Office of the Actuary

Calculates how much money the city needs to contribute to its five public pension funds each year, certifies retirement benefits for individual employees, and advises pension fund trustees on the long-term financial health of the systems. NYC's pension systems hold nearly $295 billion in assets and cover hundreds of thousands of current and retired city workers. This tiny office does the math that determines billions of dollars in annual city contributions -- get it wrong, and either retirees lose benefits or taxpayers get stuck with a massive bill.