Section 35IAC14-4-4. Member designation of beneficiaries

   (a) A new member shall designate, by name, primary and secondary beneficiaries to receive the assets present in the annuity savings account equally or designated by whole percentage increments on the occasion of the member's death prior to retirement, less any disability benefits paid.

  (b) A member who establishes a rollover account pursuant to IC 5-10.2-3-10 may designate a beneficiary or beneficiaries separate from those designated on the member's annuity savings account under the requirements as stated herein.

  (c) A member may name more than one (1) individual as primary or contingent beneficiaries of the member's annuity savings account or rollover account. Members may designate that the assets held in the account shall be divided equally or allocated by whole percentage increments to primary and contingent beneficiaries. Upon the member's death, the assets held in the account shall be divided equally among the surviving primary beneficiaries or, if none, among the surviving contingent beneficiaries, or by whole percentage increments to such beneficiaries if the member has designated percentage increments on a TRF form. Alternative beneficiary designations, such as per stirpes or by representation, will not be accepted or recognized by the fund. If a member has designated more than one (1) primary beneficiary, and one (1) or more of the primary beneficiaries predecease the member and the member does not complete a new beneficiary designation form, the remaining primary beneficiaries will receive an apportioned pro rata share based on the remaining primary beneficiaries' allocated percentages of the deceased primary beneficiary or beneficiaries portion. For example, member X designates three (3) primary beneficiaries as follows: Ann 60%, Bob 30%, and Carl 10%. Ann predeceases member X, and member X does not submit a new beneficiary designation form. Member X had $10,000 in her annuity savings account (ASA) at the time of her death. Ann's 60% share will be divided between Bob and Carl as follows: Bob $4,500 and Carl $1,500. Therefore, the total amount that Bob will receive from member X's ASA is $7,500, and the total amount that Carl will receive from member X's ASA is $2,500.

  (d) A member may name a trust, the member's estate, or other legal entity as the beneficiary of the member's annuity savings account or rollover account.

  (e) The designated beneficiary's right to a benefit vests upon the death of the member in the designated beneficiary on file with the fund. A change of beneficiary designation must be made in a manner and form approved by the board and must be filed with the fund before the time of death of the member. A change of beneficiary designation received after the estate [sic] time of death of the member is not valid. A written beneficiary designation for the ASA or RSA must be witnessed by an individual other than the member's designated beneficiary. Timely electronic beneficiary designations submitted through the fund's website in a form and manner approved by the board shall be deemed to have met the requirements of this rule. (Board of Trustees of the Indiana Public Retirement System; 35 IAC 14-4-4; filed Oct 5, 1992, 5:00 p.m.: 16 IR 707; readopted filed Dec 3, 2001, 11:02 a.m.: 25 IR 1731; adopted Mar 27, 2007: 20070404-IR-550070200ONA; adopted Apr 21, 2010: 20100505-IR-550100241ONA; adopted Nov 19, 2010: 20101208-IR-550100723ONA; adopted Apr 29, 2011: 20110511-IR-550110274ONA; adopted Feb 17, 2012: 20120222-IR-035120095ONA; adopted Apr 26, 2013: 20130508-IR-035130167ONA) NOTE: Transferred from the Board of Trustees of the Indiana State Teachers' Retirement Fund (550 IAC 2-4-5) to the Board of Trustees of the Indiana Public Retirement System (35 IAC 14-4-4) by P.L.23-2011, SECTION 22, effective July 1, 2011.