Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System
public plan · State of Massachusetts · Worcester, MA
Funding History
What This Means for You
Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System is significantly underfunded at 53%, with $22.8B in unfunded liabilities affecting 96,460 participants. Plans at this funding level face difficult choices: raising contributions substantially, reducing future benefit accruals, or in extreme cases, applying for benefit suspensions. Public plans cannot declare bankruptcy, but severe underfunding may lead to reduced cost-of-living adjustments or increased employee contributions. If you are a participant, it is important to understand your options and consider diversifying your retirement income sources.
Year-by-Year Funding
| Year | Assets | Liabilities | Funding Ratio | Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $25.8B | $48.5B | 53.1% | $1.6B |
| 2024 | $24.8B | $49.6B | 50.0% | $1.6B |
| 2023 | $24.0B | $50.6B | 47.4% | $1.8B |
| 2022 | $23.7B | $55.7B | 42.5% | $1.9B |
| 2021 | $21.3B | $38.2B | 55.7% | $1.4B |
Frequently Asked Questions
Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System is 53% funded, meaning it has 53 cents in assets for every dollar in future benefit obligations. This is significantly underfunded and participants should monitor the situation closely.
Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System has 96,460 total participants, including 51,163 active employees and 45,297 retirees currently receiving benefits.
Massachusetts Teachers Retirement System is not covered by the PBGC. Benefits depend entirely on the plan's assets and the sponsor's ability to fund it.
The Pension Health Score (0-100, A-F) measures a pension plan's financial strength based on funding ratio (50%), funding trend over 3 years (30%), and PBGC risk level (20%). Higher scores indicate more secure retirement benefits.
Pension Health Score is calculated from funding ratio, 3-year funding trend, and PBGC risk classification.