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    Historical Missouri pension information

    From Ballotpedia - Reading time: 23 min
    Public Policy Logo-one line.pngin Missouri

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    The historical Missouri pension information below applies to prior calendar years. The tabs below may contain information from several different fiscal years; for example, the tab labeled "As published 2015" contains information from fiscal years 2013 and 2012 (the most recent data available at the time of initial publication). For more current information regarding Missouri's pension system, click here.

    As published 2016[edit]

    Pension Policy Logo on Ballotpedia.png
    Missouri information (2015)
    Total contributions:
    $3,049,574,000
    Employee contributions:
    $966,078,000
    Government contributions:
    $2,083,496,000
    Total payments:
    $5,336,873,000
    Total cash and investment holdings:
    $72,371,692,000
    Number of state and local pension systems:
    90
    Active membership:
    288,204
    Inactive membership:
    100,250

    Public Policy Logo-one line.png

    Key terms
    Actuarial value of assets (AVA) • Unfunded actuarial accrued liability (UAAL) • Annual required contribution (ARC) • Discount rate • Funded ratio • Rate of return • Active member • Inactive member • OPEB
    Hover over the above
    terms for definitions.
    Note: This page utilizes information from a variety of sources. The information presented on this page reflects the most recent data available as of August 2016.

    Missouri public pensions are the state mechanism by which state and many local government employees in Missouri receive retirement benefits.

    According to the United States Census Bureau, there were 90 public pension systems in Missouri as of 2015. Of these, 12 were state-level programs, while the remaining 78 were administered at the local level. As of fiscal year 2015, membership in Missouri's various pension systems totaled 388,454. Of these, 288,204 were active members.[1]

    HIGHLIGHTS
  • In fiscal year 2015, the most recent year for which information is available, total contributions of $3.0 billion were made to Missouri's state and local pension systems. Of this amount, $966.1 million came from employees.
  • In fiscal year 2015, Missouri's state and local pension systems made payments totaling $5.3 billion.
  • As of fiscal year 2015, Missouri's state and local pension systems held $72.4 billion in total cash and investment holdings.

    • According to a 2013 report by Morningstar, an independent financial research group, most states' pension plans continued to be funded below the 80 percent level considered necessary for a healthy fund. Decreased funding and increasing liabilities since the 2008 recession continued to put pressure on local and state budgets, in some cases leading to bankruptcy. Higher pension costs can have the following consequences:[2]

    • higher taxes
    • less intergovernmental aid for services
    • lower credit ratings
    • higher interest rates on state borrowing

    State pension systems can vary in their organization, management, and accounting principles, making them difficult to compare. The basic information on this page comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, as reported by the states and pension funds themselves for fiscal year 2015.

    General information[edit]

    See also: Pension data, U.S. Census

    According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Missouri had 12 state pension plans as of 2015:

    1. Missouri Public School Retirement System
    2. Missouri Public Education Employee Retirement System
    3. Missouri State Employees Retirement System
    4. Missouri Transportation Department and Highway Patrol Retirement System
    5. Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System
    6. Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System Retirement Plan
    7. University of Missouri Retire Disability and Death Benefit Plan
    8. Missouri State Employees Retirement System Judicial Plan
    9. Missouri Sheriffs' Retirement System
    10. Missouri Prosecuting Attorneys' Retirement System
    11. Missouri County Employees' Retirement Fund
    12. Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority Pension Plan

    In addition to the aforementioned state-level pension systems, there were 78 locally administered pension systems in Missouri.[1]

    The table below provides general pension system information for Missouri and surrounding states.

    General pension system information, 2015
    State Systems Total members Active members Inactive members
    State Local Members Percent of total Members Percent of total
    Missouri 12 78 388,454 288,204 74.19% 100,250 25.81%
    Arkansas 7 188 167,494 134,387 80.23% 33,106 19.77%
    Iowa 4 8 240,135 172,307 71.75% 67,828 28.25%
    Kansas 4 N/A 205,436 157,483 76.66% 47,953 23.34%
    Source: United States Census Bureau, "State- and Locally-Administered Defined Benefit Pension Systems - All Data by State and Level of Government: 2015"

    Contributions[edit]

    See also: Pension contribution and payment data, U.S. Census

    Pension contributions are the funds paid into pension systems. These contributions come from the employer (in the case of public pensions, the government) and employees. Investment earnings are the main source of increases in the fund and are listed separately in the rightmost column in the below table.

    In fiscal year 2015, the most recent year for which information is available, total contributions of $3.0 billion were made to Missouri's state and local pension systems. Of this amount, $966.1 million came from employees. The remainder came from state and local governments. The table below provides information about pension contributions in Missouri and surrounding states in fiscal year 2015.[1]

    Pension contributions, fiscal year 2015 (dollars in thousands)
    State Total contributions from employees and employers Employee contributions Government contributions Earnings on investments
    Contributions Percentage of total Contributions Percentage of total
    Missouri $3,049,574 $966,078 31.68% $2,083,496 68.32% $4,090,531
    Arkansas $1,080,954 $213,965 19.79% $866,990 80.21% $1,267,733
    Iowa $1,257,655 $491,077 39.05% $766,578 60.95% $1,309,527
    Kansas $1,181,468 $401,212 33.96% $780,256 66.04% $740,133
    Source: United States Census Bureau, "State- and Locally-Administered Defined Benefit Pension Systems - All Data by State and Level of Government: 2015"

    Payments[edit]

    See also: Pension contribution and payment data, U.S. Census

    Payments are the amounts paid to pension recipients by their pension plans. Pension payments include benefits and withdrawals. Benefits are the regular payments made by a pension plan to the plan's recipients. Pension beneficiaries may also withdraw funds before they are due to receive regular benefits.

