Kentucky County Employees Retirement System (CERS) vs Kentucky Employees Retirement System (KERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Kentucky County Employees Retirement System (CERS) (C) and Kentucky Employees Retirement System (KERS) (F) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 48% and 20% 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
Kentucky County Employees Retirement System (CERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 50/100 (C) compared to Kentucky Employees Retirement System (KERS) at 32/100 (F). Funding ratios differ by 28.0 percentage points (48.4% vs 20.4%). Kentucky County Employees Retirement System (CERS) covers 185,000 participants.
| Metric | Kentucky County Employees Retirement System (CERS) | Kentucky Employees Retirement System (KERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 50/100 (C)* | 32/100 (F) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 48.4%* | 20.4% |
| Total Assets | $8.5B | $7.2B |
| Total Liabilities | $17.6B* | $35.3B |
| Unfunded Liability | $9.1B* | $28.1B |
| Participants | 185,000 | 142,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 4.6%* | 4.1% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | critical |
| Sponsor | State of Kentucky | State of Kentucky |
Kentucky County Employees Retirement System (CERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 50/100 (C) compared to Kentucky Employees Retirement System (KERS) at 32/100 (F). Funding ratios differ by 28.0 percentage points (48.4% vs 20.4%). Kentucky County Employees Retirement System (CERS) covers 185,000 participants.