Arkansas Teacher Retirement System (ATRS) vs Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System (APERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Arkansas Teacher Retirement System (ATRS) (B) and Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System (APERS) (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 72% and 75% 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
Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System (APERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 70/100 (B) compared to Arkansas Teacher Retirement System (ATRS) at 67/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 2.9 percentage points (74.8% vs 71.9%). Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System (APERS) covers 98,000 participants.
| Metric | Arkansas Teacher Retirement System (ATRS) | Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System (APERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 67/100 (B) | 70/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 71.9% | 74.8%* |
| Total Assets | $18.5B | $9.5B |
| Total Liabilities | $25.7B | $12.7B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $7.2B | $3.2B* |
| Participants | 112,000 | 98,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.7% | 5.9%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | moderate | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of Arkansas | State of Arkansas |
Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System (APERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 70/100 (B) compared to Arkansas Teacher Retirement System (ATRS) at 67/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 2.9 percentage points (74.8% vs 71.9%). Arkansas Public Employees Retirement System (APERS) covers 98,000 participants.