Outline of Investment Policies
General. The Board establishes this investment policy in accordance with the provisions of the County Employees’ Retirement Law of 1937 (Government code Sections 31450 et. seq.). VCERA is considered a separate entity and is administered by a Board consisting of nine members, plus two alternates. VCERA’s Board and its officers and employees shall discharge their duties as provided for in Government Code Section 31595:
· solely in the interest of, and for the exclusive purpose of, providing benefits to participants and their beneficiaries, minimizing employer contributions thereto, and defraying reasonable expenses of administering the system.
· with the care, skill, prudence and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent person acting in a like capacity and familiar with these matters would use in the conduct of an enterprise of a like character with like aims.
· shall diversify the investments of the system so as to minimize the risk of loss and to maximize the rate of return, unless under the circumstances it is clearly not prudent to do so.
VCERA’s assets are managed on a total return basis. While VCERA recognizes the importance of the preservation of capital, it also adheres to the principle that varying degrees of investment risk are generally rewarded with compensating returns in the long run.
External professional investment firms manage VCERA’s assets. VCERA’s staff, along with the investment consultants, monitors manager activity and assists the Board with the implementation of investment policies and strategies.
Asset Allocation Policy. VCERA has a long-term investment horizon, and utilizes an asset allocation, which encompasses a strategic long-term perspective of capital markets. It is recognized that a strategic long-run asset allocation plan implemented in a consistent and disciplined manner will be the major determinant of VCERA’s investment performance.
Effective April, 2008, the Board adopted a new asset allocation plan that was predicated on a number of factors including:
a. The actuarially projected liabilities and benefit payments and the cost to both covered employees and employers.
b. Historical and long-term capital market risk and return behavior.
c. The perception of future economic conditions, including inflation and interest rate levels.
d. The relationship between current and projected assets of the Plan and its actuarial requirements.
A systematic rebalancing procedure, implemented annually, is used to maintain asset allocations within appropriate ranges.
