Top 10 PERA Facts

  1. PERA’s annualized rate of return between 1980 and 2004 was 10.91%.
  2. Looking at PERA’s revenues for the last 20 years, 17 cents of every dollar came from the taxpayers, 18 cents came from members, and 65% from investments.
  3. PERA employers contribute far below the average of other employers to pension plans...both other private and public employers (see Comparison of Contribution Rates).
  4. Employer contribution rates to the pension plan are 20% less than 22 years ago (12.2% vs. 9.63%) yet the rate for members is the same (8%).
  5. PERA benefits and retirement eligibility criteria are approved by the State Legislature and the Governor, not the PERA Board of Trustees.
  6. PERA paid out more than $2 billion in benefits to 71,000 retirees and other beneficiaries, of whom 90% still live in Colorado
  7. PERA is a replacement plan for Social Security providing survivor benefits to families of members who die and disability benefits to members who become disabled as well as retirement benefits. Also, a PERA retiree may have a Social Security benefit earned from other employment reduced by as much as $372 because they did not contribute to Social Security during the PERA employment years.
  8. The cost to operate PERA in 2005 was less than 0.44% of assets compared to mutual funds charging 1.25% to 2% of assets for a similar mix of investments as PERA has.
  9. The current 14-member elected Trustees hold 26 degrees, including doctorates, law degrees and master’s degrees in finance and mathematics.
  10. The PERA Board oversees four different pension trust funds: state employers, public school employers, local government, and the judiciary.

print Print | Close x