October 2023

U.S. corporate pension funding rises in September on falling liabilities

U.S. corporate pension plan funding ratios increased in September despite a second straight month of negative market returns thanks to falling liability values, according to three new reports. Wilshire Advisors estimated the aggregate funding ratio of U.S. corporate plans increased 0.7 percentage points during the month to 105.3% as of Sept. 30. The increase was driven by the largest drop in liability values since September 2022 that resulted from the continued rise in U.S. Treasury yields, said Ned McGuire, managing director...

UK. DB funding levels remain buoyant despite volatility

Pension scheme trustees have been urged to take the time to review their endgame options, after industry analysis revealed that UK defined benefit (DB) funding levels have continued to improve, despite ongoing volatility. Analysis from XPS Pensions found that, despite the Bank of England holding interest rates steady for the first time since late 2021, the aggregate surplus of UK DB pension schemes stood at around £169bn at the end of September. Aggregate scheme assets were also down over the month...

September 2023

US Corporate Pensions at Healthiest Level in a Decade, Aon Data Shows

Pension plans for the largest U.S. companies are at their healthiest in over a decade, according to financial services firm Aon (NYSE:AON). The average pension "funded ratio" for public companies in the S&P 500 stock index was 102% as of last Thursday, marking the highest level since at least the end of 2011 when the ratio stood at around 78%. The funded ratio is a measure of a pension's financial health, comparing a company's pension assets against its liabilities. Essentially,...

US Corporate Pension Funding Levels Dropped in August

US. corporate pension funding levels fell last month, matching a drop in global equities, according to analysts.The August report from LGIM America’s Pension Solutions Monitor estimated that the average U.S. corporate funding ratio decreased to 103.6% through August from 104.9% at the end of July.Global equities declined 2.8%, with the S&P 500 decreasing 1.6%. Portfolios in plans with a 50/50 allocation declined 2.5%, while liabilities declined 1.4%. The decrease in assets outpaced the decline in liabilities, leading to lower...

UK. Triple lock could add £45bn a year to state pensions bill by 2050, IFS says

Maintaining the triple lock on state pensions could add as much as £45bn a year to the welfare bill by 2050, putting “insurmountable pressure” on the government to increase the minimum retirement age, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. In a report published ahead of the release next week of official data for earnings growth, which will be used to set the annual increase in pensions, the IFS estimates spending on retirees could rise by a further £2bn from...

U.S. corporate pension plan funding ratios down slightly in August

U.S. corporate pension plan funding ratios dipped slightly in August, but they still remain well above 100%, according to three new reports. Legal & General Investment Management America estimated the average funding ratio of the typical U.S. corporate pension plan fell to 103.6% as of Aug. 31 from 104.9% a month earlier. In its latest monthly Pension Solutions Monitor, LGIMA said the estimated average funding ratio rose despite liability values dropping, because both global and domestic equities suffered weak performance during August. The...

August 2023

Public Employee Pensions and Municipal Insolvency

By Sean Myers  This paper studies how municipal governments jointly manage spending, credit market borrowing, and public employee pensions. I model governments as levered investors who must meet non-defaultable pension obligations and may value government spending more than citizens. I quantify the model using California city-level data, including a new record of fiscal emergencies, tax increases required to maintain essential services. After the financial crisis depleted pension funds, cities engaged in excessive risk-taking: the fiscal emergency option encouraged gambling for...

July 2023

COVID-19, Home Equity and Retirement Funding

By Vishaal Baulkaran & Pawan Jain  We investigate the impact of COVID-19 on using home equity to fund retirement income. We show that financial planners believe that COVID-19 positively influenced their clients’ willingness to utilize home equity products to fund retirement income in particular, sell and downsize and HELOC options. For consumers, COVID-19 does not seem to have a major impact on the outlook on residential property, retirement income, retirement plan, or perceived/actual standard of living during retirement. However, there...

Investment returns push U.S. corporate pension funding to 102.2% in June

U.S. corporate pension funds enjoyed greater surpluses in their funding ratios in June thanks to strong investment returns during the month, according to the latest Milliman Pension Funding index. As of June 30, the estimated funding ratio of the 100 largest U.S. corporate pension funds was 102.2%, up from 100.7% at the end of May and also marks a six-month increase from 101.9% at the end of 2022, according to the index. "While June saw strong monthly investment returns and muted...

U.S. corporate pension funding increases cushion in June – 3 reports

U.S. corporate pension plan funding ratios jumped further above 100% in June, driven by strong equity markets, according to three new reports. Wilshire Advisors estimated the aggregate funding ratio of U.S. corporate plans vaulted 2.3 percentage points to 103.5% as of June 30. The increase was driven primarily by increases in asset values, while liability values remained relatively unchanged. "June's funded status saw the largest monthly increase since October 2022 due to asset value increases with the performance of the FT Wilshire...