Invest in a better tomorrow
The world has changed a lot in the past few years. If you want to remain an employer of choice, increase recruitment competitiveness, and improve employee retention, your organization’s retirement plan needs to address your employees’ concerns for the future.
Set up a free appointment to review your current plan and explore new features that will catch the eye of potential applicants and make existing employees say, “I’m not leaving this job until I retire.“
Your Trusted Partner for Retirement Plan Services
Colorado Retirement Association, formerly Colorado County Officials and Employees Retirement Association, has been dedicated to providing “the best retirement plans, products and services at the lowest cost possible” for more than 50 years. We exclusively serve Colorado local government bodies, including counties, municipalities and special districts.
We are fellow Coloradans who understand and value your employees, and we are grateful for our partnership with you.
CRA is pleased to offer you and your employees:
We pride ourselves on the deep commitment and high level of service we provide to our member employers and employee participants.
Our personal touch has been the centerpiece of our success for more than 50 years. Through one-on-one retirement counseling sessions, group meetings as well as a dedicated client services manager to assist with whatever support you need, CRA is committed to being a trusted partner for you and your employees.
With help from Innovest Portfolio Solutions, a renowned investment advisory firm, and oversight from the CRA Board of Directors, we provide a comprehensive portfolio of high-performing investment funds available to plan participants.
With our 401(a) plan, employers can have unmatched contributions, enabling them to increase their contributions over what employees are required to put toward their retirement.
Additionally, we offer a voluntary 457(b) plan to further build their savings. For either or both of these plans, employee participants can choose automatically allocated fund lineups for simple investing, or they can go the do-it-yourself route.
We provide an end-to-end solution to employers, from the current plan review, recordkeeping, plan selection and training, to compliance and fiduciary services.
Our low-cost fiduciary service fees allow you and your employees to make the most of each contribution.

Employer Articles

CRA Board of Directors Election Results
CRA is pleased to announce the election results for two Board of Directors positions. Voting closed on June 30 for the Western Slope Elected County

CRA Coronavirus Update
As all of us experience the rapidly changing developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Colorado Retirement Association wants you to know how we’re responding to

Time To Schedule Your Participation Agreement Review
As communicated previously, our association has been working to restate the Colorado Retirement Association 401(a) and 457(b) plans. Revisions to CRA plan documents resulted from
A Robust Network
Our clients are part of a network of more than 220 Colorado local government entities that entrust CRA with approximately $2 billion in assets for their employees’ retirement. This network includes special districts, municipalities and counties across Colorado. CRA has supported many of these employer groups for decades – some since our association was established in 1968.
We recognize that you have entrusted CRA to help you provide outstanding retirement benefits to your organization. We are honored to provide this important service to you and your employees.
Benefits of a Designated Fiduciary
Full fiduciary capacity is shared between CRA and member employers, given employer representatives (such as the board, a committee or some staff functions) maintain many discretionary actions to manage and administer the plan or exercise control over plan assets. However, CRA takes significant fiduciary responsibilities off of your plate.
- Maintains important documentation such as trust agreements, plan forms and procedures and investment reviews
- Offers investments in multiple investment categories so employee participants can invest in a “broad range” of funds
- Reviews investment options at least on an annual basis to compare each fund’s performance to its peer group and an appropriate index
- Conducts periodic reviews to examine fund expenses, volatility and other significant factors
- Ensures outside counsel for performance reviews is independent and free of conflicts of interest
- Removes investment options from the plan, or places them on a “watch” list, because of underperformance or failure to satisfy investment policy statement requirements
- Provides asset allocation models and guidance to employees who lack the investment knowledge to evaluate and select individual investment options and allocate their assets among them
- Delivers ongoing employee investment education materials and programs
- Delegates to experts, when CRA does not possess the expertise in-house, to assist in the above functions
A smart retirement plan attracts and retains employees
We can show you how to improve in less than 15 minutes.