South Carolina Retirement System vs Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS)
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
South Carolina Retirement System (C) and Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 55% 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 South Carolina Retirement System at 52/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 15.0 percentage points (70.1% vs 55.1%). Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) covers 327,000 participants.
| Metric | South Carolina Retirement System | Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 52/100 (C) | 66/100 (B)* |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 55.1% | 70.1%* |
| Total Assets | $35.5B | $31.5B |
| Total Liabilities | $64.4B | $44.9B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $28.9B | $13.4B* |
| Participants | 575,000 | 327,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 5.2% | 5.5%* |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | high | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of South Carolina | State of Texas |
Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 66/100 (B) compared to South Carolina Retirement System at 52/100 (C). Funding ratios differ by 15.0 percentage points (70.1% vs 55.1%). Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) covers 327,000 participants.