Two Colorado PERA Bill Proposals: An Open Letter to My State Representatives

I just contacted my Colorado state representatives to ask them to consider running a couple of bills in the upcoming session of the legislature (beginning in January). Both bills regard provisions of Colorado PERA, and both would benefit PERA members without costing the state or PERA employers anything, nor would they impact PERA's funded status. … Continue reading Two Colorado PERA Bill Proposals: An Open Letter to My State Representatives →

PERACare vs. ACA Marketplace: 2024 Edition

I've written previously about health insurance in retirement for members of Colorado PERA. As we are now in open enrollment for 2024, I thought I would update with current numbers as well as with a philosophical question. But first, a little background. PERACare is health insurance that PERA retirees can get through PERA. It is … Continue reading PERACare vs. ACA Marketplace: 2024 Edition →

Cherry Creek Public Schools Single-Vendor 403b Plan: Is It The Best Choice?

I've written before about 401k, 403b, and 457b retirement plans and the similarities and differences between them. Unfortunately, many school districts offer some truly horrible 403b plans (listen to Learned by Being Burned for more info). But there has been a positive development lately in that some school districts, typically large ones, have now started … Continue reading Cherry Creek Public Schools Single-Vendor 403b Plan: Is It The Best Choice? →

Colorado Teachers Just Got a Big Raise: Now What?

First, I need to apologize, because not every Colorado teacher just got a big raise. But due to a confluence of circumstances, quite a few did. These circumstances include: The state legislature having surplus dollars and finally deciding to try to make up for the years of underfunding of K-12 education (known, I kid you … Continue reading Colorado Teachers Just Got a Big Raise: Now What? →

Denver Public Schools Single-Vendor 403b Plan: Is It The Best Choice?

I've written before about 401k, 403b, and 457b retirement plans and the similarities and differences between them. Unfortunately, many school districts offer some truly horrible 403b plans (listen to Learned by Being Burned for more info). But there has been a positive development lately in that some school districts, typically large ones, have now started … Continue reading Denver Public Schools Single-Vendor 403b Plan: Is It The Best Choice? →

Colorado PERA’s Funded Status, the Signal Light Report, and the AAP

One of the most talked about - and often least understood - aspects of any pension plan is its "funded status," the percent of future liabilities that is currently funded (or, actually, projected to be funded) by current assets. This is certainly true of Colorado PERA, which will be the focus of this post. By … Continue reading Colorado PERA’s Funded Status, the Signal Light Report, and the AAP →