    In fiscal year 2015, Missouri's state and local pension systems made payments totaling $5.3 billion. The table below provides pension payment information for Missouri and surrounding states in fiscal year 2015. The columns labeled "Benefits," "Withdrawals," and "Other" are subsets of total payments. All dollar amounts displayed should be multiplied by 1,000 ($240,000 is equal to $240,000,000).[1]

    Pension payments, fiscal year 2015 (dollars in thousands)
    State Total payments Benefits Withdrawals Other
    Missouri $5,336,873 $4,585,567 $113,833 $637,474
    Arkansas $1,733,042 $1,599,420 $25,744 $107,880
    Iowa $2,069,216 $1,927,608 $48,238 $93,372
    Kansas $1,756,164 $1,610,783 $67,203 $78,177
    Source: United States Census Bureau, "State- and Locally-Administered Defined Benefit Pension Systems - All Data by State and Level of Government: 2015"

    Other post-employment benefits[edit]

    See also: Other post-employment benefits, data

    In addition to standard pension payments, some plans may offer pensioners additional benefits. These benefits, sometimes referred to as "other post-employment benefits," or "OPEBs," consist of health insurance, life insurance or other benefits that the pensioner may have received while employed. The cost of these benefits can prove complicated for actuaries to calculate because of the changes in fields like medicine. This, coupled with the normal challenges in calculating and meeting pension requirements, can result in funding shortages for pension plans.

    Unfunded liabilities totaled nearly $500 billion throughout the country for OPEBs. Missouri was reported to have about $2.7 billion in unfunded liabilities for OPEBs. This was equal to about 0.54 percent of the country's total unfunded liabilities for these other services.

    The chart below displays the unfunded liabilities for Missouri and its surrounding states. All dollar amounts displayed should be multiplied by 1,000,000. For instance, $300 translates to $300,000,000.

    Unfunded actuarial accrued liabilities for other post-employment benefits, fiscal year 2013 (dollars in millions)
    State Unfunded liabilities Percent of total
    Missouri $2,671 0.54%
    Arkansas $2,056 0.41%
    Iowa $526 0.11%
    Kansas $278 0.06%
    U.S. total $497,693 100%
    Source: National Association of State Retirement Administrators, "Retiree Health Care Benefits for State and Local Employees in 2014," accessed April 30, 2015. Note: Although this article was dated for 2014, all figures were reported to have come from fiscal year 2013 reports.

    Cash and investment holdings[edit]

    See also: Pension data, U.S. Census

    Investments are a crucial part of the pension process. The goal is that, by investing pension contributions, the pensioner will receive more money when he or she retires than he or she and the employer were able to contribute. These investments can come in the form of cash investments, short-term investments, securities, or other investments. Cash investments are usually low-risk, short-term investments that have a lower rate of return than other types of investments. Other short-term investments are riskier than cash investments, but have the potential for greater returns. Securities can refer to stocks, bonds, or other types of financial certificates that hold some sort of financial value. As the values of these securities change, they can be traded to make a profit. While there are other applications of securities investments, this represents one of the most common practices.[3][4][5]

    As of fiscal year 2015, Missouri's state and local pension systems held $72.4 billion in total cash and investment holdings. The table below summarizes pension system cash and investment holdings for Missouri and surrounding states. The columns labeled "Total cash and short-term investments," "Total securities," and "Total other investments" are subsets of the grand total. All dollar amounts displayed should be multiplied by 1,000 ($240,000 is equal to $240,000,000).[1]

    Total cash and investment holdings, fiscal year 2015 (dollars in thousands)
    State Grand total Total cash and short-term investments Total securities Total other investments
    Missouri $72,371,692 $3,877,135 $56,595,843 $11,898,714
    Arkansas $26,501,575 $793,078 $15,061,516 $10,646,981
    Iowa $31,377,203 $768,225 $26,856,771 $3,752,207
    Kansas $18,291,114 $209,701 $15,964,937 $2,116,476
    Source: United States Census Bureau, "State- and Locally-Administered Defined Benefit Pension Systems - All Data by State and Level of Government: 2015"

    Pension fund management fees[edit]

    See also: Public pension fund management fees

    In July 2013, the Maryland Public Policy Institute (MPPI) and the Maryland Tax Education Foundation released a report detailing the fees paid for the management of state pension systems. According to MPPI, the 10 state pension funds that paid the most in management fees relative to net assets experienced lower returns over a five-year period than the 10 state pension funds that paid the least in management fees. For example, in fiscal year 2012, South Carolina's pension system paid approximately $296.1 million in total management fees (1.31 percent of total net assets at the beginning of the fiscal year) and its five-year rate of return was 1.46 percent. By contrast, Alabama's pension system paid roughly $13.3 million in management fees (0.05 percent of total net assets) and its five-year rate of return was 7.53 percent.[6]

    The table below presents the information collected by MPPI for Missouri and surrounding states. For each state's pension system, total net assets are listed (both for the beginning and end of the fiscal year in question), as well as the total amount paid in management fees. In addition, the rates of return for the pension systems are presented. Compared to surrounding states, Missouri had the second highest total net assets and the highest total management fees.

