Established by Act 55, on April 22, 1925, the ERS began operations on January 1, 1926. By June 30 of that year there were a little over 2,000 members and a total of 84 retirees, 76 of whom were existing retirees of previously incorporated systems. The system’s seed money of $125,000 consisted of both new contributions and inherited funds from incorporated plans.

100 years later and the ERS is continuing to ensure a secure retirement for more than 158,000 of our members. The fund has grown into a portfolio worth over $24 billion today funding pensions for the nearly 56,000 retirees receiving $1.9 billion in benefits annually from the system.

We invite you, our membership, to showcase your thoughts, stories, photos and videos of what ERS has meant to you, your friends and your families. Whether it was the peace-of-mind provided by the income of a disability retirement when a family member was no longer able to work, or that post-retirement vacation-of-a-lifetime you had planned for after decades of work, we want to hear how ERS has had a positive impact on your, or a loved one’s, life by uploading those stories below. Submissions may be featured in upcoming Holomua issues and on the ERS website.

As we celebrate our centennial anniversary, it is important that we identify and acknowledge those members and beneficiaries for whom the plan was established…you! This is your opportunity to “talk story” with and about ERS.