A Short History of IPERS
Legislature Launches IPERS on the Fourth of July! IPERS was founded on July 4, 1953, to provide a dependable and economical retirement plan for Iowa’s public employees. The date couldn’t have been more appropriate. IPERS helps public employees maintain their financial independence after retirement. The benefits paid to members are secure and guaranteed for life. Benefits are not affected by fluctuations in the stock market.
IPERS Passes the 50-Year Mark. For over a half century, IPERS has provided Iowa’s public employees with retirement income. Today, IPERS invests and safeguards over $20 billion in assets, each year collecting over $500 million in contributions and paying more than $1 billion in retirement, death, and disability benefits. Over 88 percent of the benefit payments stay in Iowa.
To put the success of the IPERS Plan into perspective, look at these statistics.
|
1954 |
2007 |
| Contributions: |
$14.2 million |
$574.6 million |
| Benefits Paid: |
$3.1 million |
$1.0 billion |
| Assets in the Trust Fund: |
$29.3 million |
$23.2 billion |
 Did You Know? IPERS is the 62nd-largest public- or private-sector pension fund in the United States.
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