Portal.
13. Password and Security. Any password, login, personal identification number (PIN), or other security information chosen by or allocated to you as part of our security procedures must be treated as confidential. You must not disclose any of this information to any third party, and you agree to be responsible for all actions taken by anyone to whom you have provided such information. If you believe that your credentials have been lost or stolen or that someone may attempt to use them to access the Portal without your consent, you must inform us as soon as possible at the telephone number or address provided in section 4 above, and upon request by SCERS you must change your password or other security credentials immediately. Neither SCERS nor any other City of Seattle staff will ever ask you for your current password, PIN, or other security credentials in any form including over the telephone or by email.
14. Portal Revisions; No Warranties Regarding Content. We may update or change the content of the Portal from time to time. Please note that any of the content on the Portal may be out of date at any given time, and we are under no obligation to update it. Although we seek to ensure that the information provided on the Portal is accurate, to the full extent permitted under applicable law we make no warranties, undertakings or representations of any kind, either express or implied, regarding all or any part of the content or materials provided on or through the Portal, or regarding the accuracy, timeliness or completeness of any such information.
15. No Financial, Investment, Legal, Tax, or Other Advice. Nothing contained on the Portal constitutes financial, investment, legal, tax or other advice and is not to be relied on in making a financial, investment or other decision. You should obtain relevant and specific professional advice before making any financial or investment decision.