Investment returns

The Columbia Daily Tribune reported Sunday, February 1, 2009, that Missouri's biggest public employees pension funds plunged more than $11 billion last year.

At what level did this $11B drop effect MOSERS retirement assets?

Specifically how much did MOSERS assets drop and what is the current level of assets in relation to prior 2008?


The article referenced the following pension plans – MOSERS (state employees), PSRS/PEERS (Public School), MPERS (Highway Department and Patrol), LAGERS (local government), and the MU (university) systems. In total the value of the assets of these five pension plans dropped by $11 billion during calendar 2008. MOSERS portion of that total was $1.8 billion.

MOSERS’ one-year investment return was -23.9% well ahead of the U.S. stock market which experienced its third worst year in more than a century. As a point of reference, the S&P 500 (a widely used benchmark for U.S. stocks) finished the year at -37.0%. While we are disappointed with our short-term decline in value, it is important to keep in mind that MOSERS is a long-term investor. Including the losses in 2008 our 5-year returns remain in the positive category and our efforts to outpace our benchmarks have been very successful. For example in 2008 our actual performance exceeded our benchmarks by over $300 million and over the 5-year period we have generated an additional $597 million.

MOSERS is a "defined benefit" plan and, as such, the retirement benefit amount is not impacted by financial market volatility.