The $30.7 billion Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System saw its investment portfolio return 11.7 percent for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2017, exceeding its policy benchmark return of 11.17 percent.
The result was a significant increase from the previous fiscal year’s investment return of 2.15 percent. IPERS’ investment earnings pay approximately 70 percent of the benefit payments.
“While this year’s investment performance far exceeded the newly-adopted actuarial return assumption of 7 percent, it’s important to remember IPERS’ focus is long-term — 30 to 50 years out — in analyzing the fund’s performance,” said Donna Mueller, IPERS’ CEO. “For IPERS, a more significant measurement is our 30-year annualized return which is 8.65 percent. The next big indicator of IPERS’ financial health will come from the annual actuarial valuation, due in December.”
IPERS’ actuary, Bellevue, Neb.–based Cavanaugh Macdonald Consulting, is curr
