Teachers Retirement System sees double-digit growth

Second year to post double digits numbers

(Story Courtesy of Kentucky Today)

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) – Kentucky teachers’ retirement investments posted double-digit gains for the recently concluded fiscal year, 12.27 percent for the Retirement Annuity Trust and 12.73 percent for the Health Insurance Trust.

This marked the second consecutive year of double-digit growth, and both returns exceeded the prior year’s figures of 10.61% and 11.94% respectively.

Returns for the Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Kentucky (TRS) annuity trust over the last 30 years are 8.1 percent compounded, which is ahead of the 7.1 percent long-term assumed rate of return. TRS staff presented the pension system’s investment results for the year ended June 30 to the Investment Committee at its Aug. 22 meeting. The net return after fees is 11.93 percent for the annuity trust and 12.4 percent for the health trust.

TRS’s annuity investments were in the top decile for both the most recent year, at 10 percent, and the 10-year period, at 7 percent. The returns were in the top 12 percent for the five-year period and in the top half for the three-year period. All rankings are according to Aon Investments USA’s analysis of large domestic pension plans, those with more than $1 billion in assets.

During the year, TRS benefitted from another year of full funding from the state budget.

“Another strong year in the markets resulted in great returns for retired teachers,” TRS Executive Secretary Gary Harbin said. “TRS’s disciplined investing, using the diversified approach established by the Board of Trustees and implemented by TRS’s investment team, continues to be beneficial in all markets.”

TRS, which is regulated under state and federal law, manages $29 billion in assets to provide for the retirement income and health insurance of about 140,000 teachers and other education professionals who are members. The teachers’ system pays about $2.7 billion a year in retirement and health care benefits to its members, 87 percent of whom live in all 120 counties of Kentucky.