CalSTRS provides a comprehensive annual overview of its mission, membership, financial status, investment strategies, and services for retired educators.
Scroll down and click on the link to receive your free CalSTRS 2025 annual report.
CalSTRS does it right with its investment strategy. You should to0 with your 403(b) or 457(b) investments.
It is in our best interests to construct our pre-tax 403b, 457b, Roth, or our post-tax portfolios as CalSTRS does. CalSTRS does not invest in Tax Sheltered Annuities.
In order for our beloved pension plan to pay more in retirement benefits than Social Securty a CalSTRS pensionaire and a Social Security recipient, CalSTRS pensionaires (that’s you and me!) earn a third to twice as much as Social Security recipients! Why? Because CalSTRS invests in stocks and bonds just as Endowments, Foundations, Insurance Companies, and Banks do. Follow this basic investing model with your volunteer tax-deferred retirement savings plan, 403(b), and 457(b). Invest in stock and bonds. I have written this repeatedly — Never purchase a Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA)! Annuity fees are high, and their returns are pathetic.
CalSTRS Mission and Vision
- CalSTRS aims to secure the financial future of California’s educators.
- The organization focuses on building trust and ensuring its members a secure retirement.
Membership and Demographics
- CalSTRS has 1,054,175 members and beneficiaries, an increase of 13,874 from the previous year.
- The active member demographic includes Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z.
Financial Overview and Contributions
- In 2024-25, member contributions are projected at $4.8 billion, with total annual benefits reaching $20 billion.
- The funded status is currently at 76.7%, with full funding projected by 2046.
Investment Strategies and Performance
- CalSTRS emphasizes diversification to mitigate risks and maximize returns.
- The organization is committed to sustainable investment and has pledged to achieve net-zero portfolio emissions by 2050.
Services for Retired Members
- Retirees have access to a range of resources, including publications and webinars.
- The myCalSTRS platform allows retirees to manage their benefits and securely access important documents.
Click and read this valuable and informative annual report just released from CalSTRS!
January 2026 CalSTRS Comprehensive Presentation
Here is CalSTRS 2026 Portfolio. I got their portfolio from the 2026 Comprehensive Presentation.
Here is my 2026 Portfolio.
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Hi Dean,
I am very fortunate in many ways, but having a math teacher as a friend is especially helpful, especially when it comes to retirement planning.
Thanks for the calculation. A valid comparison must involve two retirees with the same number of years of work and contributions.
I have a similar situation to yours, Dean. Even though I have only 24 years of service, my CalSTRS benefit is about 33% more than my SSI.
With the Social Security Fairness Act passed a year ago, my own SSI doubled. But as a surviving spouse, I applied for my late spouse’s benefit. Dan’s SSI benefit was much higher than my SSI, so I took his benefit instead of my SSI.
But the point is that Dan contributed to the system for about 30 years, and yet my pension is still higher!
However, I hope people understand why a pension plan pays more than SSI. The answer is rather uncomplicated. All pension plans, endowments, foundations, and insurance companies invest in genuine investments that grow with the economy, such as stocks and Bonds. SSI is forbidden by law to invest in stocks. They can only invest in a specific Treasury Bond which pays much lower. Over 100 years bonds pay about 5% interest but stocks return is about 9.5%. That 4.5% difference is why our pension plans pay more than SSI.
Thanks again Dean.
Your friend,
Steve
Dean Cohen
Hey Steve:
Your point is well taken especially if you’re comparing the same times i.e. 30 or 40 years SSI versus 30 or 40 years STRS. But, in my case, I had 26 years SSI and 17 years STRS which resulted in a factor of 1.65 more $$ from STRS instead of 2.0.. Or to state it a different way, For 17 years with STRS verses 26 years with SSI, I receive 65% more $$ from STRS. STRSs gave me a much better deal than SSI..
Your friend and colleague,
Dean Cohen
Math Teacher