How Colorado PERA “Front-Loads” Service Credit in the School and DPS Divisions

I learned something new this week about how PERA calculates service credit in the School and DPS Divisions. I knew the basics (and the basics are what applies to most people). I knew: To earn a month of service credit, the member must earn at least 80 times the current federal minimum wage in the … Continue reading How Colorado PERA “Front-Loads” Service Credit in the School and DPS Divisions →

Colorado House Prices and Rent (Don’t) Always Go Up

I live in Colorado. A frequent financial topic that comes up in discussions with other folks and in my class is the cost of housing. It is certainly true that housing in Colorado is above the median for the U.S., but as I mentioned in that post I think many Coloradan's have a skewed view … Continue reading Colorado House Prices and Rent (Don’t) Always Go Up →

Please Consider Supporting Colorado HB26-1026

Back in 2023 I wrote a post about some suggested legislation I would like to see regarding Colorado PERA. I'm excited to share that this legislation has now been proposed as part of the 2026 Colorado General Assembly. It is House Bill 26-1026 sponsored by Representative Bob Marshall, Representative Eliza Hamrick, and Senator Chris Kolker. … Continue reading Please Consider Supporting Colorado HB26-1026 →

Car-less in Colorado

To be perfectly clear, this post is not about my family. We have two cars (EVs) for the three drivers in our family. And we currently have no plans to get rid of those cars. Rather, this post is about the possibilities for folks who live in my area to conceivably go without a car … Continue reading Car-less in Colorado →

Colorado PERA Lowers Fees for 401k and 457b Plans

Colorado PERA offers a fantastic 401k and 457b plan to all PERA-affiliated employers, which includes all public school employees. These plans are almost always better than the 403bs or 457bs offered through their school districts by other vendors (see Littleton Public Schools, Cherry Creek, Denver, Douglas County, and Aurora as examples). At Friday's Board Meeting, … Continue reading Colorado PERA Lowers Fees for 401k and 457b Plans →

Colorado PERA, Substitute Teachers, and Independent Contractors

The Colorado Sun recently published an article on a lawsuit filed by several school districts as well as private contractors against Colorado PERA. While the article does a decent job of laying out the concerns from the school districts, it does not lay out PERA's reasoning. This is often the case in these situations because … Continue reading Colorado PERA, Substitute Teachers, and Independent Contractors →