    Public pension fund management fees, 2011-2012
    State Fiscal year Total net assets at the beginning of the year Total net assets at the end of the year Total management fees Management fees as % of total net assets Five-year rate of return
    Missouri 2012 $43,421,121,472 $43,142,177,174 $407,748,659 0.94% 1.60%
    Arkansas 2012; 2011 $15,912,286,857 $17,797,373,547 $65,729,237 0.41% 1.22%
    Iowa 2012 $23,082,133,000 $23,243,541,000 $50,174,760 0.22% 3.18%
    Kansas 2012 $13,468,852,806 $13,105,811,851 $42,225,662 0.31% 1.80%
    1"Three states— Hawaii, Nevada and Rhode Island—were excluded because they hadn’t published CAFRs for fiscal years ending December 31, 2011 or later. West Virginia was excluded because its June 30, 2012 CAFR lacked sufficient disclosure."[6]
    Source: Maryland Public Policy Institute, "Wall Street Fees, Investment Returns, Maryland 49 Other State Pension Funds," accessed April 23, 2015. Note: To access this data, navigate to the list of links below the article and click "Exhibit A."

    As published 2015[edit]

    Public pensions in
    Missouri
    Pension Policy Logo on Ballotpedia.png
    General information (2013)
    Total contributions:
    $2,665,322,000
    Employee contributions:
    $907,805,000
    Government contributions:
    $1,757,518,000
    Total payments:
    $4,781,070,000
    Total cash and investment holdings:
    $58,748,518,000
    Number of state and local pension systems:
    66 (10 state systems, 56 local systems)
    Active membership:
    266,395
    Inactive membership:
    64,310
    Pension health (2012)
    Assets:
    $38,543,470,000
    Actuarial accrued liability (AAL):
    $50,101,293,000
    Unfunded actuarial accrued liability (UAAL):
    $11,557,824,000
    Funded ratio:
    76.9%
    UAAL per capita:
    $1,952
    Public pensions
    in the states
    Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
    Public Policy Logo-one line.png
    Public pensions • State public pension plans • Missouri state budget and finances
    Note: This page utilizes information from a variety of sources. As such, the currency of the information varies somewhat. The information presented on this page reflects the most recent data available as of March 2015.


    Missouri public pensions are the state mechanism by which state and many local government employees in Missouri receive retirement benefits.

    According to the United States Census Bureau, there were 66 public pension systems in Missouri as of 2013. Of these, 10 were state-level programs, while the remaining 56 were administered at the local level. As of 2013, membership in Missouri's various pension systems totaled 330,705. Of these, 266,395 were active members.[1]

    According to a 2013 report by Morningstar, an independent financial research group, most states' pension plans continued to be funded below the 80 percent level considered necessary for a healthy fund. Decreased funding and increasing liabilities since the 2008 recession continued to put pressure on local and state budgets, in some cases leading to bankruptcy. Higher pension costs can have the following consequences: higher taxes, less intergovernmental aid for services, lower credit ratings, and higher interest rates on state borrowing. [2]

    HIGHLIGHTS
  • Between fiscal years 2008 and 2012, the funded ratio of Missouri's state-administered pension plans decreased from 81.8 percent to 76.9 percent. The state paid 96 percent of its annual required contribution, and for fiscal year 2012 the pension system's unfunded accrued liability totaled $11.6 billion. This amounted to $1,952 in unfunded liabilities per capita.[2][7]

    • Background[edit]

    The basic information on this page comes from the U.S. Census Bureau, as reported by the states and pension funds themselves for fiscal year 2013. Also included are comparative data from three different reports, which looked at the states' Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs).

    General information[edit]

    See also: Pension data, U.S. Census

    According to the U.S. Census, Missouri had 10 state pension plans as of 2013:

    1. Missouri Public School Retirement System
    2. Missouri Public Education Employee Retirement System
    3. Missouri State Employees Retirement System
    4. Missouri Transportation Department and Highway Patrol Retirement System
    5. Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System
    6. University of Missouri Retirement Disability and Death Benefit Plan
    7. Missouri Judges Retirement System
    8. Missouri Sheriffs Retirement System
    9. Missouri Prosecuting Attorneys Retirement System
    10. Missouri Higher Education Loan Supplement Pension Plan[8]

    In addition to the aforementioned state-level pension systems, there were 56 locally administered pension systems in Missouri.[1]

    The table below provides general pension system information for Missouri and surrounding states.

    General pension system information, 2013
    State Systems Total members Active members Inactive members
    State Local Members Percent of total Members Percent of total
    Missouri 10 56 330,705 266,395 80.55% 64,310 19.45%
    Iowa 4 5 243,064 169,987 69.94% 73,077 30.06%
    Kansas 1 7 202,547 159,068 78.53% 43,479 21.47%
    Nebraska 5 8 99,724 71,322 71.52% 28,402 28.48%
    Illinois 6 650 961,952 607,623 63.17% 354,329 36.83%
    Source: United States Census Bureau, "State- and Locally-Administered Defined Benefit Pension Systems - All Data by State and Level of Government: 2013"

    Contributions[edit]

    See also: Pension contribution and payment data, U.S. Census

    Pension contributions are the funds paid into pension systems. These contributions come from the employer (in the case of public pensions, the government) and employees. Investment earnings are the main source of increases in the fund and are listed separately in the rightmost column in the below table.

    In fiscal year 2013, total contributions of $2.7 billion were made to Missouri's state and local pension systems. Of this amount, $907 million came from employees. The remainder came from state and local governments. The table below provides information about pension contributions in Missouri and surrounding states in fiscal year 2013.[1]

    Pension contributions, fiscal year 2013 (dollars in thousands)
    State Total contributions from employees and employers Employee contributions Government contributions Earnings on investments
    Contributions Percentage of total Contributions Percentage of total
    Missouri $2,665,322 $907,805 34.06% $1,757,518 65.94% $9,005,066
    Iowa $1,136,626 $447,065 39.33% $689,561 60.67% $2,723,164
    Kansas $969,933 $321,481 33.14% $648,452 66.86% $1,995,590
    Nebraska $665,669 $275,362 41.37% $390,307 58.63% $1,464,704
    Illinois $10,854,000 $2,671,581 24.61% $8,182,418 75.39% $17,742,347
    Source: United States Census Bureau, "State- and Locally-Administered Defined Benefit Pension Systems - All Data by State and Level of Government: 2013"

    Payments[edit]

    See also: Pension contribution and payment data, U.S. Census

    Payments are the amounts paid to pension recipients by their pension plans. Pension payments include benefits and withdrawals. Benefits are the regular payments made by a pension plan to the plan's recipients. Pension beneficiaries may also withdraw funds before they are due to receive regular benefits.

