REPORT DIGEST

 

GENERAL ASSEMBLY RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS

 

COMPLIANCE EXAMINATION

For the Year Ended:

June 30, 2008

 

Summary of Findings:

 

    Total this report                 1

    Total last report                 1

    Repeated from last report  0

 

 

 

 

Release Date:

May 21, 2009

 

 

State of Illinois

Office of the Auditor General 

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND

AUDITOR GENERAL

 

 

 

To obtain a copy of the Report contact:

Office of the Auditor General

Iles Park Plaza

740 E. Ash Street

Springfield, IL 62703

(217) 782-6046 or TTY (888) 261-2887

 

This Report Digest and Full Report

are also available on

the worldwide web at

http://www.auditor.illinois.gov

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

 

      This digest covers our compliance attestation examination of the General Assembly Retirement System of the State of Illinois’ (System) for the year ending June 30, 2008.  A financial audit covering the year ending June 30, 2008 was previously released on January 15, 2009.  It should be noted that, pursuant to the Illinois Pension Code, investments of the System are managed by the Illinois State Board of Investment.  The auditors identified one finding during their testing. 

 

¨      The System did not have a process to review financial journal entries independent of the person who initiates and posts them to the financial records.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

{Financial Data and Supplementary Information are summarized on the reverse page.}


 

GENERAL ASSEMBLY RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF ILLINOIS

COMPLIANCE EXAMINATION

YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2008

 

OPERATING STATEMENT ANALYSIS

FY 2008

FY 2007

REVENUES: Contributions – Participants...........................................

Contributions – Appropriations & other...........................

Total Contributions...................................................

Net investment income...................................................

Net appreciation (depreciation) in fair value of investments

            Interest earned on cash balances....................................

                        Total Revenue.........................................................

EXPENSES:  Benefits - Retirement annuities......................................

Benefits - Survivors' annuities.........................................

                             Total Benefits........................................................

Refunds........................................................................

            Administration...............................................................

            Total Expenses........................................................

Revenues over (under) expenses....................................

$    1,772,860

    6,809,800

$    8,582,660 

1,893,640

(6,734,639)

        132,702 

$     3,874,363 

$   12,653,183 

     2,605,438 

$   15,258,621 

147,804

        224,170 

$   15,650,595

$(11,776,232)

$  1,703,344 

  5,470,429

$  7,173,773 

1,933,225

10,914,976

     142,784

$20,164,758

$12,180,739

  2,538,553 

$14,719,292

297,790

     220,333

$15,237,415

$  4,927,343

ANALYSIS OF PLAN INVESTMENTS

FY 2008

FY 2007

Balance at beginning of year, at fair value............................................

Net cash transferred from investments................................................

Net investments (1).....................................................................

Investment income – interest, dividends and other................................

Investment expenses..........................................................................

Net Investment income (2)..........................................................

Net realized gain on sale of investments...............................................

Net unrealized gain (loss) on investments ............................................

Net appreciation (depreciation) in fair value of investments (3).......

Total net investment gain (loss) (4), (2) + (3).................................

Balance at end of year, at fair value (1) + (4)................................

$  83,864,942

 (7,100,000)

$  76,764,942

2,164,234

    (270,594)

$    1,893,640

3,911,240 

(10,645,897)

$ (6,734,639) 

$ (4,840,999) 

$  71,923,943

$79,016,741

(8,000,000)

$71,016,741

2,208,651

    (275,426)

$  1,933,225

5,117,713

  5,797,263

$10,914,976

$12,848,201

$83,864,942

iNVESTMENTS USED FOR Benefits and Expenses

FY 2008

FY 2007

CONTRIBUTIONS:   Participants....................................................

              Appropriations & other .................................  

          Total Contributions (5).................................

DEDUCTIONS:         Benefits...........................................................

   Refunds............................................................

                        Administration...................................................

Total Deductions (6).......................................

Investments used to Pay Benefits and Expenses) (5)-(6)......................

$  1,772,860

  6,809,800

$  8,582,660 

$15,258,621

147,804

     244,170

$15,650,595 

$(7,067,935)

$   1,703,344

  5,470,429

$   7,173,773

$ 14,719,292

297,790

     220,333  

$ 15,237,415 

$(8,063,642)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION (unaudited)

FY 2008

FY 2007

Retirees and beneficiaries currently receiving benefits..........................

Total members  .................................................................................

Total active members.........................................................................

Total return on investments.................................................................

395

257

182

(6.2)%

399

267

182

17.1%

EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

During Audit Period:  Timothy B. Blair, Acting

Currently: Timothy B. Blair, Acting


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Same individual prepares and posts the financial journal entries

 

FINDING, CONCLUSION, AND

RECOMMENDATION

 

JOURNAL ENTRY REVIEW

 

     During our testing, we noted the same individual prepares and posts the financial journal entries.   

 

     System personnel indicated the lack of appropriate personnel to perform a meaningful review contribute to the current procedures.  A lack of an independent review of journal entries leaves the System open to risks of error and material misstatement of financial information.  Because of the lack of an independent review of journal entries, we are considering this to be a significant deficiency in the System’s internal control. 

 

    We recommended someone other than the person preparing and posting the journal entries review the journal entries and the related supporting documentation for accuracy and that the review be documented. (Finding 08-1, page 7)

    

    System management concurred with the recommendation and indicated they will institute a system to have all financial journal entries and supporting documentation reviewed by a person independent of the person that initiates them.

 

ACCOUNTANTS’ REPORT

 

      We conducted a compliance attestation examination of the System for the year ended June 30, 2008 as required by the Illinois State Auditing Act. The accountants’ report does not contain any scope limitations, disclosures or other significant non-standard language.

 

 

 

 

_____________________________________

WILLIAM G. HOLLAND, Auditor General

 

WGH:RPU:pp

 

SPECIAL ASSISTANT AUDITORS

 

      The public accounting firm of BKD LLP was our special assistant auditor for this engagement.