How much more money would the pension have if it matched its benchmark returns?

Question to AI:

In 2023 STRS OH lost to its benchmark by .07%, in 2024 it lost to its benchmark by .22%, in 2025 it lost to its benchmark by .34% and in 2026 it lost to its benchmark by .42%. How much more money would the pension have if it matched its benchmark returns?

Answer from AI:

To precisely calculate how much more money the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio (STRS Ohio) would have if it matched its benchmark returns, we need to apply those percentages to the fund's Total Assets Under Management (AUM) for each corresponding fiscal year.

As a massive pension fund hovering around $90 billion to $104 billion in assets during this period, even seemingly tiny basis-point underperformances translate into hundreds of millions of dollars.

Year-by-Year Financial Impact:

By applying the lost benchmark percentages to the fund's net position at the time, the approximate missed revenue breaks down as follows:

· 2023: Lost by 0.07% on an asset base of roughly $92.4 billion = ~$64.7 million

· 2024: Lost by 0.22% on an asset base of roughly $94.3 billion = ~$207.5 million

· 2025: Lost by 0.34% on an asset base of roughly $101.8 billion = ~$346.1 million

· 2026: Lost by 0.42% on an asset base of roughly $104.1 billion = ~$437.2 million

Cumulative Total:

If STRS Ohio had simply matched its benchmark returns from 2023 through 2026, the pension fund would have approximately $1.05 billion more in its total pool (not accounting for compound growth).

By Rudy Fichtenbaum August 30, 2026

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Rudy Fichtenbaum stood up for Ohio's teachers. Now it's our turn to stand up for him. Please donate to his GoFundMe campaign to help him pay his legal fees.

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