    In fiscal year 2013, Missouri's state and local pension systems made payments totaling $4.8 billion. The table below provides pension payment information for Missouri and surrounding states in fiscal year 2013. The columns labeled "Benefits," "Withdrawals," and "Other" are subsets of total payments. All dollar amounts displayed should be multiplied by 1,000 ($240,000 is equal to $240,000,000).

    Pension payments, fiscal year 2013 (dollars in thousands)
    State Total payments Benefits Withdrawals Other
    Missouri $4,781,070 $4,003,664 $101,554 $675,855
    Iowa $1,951,837 $1,841,468 $43,842 $66,527
    Kansas $1,549,576 $1,431,143 $58,393 $60,040
    Nebraska $837,538 $765,354 $30,773 $41,411
    Illinois $15,668,633 $14,613,637 $410,648 $644,361
    Source: United States Census Bureau, "State- and Locally-Administered Defined Benefit Pension Systems - All Data by State and Level of Government: 2013"

    Cash and investment holdings[edit]

    See also: Pension data, U.S. Census

    As of fiscal year 2013, Missouri's state and local pension systems held $58.7 billion in total cash and investment holdings. The table below summarizes pension system cash and investment holdings for Missouri and surrounding states. The columns labeled "Total cash and short-term investments," "Total securities," and "Total other investments" are subsets of the grand total. All dollar amounts displayed should be multiplied by 1,000 ($240,000 is equal to $240,000,000).[1]

    Total cash and investment holdings, fiscal year 2013 (dollars in thousands)
    State Grand total Total cash and short-term investments Total securities Total other investments
    Missouri $58,748,518 $3,131,578 $45,429,297 $10,187,644
    Iowa $27,525,334 $814,794 $24,006,383 $2,704,157
    Kansas $15,918,274 $284,744 $13,579,191 $2,054,339
    Nebraska $12,748,146 $310,731 $11,811,507 $625,908
    Illinois $135,110,275 $6,086,279 $114,722,034 $14,301,962
    Source: United States Census Bureau, "State- and Locally-Administered Defined Benefit Pension Systems - All Data by State and Level of Government: 2013"

    Pension health[edit]

    Pension health is a term used to describe the overall state of pension systems. It can be difficult to gauge pension health in each state, but many studies use calculations to determine the average liabilities, unfunded liabilities, funded ratio and other data. Most experts believe that pension systems need to be funded at least 80 percent to be considered healthy. This information is then used to provide a snapshot of the state's overall pension health. This section provides information from three studies regarding the health of pensions in Missouri and neighboring states. They found the following:

    • According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, Missouri paid 96 percent of its required contribution and its funded ratio was only 78 percent in fiscal year 2012.
    • According to Morningstar, the state had a per capita pension debt of $1,952 and a funded ratio of 76.9 percent in fiscal year 2012.
    • According to State Budget Solutions, which assumed a lower rate of return, Missouri had a per capita pension debt of $14,192 and a funded ratio of 37 percent in fiscal year 2013.

    Pew research[edit]

    See also: Pew Charitable Trusts pensions study, 2014

    According to a 2014 report by the Pew Charitable Trusts, “Many states are seeing their pension debt continue to increase, despite reform efforts, because of missed contributions and the continued impact of investment losses.” The funding gap between what state pension systems have promised in benefits (liabilities) and current funding (assets) increased by $158 billion from 2010 to 2012 (14 percent), leaving state-run retirement systems with $915 billion in unfunded liabilities. Only 15 states made at least 95 percent of the annual required contributions (ARCs) for their pensions between 2010 and 2012; the aggregate shortfall in funding for all state plans was $21 billion. Data on these state pensions come from the Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports (CAFRs) that each state’s pension plan prepared for fiscal year 2012; these reports include actuarial valuations based on “the expected rate of return on investments and estimates of employee life spans, retirement ages, salary growth, retention rates, and other demographic characteristics.”[9]

    All dollar amounts displayed should be multiplied by 1,000,000 (e.g., $240,000 is equal to $240,000,000,000).

    Pension health metrics from the Pew Charitable Trusts report, 2010-2012 (dollars in millions)
    State 2012 Funded ratio Percent of ARC paid
    Liability Unfunded ARC 2010 2011 2012 2010 2011 2012
    Missouri $56,986 $12,523 $1,295 77% 82% 78% 89% 93% 96%
    Iowa $30,097 $6,156 $593 81% 80% 80% 89% 82% 97%
    Kansas $23,531 $10,253 $843 62% 59% 56% 72% 74% 67%
    Nebraska $11,484 $2,426 $249 84% 82% 79% 100% 91% 91%
    Illinois $158,612 $94,582 $6,612 45% 43% 40% 87% 80% 76%
    Totals in the U.S. $3,298,643 $914,653 $87,213 75% 74% 72% 78% 77% 77%
    Source: The Pew Charitable Trusts, "The Fiscal Health of State Pension Plans: Funding Gap Continues to Grow"

    Morningstar report[edit]

