Alabama Teachers Retirement System (TRS) vs Alabama Employees Retirement System (ERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Alabama Teachers Retirement System (TRS) (B) and Alabama Employees Retirement System (ERS) (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 68% and 70% respectively — within a few points of each other.
With grades this close, the comparison turns on plan-specific factors: status (active vs frozen), participant maturity, sponsor financial health, and multi-year trajectory rather than the headline composite.
Verdict
Alabama Employees Retirement System (ERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 67/100 (B) compared to Alabama Teachers Retirement System (TRS) at 65/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 1.6 percentage points (69.8% vs 68.2%). Alabama Employees Retirement System (ERS) covers 132,000 participants.
| Metric | Alabama Teachers Retirement System (TRS) | Alabama Employees Retirement System (ERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 65/100 (B) | 67/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 68.2% | 69.8%* |
| Total Assets | $27.5B | $15.5B |
| Total Liabilities | $40.3B | $22.2B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $12.8B | $6.7B* |
| Participants | 178,000 | 132,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.5% | 5.6%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of Alabama | State of Alabama |
Alabama Employees Retirement System (ERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 67/100 (B) compared to Alabama Teachers Retirement System (TRS) at 65/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 1.6 percentage points (69.8% vs 68.2%). Alabama Employees Retirement System (ERS) covers 132,000 participants.