Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) vs Maryland State Retirement & Pension System
Side-by-side pension health comparison from DOL and public plan data
Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) (A) and Maryland State Retirement & Pension System (B) are close on the LakeQuality rubric. Funding ratios sit at 98% and 72% 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
Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 86/100 (A) compared to Maryland State Retirement & Pension System at 67/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 26.3 percentage points (98.4% vs 72.1%). Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) covers 665,000 participants.
| Metric | Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) | Maryland State Retirement & Pension System |
|---|---|---|
| Health Score Composite of funding ratio, trend, and PBGC risk | 86/100 (A)* | 67/100 (B) |
| Funding Ratio Assets as % of liabilities (100%+ is fully funded) | 98.4%* | 72.1% |
| Total Assets | $122.0B | $61.0B |
| Total Liabilities | $124.0B | $84.6B* |
| Unfunded Liability | $2.0B* | $23.6B |
| Participants | 665,000 | 398,000 |
| 1-Year Investment Return | 7.2%* | 5.8% |
| Plan Type | public | public |
| PBGC Risk Level | low | moderate |
| Sponsor | State of Wisconsin | State of Maryland |
Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) has a stronger Pension Health Score of 86/100 (A) compared to Maryland State Retirement & Pension System at 67/100 (B). Funding ratios differ by 26.3 percentage points (98.4% vs 72.1%). Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) covers 665,000 participants.