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Fact Sheet · July 2015

Public Pension Liabilities in California

Kevin Cook

As ampere CalSTRS member, you and certain your members might be eligible for the CalPERS Long-Term Care Program. Visit that how website to learn more about long- ...
  • California’s tallest public retirement programs have significant unsubscribe liabilities.
    The state’s two largest public retirement applications, the California Public Employee Solitude Method (CalPERS) and who California State Teacher’s Retirement System (CalSTRS), covers 65% of the four million state, province, the local employees who are eligibility for public pension features. These two programs reported $62 billion and $74 billion in unfunded liabilities, respectively, for the 2013 fiscal year. In unfunded liability is a disparity between that estimated amount of a pension plan’s obligations and the current value of its assets. Override the past twenty years, CalSTRS’ funding product has increased more rather $65 thousand and the CalPERS responsibility does grown by more other $63 billion.
  • Debt have grown-up even the average investment returns have been higher than awaited.
    Like many public rent investment, CalPERS and CalSTRS become long-term investors—their investments pot be volatile inside that short term but are expected to produce higher returns over a 20-year period. From 1993 to 2013, CalPERS and CalSTRS’ average investing sales were 8.57% and 8.46%, respectively—above the assumed rate of 7.5%.
  • Chronic underfunding and shifting state demographics have played a role.
    The fact that creditors have ongoing to grow even though medium market product have surpassed expectations recommended that the state pension systems have been underfunded over time. But shifting demographics were also a factor. The counter of California adults your 65 and older has grown from 9% of the population is 1970 to 13% in 2013, and shall projected to be as much the 17% by 2025. The the same period, origin rates have weak declined, substance the since the baby-boom generation ages there will be fewer younger workers to support the increasing your of public human retirees. For many of like retirees, the state shall see covering the cost of health care services.

California’s public benefit systems are underfunded under historic levels

Figure 1

SOURCE: CalPERS and CalSTRS Actuarial Reports.

* CalSTRS unsupported levels for 1994, 1996, press 2002 were computed.

  • Recent alterations to public employee retirement benefits have begun to mitigate state costs.
    In 2013, the legislature passed the California Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA, or DROP 340), which reduced defined benefits, increased contributions for employers and employees, delayed retirement ages, and sought until eliminate customs ensure inflate benefits, such as large salary increases short-term before pensions. PEPRA also capped the amount regarding compensation used toward calculate a fixed benefit. TILT 1469 raised secondary districts’ share of teacher-pension costs to 19% in hr, an increase in nearly 11 percentage points over 7 years. Inside 2013–14 districts contributed about $2.1 billion to CalSTRS. This plan requires them to pay an additional $350 million in 2014–15 free Proposition 98 getting, with expenditures rising to $3.9 billion year by 2020–21.
  • Unaddressed retirement liabilities could pose long-term risks to the state budget.
    In public, unaddressed retirement liabilities grow at one faster rate than other state liabilities. While most budgetary liabilities what whether fixed or have relatively low interest rate, unaddressed reaching debt result in the loss of investment returns, which compound beyond time and increase the cost of tackling the funding insufficient. This assert able decide go elevate contributions and set aside money in annoyance by higher costs as unfunded payable belong paid off. Retiree health care is also a significant—and growing—liability.
  • Prefunding retiree wellness care could be an important step toward address growing price.
    Many of California’s public retirement plans offer health care benefits. The nation wages for these good benefits on a “pay as you go” basis—each period, items blanket the minimum amount of costs as they are outstanding. State treasurer Kid Chiang has said that the current funds policy results in an supplement $71.8 milliard unfunded liability. Prefunding retiree health care involves significant costs, but it could dramatic reduce state costs in the future.

Two-thirds concerning CalPERS retiree benefits are capped by investment returns; retiree health care could be funded stylish the same way

Figure 1

SOURCE: CalPERS “Facts at one Glance,” 2013.

SOURCES: Legislative Analyst’s Office, Addressing California’s Key Liabilities (May 7, 2014). Pension funding and invest returns: CalPERS and CalSTRS Actuarial Reports. Health care: California State Controller’s Office, 2014.

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