News Alerts

Dayton signs 2012 Omnibus Pension Bill
Governor Mark Dayton has signed a 2012 pension bill that reflects bipartisan compromise on a number that is of great significance to Minnesota's public pension systems—our future earnings assumption. The signing took place Thursday, May 10. 

Passed on a 104-24 House vote a week earlier, the bill was presented to the governor's office Monday.  The bill was previously approved in the Senate on a vote of 45-18 April 16.   (More) 

Those cushy government pensions: the real story
There has been a spate of stories recently that seek to cast public pensions in the worst possible light by holding up a few extreme examples as representative of all public retirement benefits.  Nothing could be further from the truth, but some folks never let the facts stand in the way of a good story.  (More)

 Mankato office on reduced schedule
Until further notice, PERA's Mankato office will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday and Tuesday only.  We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.  

PERA introduces instructional videos
A video explaining your benefit options, and three dedicated to making the most of MY PERA—including one specifically for retirees—are the first offerings in our new Viewing Room.  As time goes on, PERA hopes to add additional instructional videos to help you better understand your retirement system.

 Group Counseling—the individual conference alternative
PERA’s individual conferences are extremely popular for a reason—they provide members with information and assistance in making informed decisions about their future Association benefits.  Our Group Counseling programs are designed to do exactly the same thing. The only difference is, as the name implies, these programs are conducted in a group setting. 

One advantage of the group format is the person sitting next to you may ask the one question you forgot . . . or the one that never even entered your mind. All participants receive their own individual estimates and answers to all their questions; just like an individual conference.

PERA conducts these programs monthly at our St. Paul office and around the state.  You can register to attend a program in MY PERA or by contacting our office.

 Pensions have profound impact on state economy
While the average Minnesota public employee pension was $20,633 in 2009 (a bit over $15,000 per year for PERA retirees), the economic impact of those pensions on the state's economy is profound. 

According to a recent study by the National Institute on Retirement Security, of the $3.4 billion in benefits received by state and local government retirees in 2009, $2.5 billion was spent in Minnesota.  That spending generated an additional $3.2 billion in direct and indirect economic benefits for the state and helped support more than 40,000 jobs. For a fact sheet, click here.  For the entire study, Pensionomics 2012: Measuring the Economic Impact of DB Pension Expenditures, click here.