    See also: Pension data, 2013 Morningstar report

    In 2013, independent investment research firm Morningstar released "The State of State Pension Plans 2013," a report detailing various metrics of pension system health in all 50 states. Morningstar found a $1.2 trillion gap in 2012 for the largest 100 U.S. public pension plans (according to the actuarial firm Milliman). Based on two key drivers in Morningstar’s analysis—the funded ratio and the unfunded actuarial accrued liability (UAAL) per capita—the fiscal solvency and management of these plans varied greatly. Overall, the firm found that "more than half of all states fall below Morningstar’s fiscally sound threshold of a 70 percent funded ratio" and all state plans combined were "72.6 percent funded with a UAAL per capita of roughly $2,600.”[2]

    According to Morningstar's research, Missouri's state pension plans were funded at a rate of 76.9 percent in fiscal year 2012. The table below provides state pension system health metrics for Missouri and surrounding states in fiscal year 2012. Figures in the columns labeled "Assets," "AAL," and "UAAL" are rendered in thousands of dollars (for example, $2,400,000 translates to $2,400,000,000). Figures in the remaining columns have not been abbreviated. To view the full report, click here.

    Pension health metrics from the Morningstar report, fiscal year 2012
    State Assets Liabilities (AAL) Unfunded liabilities (UAAL) Funded ratio Unfunded liabilities
    per capita
    Missouri $38,543,470 $50,101,293 $11,557,824 76.9% $1,952
    Iowa $23,940,276 $30,096,586 $6,156,310 79.5% $2,041
    Kansas $13,278,490 $23,531,423 $10,252,933 56.4% $3,650
    Nebraska $8,777,117 $11,186,879 $2,409,761 78.5% $1,339
    Illinois $64,029,900 $158,611,500 $94,581,600 40.4% $7,421
    Totals in the U.S. $2,157,578,916 $2,979,267,860 $821,688,945 72.40% N/A
    Source: Morningstar, "The State of State Pension Plans 2013: A Deep Dive Into Shortfalls and Surpluses," accessed September 16, 2013

    State Budget Solutions report[edit]

    See also: Pension data, State Budget Solutions report

    State Budget Solutions is "a nonpartisan, nonprofit, national public policy organization with the mission to change the way state and local governments do business."[10] It should be noted that although the organization is technically nonpartisan, its ideology and mission have conservative leanings. In November 2014, the organization released a research report that used a fair market valuation based on a discount rate of 2.743 percent to determine the unfunded liabilities of public pension plans. The group concluded that "state public pension plans were underfunded by $4.7 trillion in 2014, up from $4.1 trillion in 2013. Overall, the combined plans' funded status ... dipped 3 percentage points to 36 percent. Split among all Americans, the unfunded liability [was] over $15,000 per person."[11]

    According to the State Budget Solutions report, Missouri's pension plans were funded at a rate of 37 percent. This was lower than the Morningstar report's data, and below the Pew Center's recommended level of 80 percent.

    To read the full report click here.

    Note that all dollar amounts displayed (excluding those under the "Unfunded liability per capita" column) should be multiplied by 1,000 (e.g., $240,000 is equal to $240,000,000).

    Pension health metrics from the State Budget Solutions report, fiscal year 2013 (dollars in thousands)
    State Assets Market liability* Funding ratio Unfunded liability Unfunded liability per capita Unfunded liability as % of 2013 gross state product
    Missouri $50,188,100 $135,964,067 37% $85,775,967 $14,192 31%
    Iowa $27,018,839 $66,592,672 41% $39,573,833 $12,807 24%
    Kansas $14,562,765 $51,494,605 28% $36,931,840 $12,762 26%
    Nebraska $9,581,947 $25,257,965 38% $15,676,018 $8,387 14%
    Illinois $95,040,320 $426,619,820 22% $331,579,500 $25,740 46%
    Totals in the U.S. $2,679,831,466 $7,416,319,293 36% $4,736,487,827 $15,052 29%
    Source: State Budget Solutions, "Promises Made', Promises Broken 2014: Unfunded Liabilities Hit $4.7 Trillion"

    Other factors[edit]

    Rate of return[edit]

    According to a 2012 analysis by the Pew Center for the States, most state pension plans assumed an 8 percent rate of return on investments at that time. Proponents argued that an 8 percent rate of return would bear out over the long-term (15-30 years). Critics asserted that this assumption was unrealistic, citing changing market conditions and lower investment returns across the board in preceding years.[12][13]

    Assuming a lower rate of return to predict investment earnings increases current plan liabilities, thereby lowering the percent funded ratio and requiring increased employer contributions (ARCs). This is because future plan liabilities are discounted based on the rate of return, so smaller expected investment returns result in larger actuarially accrued liabilities.[14] For example, on September 21, 2012, the Illinois Teachers Retirement System voted to lower its rate of return from 8.5 percent to 8.0 percent. This change increased the state's fiscal year 2014 ARC from $3.07 billion to $3.36 billion.[15] Similarly, when California's CalPERS reduced its projected annual rate of return from 7.75 percent to 7.5 percent in March 2012, it cost the state an additional $303 million for fiscal year 2013.[16]

    Financial crisis[edit]

    In the wake of the 2008 recession, proponents of a lower assumed rate of return argued that the standard 8 percent assumptions could cause pension fund managers to engage in more risky investments and imprudent stewardship of public funds. Jeffrey Friedman, a senior market strategist at MF Global, said, "To target 8 percent means some aggressive trading. Ten-year Treasury [bonds] are yielding around 2 percent, economists say we are headed for a double-dip, and house prices aren't getting back to 2007 levels for the next decade, maybe.".[17][18][19][20][21]

