New York City Employees' Retirement System

What New York City Employees' Retirement System does

New York City Employees' Retirement System (NYCERS) is a defined benefit public pension system established in 1920 to provide retirement, disability, survivor, and ancillary benefits to non-uniformed, non-teaching City of New York employees and participating employers such as CUNY, MTA Bridges and Tunnels, NYC Health + Hospitals, NYC Housing Authority, and NYC Transit Authority. The system administers benefits across five active tier structures (Tier 1 through Tier 6, with Tier 5 not active), each containing Basic Plans and occupation-specific Special Plans tailored to titles including corrections officers, sanitation workers, EMTs, dispatchers, transit workers, deputy sheriffs, and TBTA employees. Membership is mandatory upon hire into an eligible position and the system serves more than 200,000 active members and retirees.

NYCERS' core technology is the proprietary MyNYCERS online portal, which enables members to view service credit, estimate retirement benefits, file retirement applications, apply for loans, manage beneficiaries, and access plan documents across devices. Pension operations are supported by tier-based administration logic, direct deposit and mailed check distribution rails, and integration with NYC agency HR and the NYC Office of Labor Relations for onboarding, education, and Deferred Compensation program information. The recently redesigned nycers.org website adds improved navigation and search for forms and seminars.

The system's funding model combines mandatory Basic Member Contributions (3% of wages for most Tier 3, 4, and 6 members, accruing interest at 5% compounded annually), Additional Member Contributions for special plan participants, and City of New York employer contributions. The dominant economic engine is investment income: NYCERS manages approximately $94B in assets within a combined $297.6B NYC pension system that earned a 10.3% aggregate net return in FY2025, exceeding the 7% actuarial target for the third consecutive year. Members face no membership fees; loans carry a 6.2% effective interest rate (6% base plus 0.2% mandatory loan insurance). Distribution is exclusively direct: EFT and mailed checks for benefits, the portal for self-service, and Zoom-based pension seminars and agency HR channels for engagement.

Name

New York City Employees' Retirement System

Legal name

New York City Employees' Retirement System

Website

https://nycers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1920

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

NYCERS is a statutorily mandated defined benefit public pension system that administers retirement, disability, survivor, and loan benefits to over 200,000 active and retired City of New York employees across five tier structures, managing approximately $94B in assets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Pension Administration

NAICS

Pension Funds (525110)

SIC

Life Insurance (6311)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAKAA

Pensions & Retirement Benefits Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Social Security, Benefits & Welfare Administration

Keywords

• Public pension administration
• Defined benefit retirement
• Municipal pension services
• Government retirement system
• Pension benefit management

Headquarters

HQ city

Brooklyn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pension Contributions: NYCERS is a defined benefit pension funded by mandatory contributions from City of New York employees (Basic Member Contributions and Additional Member Contributions for special plan participants) and employer contributions from the City of New York and participating employers. Contributions vary by tier: Tier 3, 4, 6 Basic members contribute 3% of wages (with interest accrual at 5% compounded annually), while special plan members contribute at higher Additional Member Contribution (AMC) rates. Employer contributions and investment returns fund the bulk of pension payouts.
2. Investment Income: NYCERS generates investment returns across its portfolio of ~$94B+ in assets managed within the broader $297.6B NYC pension system. Investment income funds pension obligations and is augmented by responsible investment strategies including ESG integration and net-zero portfolio targets.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NYCERS administers defined benefit pension plans for City of New York employees (excluding Police, Fire, Teachers, and Board of Education), providing guaranteed lifetime retirement income across multiple tiers (Tier 1 through Tier 6) with Basic and Special Plans tailored by occupation. Core services include service, disability, and vested retirement processing, survivor and death benefits, pension loans, cost-of-living adjustments, and online account self-service via the MyNYCERS portal.

