Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) vs Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) (C) and Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) (B) are close on the PensionRisk rubric. Funding ratios sit at 65% 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
Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 66/100 (B) compared to Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) at 61/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 5.3 percentage points (70.1% vs 64.8%). Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) covers 327,000 participants.
| Metric | Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) | Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 61/100 (C) | 66/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 64.8% | 70.1%* |
| Total Assets | $58.0B | $31.5B |
| Total Liabilities | $89.5B | $44.9B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $31.5B | $13.4B* |
| Participants | 625,000 | 327,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.5% | 5.5% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of Colorado | State of Texas |
Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 66/100 (B) compared to Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA) at 61/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 5.3 percentage points (70.1% vs 64.8%). Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) covers 327,000 participants.
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