    Advocates of the 8 percent return rate argued that the dip following the 2008 financial crisis did not prove that there was a long-term downward trend in investment returns. According to Chris Hoene, executive director of the California Budget Project, "The problem with [the market rate] argument is there isn’t significant evidence other than the short term blip during the economic crisis that there’s been that shift. It’s a speculative argument coming out of a very deep recession."[22]

    The National Association of State Retirement Administrators researched the median annualized rate of return for public pensions for the 1-, 3-, 5-, 10-, 20- and 25-year periods ending in 2013 and found it was 7.9 percent over the 20-year period, and exceeded 8 percent for the 1-, 3- and 25-year periods. It is important to note that the NASRA data reported the median returns, which means that median annualized returns of investment portfolios for half of the examined public pension funds failed to meet an 8 percent assumed rate of return.[23]

    Studies and reports[edit]

    Pension fund management fees[edit]

    See also: Public pension fund management fees

    In July 2013, the Maryland Public Policy Institute (MPPI) and the Maryland Tax Education Foundation released a report detailing the fees paid for the management of state pension systems. According to MPPI, the 10 state pension funds that paid the most in management fees relative to net assets experienced lower returns over a five-year period than the 10 state pension funds that paid the least in management fees. For example, in fiscal year 2012, South Carolina's pension system paid approximately $296.1 million in total management fees (1.31 percent of total net assets at the beginning of the fiscal year) and its five-year rate of return was 1.46 percent. By contrast, Alabama's pension system paid roughly $13.3 million in management fees (0.05 percent of total net assets) and its five-year rate of return was 7.53 percent.[6]

    The table below presents the information collected by MPPI for Missouri and surrounding states. For each state's pension system, total net assets are listed (both for the beginning and end of the fiscal year in question), as well as the total amount paid in management fees. In addition, the rates of return for the pension systems are presented.

    Public pension fund management fees, 2011-2012
    State Fiscal year Total net assets at the beginning of the year Total net assets at the end of the year Total management fees Management fees as % of total net assets Five-year rate of return
    Missouri 2012 $43,421,121,472 $43,142,177,174 $407,748,659 0.94% 1.60%
    Iowa 2012 $23,082,133,000 $23,243,541,000 $50,174,760 0.22% 3.18%
    Kansas 2012 $13,468,852,806 $13,105,811,851 $42,225,662 0.31% 1.80%
    Nebraska 2011 $8,203,974,912 $9,617,727,238 $2,221,958 0.03% NA
    Illinois 2012 $57,424,347,944 $57,821,599,899 $313,400,624 0.55% 0.70%
    1"Three states— Hawaii, Nevada and Rhode Island—were excluded because they hadn’t published CAFRs for fiscal years ending December 31, 2011 or later. West Virginia was excluded because its June 30, 2012 CAFR lacked sufficient disclosure."[6]
    Source: Maryland Public Policy Institute, "Wall Street Fees, Investment Returns, Maryland 49 Other State Pension Funds," accessed April 23, 2015. Note: To access this data, navigate to the list of links below the article and click "Exhibit A."

    Other post-employment benefits[edit]

    See also: Other post-employment benefits, data

    In addition to standard pension payments, some plans may offer pensioners additional benefits. These benefits, sometimes referred to as "other post-employment benefits," or "OPEBs," consist of health insurance, life insurance or other benefits that the pensioner may have received while employed. The cost of these benefits can prove complicated for actuaries to calculate because of the changes in fields like medicine. This, coupled with the normal challenges in calculating and meeting pension requirements, can result in funding shortages for pension plans.

    Unfunded liabilities totaled nearly $500 billion throughout the country for OPEBs. Missouri was reported to have about $2.7 billion in unfunded liabilities for OPEBs. This was equal to about 0.54 percent of the country's total unfunded liabilities for these other services.

    The chart below displays the unfunded liabilities for Missouri and its surrounding states. All dollar amounts displayed should be multiplied by 1,000,000. For instance, $300 translates to $300,000,000.

    Unfunded actuarial accrued liabilities for other post-employment benefits, fiscal year 2013 (dollars in millions)
    State Unfunded liabilities Percent of total
    Missouri $2,671 0.54%
    Iowa $526 0.11%
    Kansas $278 0.06%
    Nebraska $0 0.00%
    Illinois $34,488 6.93%
    U.S. total $497,693 100%
    Source: National Association of State Retirement Administrators, "Retiree Health Care Benefits for State and Local Employees in 2014," accessed April 30, 2015. Note: Although this article was dated for 2014, all figures were reported to have come from fiscal year 2013 reports.

    Public pensions in 2012[edit]

    In fiscal year 2012, according to the systems' Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports and Actuarial Valuation Reports, Missouri had a total of 236,432 active members in its retirement plans. Membership figures divide plan participants into two broad categories: active and other. Active members are current employees contributing to the pension system. Other members include retirees, beneficiaries, and other inactive plan participants (usually terminated employees entitled to benefits but not yet receiving them).[24]

    The following information was collected from the systems' Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports and Actuarial Valuation Reports. The "percentage funded" was calculated by taking the current value of the fund and dividing by the estimated amount of total liabilities. The assumed rates of return used to calculate fund value varied by system in fiscal year 2012 (see "Rate of return" for more information). The Government Accountability Office (GAO) and Pew Research Centers cited a percent funded ratio of 80 percent as the minimum threshold for a healthy fund, though the American Academy of Actuaries suggested that all pension systems "have a strategy in place to attain or maintain a funded status of 100 percent or greater."[25][26] The column labeled "SBS figure" refers to a market liability calculation of the fund by the nonprofit organization State Budget Solutions. This analysis used a rate of return of 3.225 percent, which was based upon the 15-year Treasury bond yield. The organization called this a "risk-free" rate of return that would make it easier for states to achieve their pension funding requirements in the future. Beginning in 2006, all private sector corporate pension plans incorporated market costs into their funding schemes.[27]

