March 2024
26Mar

Funded Status of Largest 100 US Public Pension Funds Rises to 78.6%

Public pension funded status increased to 78.6% at the end of February, up from 77.7% the month before, according to the monthly Milliman Inc. 100 Public Pension Funding Index, which tracks the funded status of the largest 100 public defined benefit plans in the U.S. Public plan funded status rose in February to the highest level since May 2022, when funded status for these plans stood at 78.4%, and 78.6% the month before. In the interim, funded status bottomed out at...

March 26, 2024
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01Mar

Fiscal Stimulus or Debt Relief: The Effect of Federal Pandemic Aid on State and Local Pensions

By Grace Brang, Sewin Chan & Travis St. Clair Between 2020-2021, the U.S. federal government passed four major pieces of legislation that included nearly $1 trillion in aid to state and local governments. One concern with distributing federal stimulus in the form of intergovernmental transfers is that subnational governments may use the aid to pay down unfunded pension liabilities or other debt rather than preserve employment. We examine the effect of fiscal stimulus passed in response to Covid-19 on public...

March 1, 2024
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February 2024
29Feb

U.S. public pension funding dips in January

The overall estimated funding ratio of the 100 largest U.S. public pension plans fell to 77.7% at the end of January, according to the Milliman 100 Public Pension Funding index. The fall in funding ratio from the year-end number of 78.2% was the result of flat investment returns and rising liabilities. According to Milliman, the aggregate estimated investment return for January was zero, with estimated returns ranging from -1% to 1.1% for the month. "Despite January's lack of investment gains and the...

February 29, 2024
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22Feb

Closing the Gap: The Role of Public Pensions in Reducing Retirement Inequality

By Nari Rhee This study analyzes the impact of defined benefit pensions, especially public pensions, on retirement income security and wealth distribution by race, gender, and educational attainment in the U.S. It serves as a companion report to Closing the Gap fact sheets, which are designed to inform the public about the social equity impact of pensions in each state and the District of Columbia. Get the report here

February 22, 2024
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22Feb

The Government Pension Identity Crisis

By T. Leigh Anenson, J.D., LL.M., Ph.D. & Hannah R. Weiser, J.D., M.B.A. The Contract Clause once dominated the docket of the Supreme Court. But now the clause belongs to the museum of constitutional law. This artifact, however, is gaining new life in ongoing litigation over public pension reform that significantly impacts the financial benefits of government workers such as teachers, firefighters, and even judges. And, unlike private sector workers, for public servants there is no federal safety net in...

February 22, 2024
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19Feb

US. Legislators approve 50% pension increase for themselves

Two news stories last week proved New Mexico has a working class and a ruling class. The first story was about Santa Fe's minimum wage, which will increase to $14.60 an hour March 1. That's a bump of 4%, or 57 cents an hour. The second story was shorter, almost a footnote. It mentioned New Mexico state senators and representatives approving a bill with the harmless title of "Legislative Retirement Changes." A more accurate heading would be: "50% pension increase for sitting...

February 19, 2024
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16Feb

Trends in State and Local Pension Funds

By Oliver Giesecke & Joshua Rauh Unfunded public pension obligations represent the largest liability for state and local governments in the United States. As of fiscal year 2021, the total reported unfunded liabilities of these plans are $1.076 trillion. In contrast, the market value of the unfunded liability is approximately $6.501 trillion. As a result, the reported funding ratio of 82.5% falls to 43.8% under a market-based valuation. The market values reflect the fact that accrued pension promises are a...

February 16, 2024
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02Feb

US. Public Pensions Are Mixing Risky Investments with Unrealistic Predictions

More than 20 million Americans are covered by state and local government pensions. Unlike the 401(k) plans found in the private sector, these “defined benefit” plans promise to pay retirees a set amount of money every month for the rest of their lives. For most public workers, these generous programs are a cornerstone of their financial security; for many, they’re one of the main attractions of government jobs. Yet the plans, by their own reckoning, are underfunded to the tune...

February 2, 2024
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02Feb

Malaysia. Proposed abolishment of politician’s pension to be discussed in Cabinet, then Parliament, says PM

REMBAU: The proposal to abolish pensions for politicians will first be discussed at the Cabinet level and then brought to Parliament before any decision is implemented, says the Prime Minister. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said as a moral responsibility, the matter needs to be tabled and thoroughly explained as it was difficult to rationalise if the abolition of the pension was excluded for politicians. "Some people have asked what about politicians; the system is different, but I think it's reasonable if...

February 2, 2024
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January 2024
26Jan

Public Pension Funding Index January 2024

By Rebecca A. Sielman & Richard L. Gordon  Two consecutive months of positive market performance in November and December 2023 pushed the funded status of the 100 largest U.S. public pension plans to its highest point of 2023. The plans’ estimated funded status increased from 72.4% as of October 31, 2023, to 75.9% as of November 30, 2023, and further increased to 78.2% as of December 31, 2023, as measured by the Milliman 100 Public Pension Funding Index (PPFI). Get the...

January 26, 2024
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