See related Hybrid Retirement Plan resources.

Defined Benefit Plans

You can name a beneficiary at any time while you are an active, deferred or retired member. Register or log in to your myVRS account to name or update beneficiaries for your defined benefit member contributions and VRS Group Life and Optional Life Insurance, if you are eligible.

Defined Contribution Plans

If you participate in the Commonwealth of Virginia 457 Deferred Compensation Plan and Virginia Cash Match Plan, select your plan’s website and log in to your account to name your beneficiary. Learn more about how to designate your beneficiary.

Who Can You Name as a Beneficiary?

You can name any living person or an entity, such as an eligible trust or charity as your beneficiary.

Primary and Contingent Beneficiaries

You can name one primary beneficiary or multiple primary beneficiaries. Upon your death, each primary beneficiary receives a share of any retirement contributions and interest in your member contribution account and any life insurance benefits you may have, depending on how you designate your primary beneficiaries for each payment. If you name multiple primary beneficiaries, you will select the percentage of proceeds each beneficiary is to receive.

You can name a contingent beneficiary or beneficiaries. If your primary beneficiary or beneficiaries are deceased at the time of your death, your contingent beneficiary or beneficiaries receive benefit payments.

Changing Your Beneficiary

VRS is required by law to pay benefits according to the latest beneficiary designation in your VRS record. Review your beneficiary designation after a personal milestone such as a change in marital status, the birth or adoption of a child, or as you near retirement. To change your beneficiary, log in to your myVRS account to make beneficiary updates as soon as possible. Should you need assistance, call 888-827-3847 (select option 3 for myVRS online assistance).

If There Is No Beneficiary

If there is no valid beneficiary designation on file or your beneficiary is deceased at the time of your death, VRS will pay benefits according to the following order of precedence , as required by law:

  • First, to the spouse of the member.
  • Second, if no surviving spouse, to the children of the member and descendants of deceased children, per stirpes.
  • Third, if none of the above, to the parents of the member.
  • Fourth, if none of the above, to the duly appointed executor or administrator of the estate of the member.
  • Fifth, if none of the above, to other next of kin of the member entitled under the laws of the domicile of the member at the time of his death.