    Basic pension plan information -- Missouri
    Plans Current value Percentage funded Unfunded liabilities Current members
    State figure SBS figure[28] State figure SBS figure[28]
    Missouri State Employees Plan* (MSEP)[29] $7,897,167,203 73.2% N/A[30] $2,896,484,374 N/A[30] 51,332 active members
    Judicial Plan*[29] $102,266,706 24.7% $311,065,832 398 active members
    Missouri Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol Employees' Retirement System (MPERS)[31] $1,531,033,613 46.31% $1,775,245,058 7,444 active members
    Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System (LAGERS)[32] $4,274,440,345 83.5% $845,833,853 32,925 active members
    University of Missouri Retirement Plan (UMRP)[33] $2,790,622,385 84.34% $518,344,622 18,199 active members
    Public School Retirement System of Missouri (PSRS)[34] $29,013,002,000 81.5% $6,575,028,000 77,529 active members
    Public Education Employee Retirement System of Missouri (PEERS)[34] $3,090,880,000 82.5% $655,467,000 48,605 active members
    TOTALS $48,699,412,252 78.20% 40% $13,577,468,739 $72,717,145,000 236,432 active members
    *These are the component plans of the Missouri State Employees' Retirement System.

    Annual Required Contribution[edit]

    Annual Required Contributions (ARC) are calculated annually and are a sum of two different costs. The first component is the "normal cost," or what the employer owes to the system in order to support the liabilities gained in the previous year of service. The second component is an additional payment in order to make up for previous liabilities that have not yet been paid for. According to a report by the Pew Center on the States, in 2010 Missouri paid 89 percent of its annual required contribution.[35]

    On June 25, 2012, the Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) approved a plan to reform the accounting rules for state and local pension funds. These revised standards were set to take effect in fiscal years 2013 and 2014.[36] As a result, ARCs were removed as a reporting requirement. Instead, plan administrators and accountants were instructed to use an actuarially determined contribution or a statutory contribution for reporting purposes.[37]

    ARC historical data[34][29]
    Fiscal year PSRS PEERS MSEP Judicial
    Annual Required Contribution (ARC) Percentage contributed Annual Required Contribution (ARC) Percentage contributed Annual Required Contribution (ARC) Percentage contributed Annual Required Contribution (ARC) Percentage contributed
    2012 $670,259,103 92.5% $95,094,785 100.0% $263,373,924 100% $26,324,526 100%
    2011 $684,366,766 86.9% $90,816,155 100.0% $263,418,048 100% $27,702,682 100%
    2010 $737,381,187 80.6% $95,821,957 95.5% $251,226,187 100% $27,029,198 100%
    2009 $669,643,988 84.1% $96,775,289 88.8% $252,105,008 100% $27,725,882 100%
    2008 $656,347,298 79.4% $90,727,016 86.0% $249,770,156 100% $26,215,309 100%
    ARC historical data[34][29]
    Fiscal year MPERS LAGERS
    Annual Required Contribution (ARC) Percentage contributed Annual Required Contribution (ARC) Percentage contributed
    2012 $164,884,467 100% $166,947,336 100%
    2011 $149,952,750 100% $154,244,689 100%
    2010 $124,476,706 100% $137,849,763 100%
    2009 $123,057,975 100% $132,715,295 100%
    2008 $124,515,792 100% $130,007,191 100%

    Public pensions in 2011[edit]

    On June 27, 2013, Moody's Investor Service released its report on adjusted pension liabilities in the states. The Moody's report ranked states "based on ratios measuring the size of their adjusted net pension liabilities (ANPL) relative to several measures of economic capacity." In its calculations of net pension liabilities, Moody's employed market-determined discount rates (5.67 percent for Missouri) instead of the state-reported assumed rates of return (8.50 percent for Missouri's largest plan as of July 1, 2011).[38]

    The report's authors found that adjusted net pension liabilities varied dramatically from state to state, from 6.8 percent (Nebraska) to 241 percent (Illinois) of governmental revenues in fiscal year 2011.[38]

    The adjusted net pension liability for Missouri in fiscal year 2011 was ranked the 30th highest in the nation.[38] The following table presents key state-specific findings from the Moody's report, as well as the state's national rank with respect to each indicator.

    Adjusted net pension liabilities (ANPL) relative to key economic indicators - Missouri
    Governmental revenue* Personal income State GDP Per capita
    State findings 27.7% 2.9% 2.6% $1,083
    National ranking 36th 39th 36th 40th
    *Moody's uses governmental revenues as reported in each state's consolidated annual financial reports; this includes not only state-generated revenue, but federal funds, as well.[38]

    Historical pension plan data[edit]

    Historical pension plan data - all systems
    Year Value of assets Accrued liability Unfunded liability Funded ratio
    2007 $44,864,489,669 $53,360,304,227 $8,495,814,558 84.08%
    2008 $47,915,789,950 $57,063,692,485 $9,147,902,535 83.97%
    2009 $47,221,256,269 $59,476,772,341 $12,255,516,072 79.39%
    2010 $47,656,123,570 $61,779,513,929 $14,123,390,359 77.14%
    2011 $48,738,196,327 $59,723,009,704 $10,984,813,377 81.61%
    Change from 2007-2011 $3,873,706,658 $6,362,705,477 $2,488,998,819 -2.47%

    Reforms[edit]

    Enacted reforms[edit]

    2013[edit]

