Employee Retirement System

By statute, the staff of the Employees' Retirement System (ERS) administers seven separate retirement systems and programs: ERS, the Legislative Retirement System (LRS), the Georgia Defined Contribution Plan (GDCP), the Georgia Judicial Retirement System (GJRS), the Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS), the State Employees' Assurance Department (SEAD), and the Social Security contracts between the state and its political subdivisions.

In general, ERS is a vehicle for collecting employee and employer contributions, investing accumulated funds, and disbursing retirement benefits to members and beneficiaries. As required by Georgia law, the system is examined on an annual basis by an independent actuarial firm that specializes in pension and retirement plans. The firm prepares a yearly valuation on the contingent assets and liabilities of the system, thus revealing its ability to meet the future obligations of each retirement plan. An independent accounting firm also audits the system each year.