Boston Municipal Employees Retirement System
public plan · City of Boston · Worcester, MA
ACTIVE
F
Pension Health Score
33/100
Funding Status45% Funded
0%80% threshold100%
$3.3B
Total Assets
$7.3B
Total Liabilities
$4.0B
Unfunded Liability
36,822
Participants
Funding History
What This Means for You
Boston Municipal Employees Retirement System is significantly underfunded at 45%, with $4.0B in unfunded liabilities affecting 36,822 participants. Plans at this funding level face difficult choices: raising contributions substantially, reducing future benefit accruals, or in extreme cases, applying for benefit suspensions. Public plans cannot declare bankruptcy, but severe underfunding may lead to reduced cost-of-living adjustments or increased employee contributions. If you are a participant, it is important to understand your options and consider diversifying your retirement income sources.
Year-by-Year Funding
| Year | Assets | Liabilities | Funding Ratio | Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3.3B | $7.3B | 45.3% | $177.8M |
| 2024 | $3.2B | $7.8B | 41.4% | $170.7M |
| 2023 | $3.1B | $7.5B | 41.1% | $178.1M |
| 2022 | $2.9B | $6.8B | 42.7% | $186.9M |
| 2021 | $2.9B | $5.5B | 52.4% | $138.2M |