    H.B. 233

    Sponsored by Representative Mike Leara, H.B. 233 proposed a number of largely administrative and technical amendments to MOSERS and MPERS designed to ensure consistency between the two systems. The governor signed the bill into law on July 2, 2013.[39]

    Proposed reforms[edit]

    2013[edit]

    S.B. 86

    Sponsored by Senator Joseph Keaveny, S.B. proposed to authorize public retirement systems to implement benefit increases even if the system's funded ratio is below the level required by law. Although it cleared the Senate on February 14, 2013, the bill ultimately stalled in committee in the House.[40]

    See also[edit]

    External links[edit]

    Footnotes[edit]

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 United States Census Bureau, "State- and Locally-Administered Defined Benefit Pension Systems - All Data by State and Level of Government: 2015," accessed August 26, 2016 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "census" defined multiple times with different content
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Morningstar, "The State of State Pension Plans 2013: A Deep Dive Into Shortfalls and Surpluses," accessed September 16, 2013
    3. ↑ Investopedia, "Cash investment definition," accessed April 6, 2015
    4. ↑ Investopedia, "Short-term investments definition," accessed April 6, 2015
    5. ↑ Investopedia, "Securities," accessed April 6, 2015
    6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Maryland Public Policy Institute, "Wall Street Fees, Investment Returns, Maryland 49 Other State Pension Funds," accessed July 1, 2013 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "report" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "report" defined multiple times with different content Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "report" defined multiple times with different content
    7. ↑ The Pew Charitable Trusts, “The Fiscal Health of State Pension Plans: Funding Gap Continues to Grow,” accessed April 16, 2015
    8. ↑ U.S. Census, "2013 Survey of Public Pensions: State Data," accessed April 16, 2015. Note: To access this data, navigate to the bottom of the page and click "Unit ID file."
    9. ↑ The Pew Charitable Trusts, “The Fiscal Health of State Pension Plans: Funding Gap Continues to Grow,” accessed April 16, 2015
    10. ↑ State Budget Solutions, "About SBS," archived January 20, 2016
    11. ↑ State Budget Solutions, "Promises Made, Promises Broken 2014: Unfunded Liabilities Hit $4.7 Trillion," accessed November 12, 2014
    12. ↑ The Widening Gap Update, "Pew Center on the States," accessed October 17, 2013
    13. ↑ The New York Times, "Public Pensions Faulted for Bets on Rosy Returns," accessed May 27, 2012
    14. ↑ Benefits Magazine, "Public Pension Funding 101: Key Terms and Concepts," accessed October 23, 2013
    15. ↑ Crain's Chicago Business, "State teachers pension board lowers expected rate of return," accessed September 21, 2013
    16. ↑ Huffington Post, "California Pension Funds Expect Lower Investment Return," accessed March 14, 2012
    17. ↑ The Washington Post, "Kansas’s pension funding gap just grew by $1 billion," accessed September 6, 2013
    18. ↑ Topeka Capital-Journal, "KPERS' unfunded liability rises to $10.2B," accessed September 4, 2013
    19. ↑ Wall Street Journal, "Pensions Wrestle With Return Rates," accessed October 10, 2011
    20. ↑ The Courant, "Promising Too Much On Public Pensions," accessed August 10, 2012
    21. ↑ Business Wire, "NCPERS 2013 Survey: Public Pension Plans Report Increasing Confidence, Lower Costs, Growing Returns," accessed October 22, 2013
    22. ↑ Governing, "Expert: Governments Are Masking Their Pension Liabilities," accessed October 25, 2013
    23. ↑ National Association of State Retirement Administrators, "Issue Brief: Public Pension Plan Investment Return Assumptions," accessed October 23, 2013
    24. ↑ Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, "Pensions Glossary," accessed November 27, 2013
    25. ↑ United States Government Accountability Office Report to the Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate, "State and Local Government Retiree Benefits: Current Status of Benefit Structures, Protections, and Fiscal Outlook for Funding Future Costs," September 2007, accessed October 23, 2013
    26. ↑ American Academy of Actuaries, "Issue Brief: The 80% Pension Funding Standard Myth," July 2012, accessed October 23, 2013
    27. ↑ Governing Magazine, " Is There a Plot Against Pensions?" accessed October 14, 2013
    28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 State Budget Solutions, "Promises Made, Promises Broken - The Betrayal of Pensioners and Taxpayers," accessed September 20, 2013
    29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 Missouri State Employees' Retirement System, "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2012," accessed November 15, 2013
    30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Analysis only available for system totals and not individual funds.
    31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 Missouri Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol Employees' Retirement System, "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Fiscal Year Ended June 30, 2012," accessed April 9, 2015
    32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System, "2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report," accessed November 15, 2013
    33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 University of Missouri Retirement, Disability and Death Benefit Plan, "Actuarial Valuation as of October 1, 2012," accessed November 15, 2013
    34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 34.4 34.5 Public School and Education Employee Retirement Systems of Missouri, "PSRS/PEERS 2012 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, Financial Section," accessed April 9, 2015
    35. ↑ Government Accounting Standards Board, "Annual Required Contribution (ARC)," accessed October 17, 2013
    36. ↑ Reuters, "Little-known U.S. board stokes hot pension debate," accessed July 10, 2012
    37. ↑ State Budget Solutions, "GASB's ineffective public pension reporting standards set to take effect," accessed June 5, 2013
    38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 38.3 Moody's Investor Service, "Adjusted Pension Liability Medians for US States," accessed June 27, 2013
    39. ↑ Missouri House of Representatives, "H.B. 233," accessed November 15, 2013
    40. ↑ Missouri Senate, "S.B. 86," accessed November 15, 2013
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