Product overview

NYCERS is a public pension system providing retirement benefits to City of New York employees. The core offering is the pension management service with multiple retirement tiers (Tier 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6), each with Basic and Special Plans tailored to specific job titles. Members access services through the MyNYCERS online portal, which enables account management, benefit calculations, and form submissions. Additional services include pension loans, survivor benefits, death benefits, virtual pension seminars, and external retirement planning resources. The system supports multiple participating employers including CUNY, MTA Bridges and Tunnels, NYC Health + Hospitals, and NYC Housing Authority.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MyNYCERS Portal Secure online member portal enabling NYCERS members to access pension accounts, view balances, estimate retirement benefits, file forms, manage beneficiaries, request loans, and view payment history.
• Pension Management Services Administration of retirement benefits including service retirement, disability retirement, vested retirement, and survivor benefits across multiple tier plans for City of New York employees and participating employers.
• Tier 6 Retirement Plans Defined benefit retirement plan tier for NYC employees hired on or after April 1, 2012, offering a 63/5 Basic Plan plus special plans tailored to specific job titles including EMTs, Dispatchers, Deputy Sheriffs, Special Peace Officers, Automotive Workers, Police Communications Technicians, Transit Authority, and TBTA employees.
• Tier 4 Retirement Plans Defined benefit retirement plan tier for NYC employees who joined between July 27, 1976 and March 31, 2012, including 62/5 Basic Plan and special plans such as 57/5, 55/25, Transit 25-Year/Age 55, Automotive 50/25, Deputy Sheriff 25-Year, Special Peace Officer 25-Year, Sanitation 20-Year, EMT 25-Year, Dispatcher 25-Year, TBTA 20-Year, 911 Operators 25-Year, and Fire Protection Inspector 25-Year.
• Tier 3 Retirement Plans Defined benefit retirement plan tier for Uniformed Sanitation Force and Uniformed Correction Force members, offering 22-Year Plan plus CO-25, CO-20, CC-20, and CF-20 plans for correction officers.
• Tier 2 Retirement Plans Defined benefit retirement plan tier for members who joined between July 1, 1973 and July 27, 1976, offering Plan C, Plan D, and Plan CPP-I plus special plans for Automotive Workers, Special Officers, 911 Operators, and DA Investigators.
• Tier 1 Retirement Plans Defined benefit retirement plan tier for members who joined NYCERS before July 1, 1973, offering Plan A and Plan B.
• Pension Loans Loan products allowing eligible members to borrow against their accumulated contributions at an interest rate of 6.2% (6% base plus 0.2% mandatory loan insurance), with eligibility requirements varying by tier.
• Survivor Benefits Death benefits including Ordinary Death Benefit, Accidental Death Benefit, lump-sum death benefits, and monthly survivor benefits available through Joint-and-Survivor, 5-Year Certain, or 10-Year Certain options.
• Pension Seminars Virtual pension seminars delivered via Zoom Video Conference, offering Pre-Retirement Planning sessions, Tier-specific sessions, and Lunch and Learn sessions tailored by tier and plan type to help members understand retirement options.
• Retirement Planning Resources External retirement planning resources including Deferred Compensation program information, Retiree Health Benefits, Social Security Resources, NYC Department for the Aging information, and financial planning seminars coordinated through the NYC Office of Labor Relations.
• COVID-19 Accidental Death Benefit Special accidental death benefit for beneficiaries of members who died as a result of contracting COVID-19 while reporting to work, extended through December 31, 2024 by Chapter 783 of the Laws of 2022.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10.3% net investment return in FY2025, exceeding 7% actuarial target for third consecutive year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• AP7 (Sweden)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2026AP7 joined a coalition of global pension funds (including NYCERS, AkademikerPension, CalSTRS, NBIM, UPP) writing to the SEC opposing the proposal to rescind 2024 climate disclosure rules. The group contends climate risk is financially material and comparable climate reporting is essential for informed investment decisions.
• AkademikerPension (Denmark)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2026AkademikerPension joined a coalition of global pension funds writing to the SEC opposing rescission of climate disclosure rules. Collaborating with NYCERS, AP7, CalSTRS, NBIM, and UPP on investor advocacy for climate transparency.
• CalSTRS (California State Teachers' Retirement System)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2026CalSTRS joined the coalition of global pension funds opposing SEC climate disclosure rollback, working alongside NYCERS, AP7, AkademikerPension, NBIM, and UPP.
• NBIM (Norges Bank Investment Management)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2026NBIM joined the investor coalition opposing SEC's climate disclosure rule rollback, contributing to global consensus that comparable and reliable climate reporting is essential for capital allocation decisions.
• UPP (University Pension Plan)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2026UPP participated in the coalition of global pension investors urging the SEC to maintain 2024 climate disclosure rules, alongside NYCERS, AP7, AkademikerPension, CalSTRS, and NBIM.
• Community Stabilization PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 October 2024NYCERS invested $60 million in Community Stabilization Partners, a 25% partner in a rent-stabilized loan portfolio. This aligns with NYCERS becoming the first public pension fund to adopt voluntary property management standards for private real estate investments.
• AT&TminorOthersNYC pension funds (including NYCERS) filed a lawsuit against AT&T in February 2026 over the company's exclusion of a shareholder proposal requesting workforce diversity data disclosure. The four NYC public pension funds sought to require AT&T to disclose racial, ethnic, and gender breakdown of its 133,000-person workforce.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about New York City Employees' Retirement System