Funding Discipline for U.S. Public Pension Plans

Funding Discipline for U.S. Public Pension Plans
Author: Natalya Shnitser
Publisher:
Total Pages: 53
Release: 2015
Genre:
ISBN:
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Using newly collected data on over 100 state-administered pension plans, this Article shows that previously overlooked differences in institutional design are associated with the striking variation in funding discipline across U.S. public pension plans. As state and local governments grapple with unfunded pension obligations, this Article presents a timely examination of public plan governance across two key dimensions: the allocation of control over funding decisions and the transparency with respect to funding liabilities. It shows empirically that greater constraints on legislative control over funding decisions -- typically through the delegation of control to pension-system boards -- have been associated with better funding discipline. Conversely, liability-pooling arrangements that have shrouded individual employer responsibility for underfunding have been associated with worse funding discipline. These findings should inform current reform efforts to address the multi-trillion dollar shortfall in pension funding. To date, such state and local government efforts have focused primarily on scaling back benefits for public employees but have overlooked the role of institutions in explaining why some public employers have consistently contributed to the pension funds while others have failed to set adequate contribution rates or have withheld promised funds.

Public pension funding in practice

Public pension funding in practice
Author: Alicia Haydock Munnell
Publisher:
Total Pages: 35
Release: 2010
Genre: Global Financial Crisis, 2008-2009
ISBN:
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Public pension funding has recently become a front-burner policy issue in the wake of the financial crisis and given the pending retirement of large numbers of baby boomers. This paper examines the current funding of state and local pensions using a sample of 126 plans, estimating an aggregate funded ratio in 2009 of 78 percent. Projections for 2010-2013 suggest that some continued deterioration is likely. Funded status can vary significantly among plans, so the paper explores the influence of four types of factors: funding discipline, plan governance, plan characteristics, and the fiscal situation of the state. Judging the adequacy of funding requires more than just a snapshot of assets and liabilities, so the paper examines how well plans are meeting their Annual Required Contribution and what factors influence whether they make them. The paper also addresses the controversy over what discount rate to use for valuing liabilities, concluding that using a riskless rate of return could help improve funding discipline but would need to be implemented in a manageable way. Finally, the paper assesses whether plans face a near-term liquidity crisis and finds that most have assets on hand to cover benefits over the next 15-20 years. The bottom line is that, like private investors, public plans have been hit hard by the financial crisis and their full recovery is dependent on the rebound of the economy and the stock market.

Public Pension Plans

Public Pension Plans
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 64
Release: 1990
Genre: Employee fringe benefits
ISBN:
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Bridging the Gaps

Bridging the Gaps
Author: Ingo Walter
Publisher:
Total Pages: 150
Release: 2019-07-16
Genre:
ISBN: 9781077442368
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America faces two public finance challenges that - if left unaddressed - will have serious implications for the fiscal stability of state and local governments and for the quality of life of all Americans. The funded status of public pension plans and the state of the country's critical infrastructure are generally viewed as distinct subjects. This book argues otherwise. Over the long term, when one of them deteriorates, the other is sure to follow. Moreover, infrastructure investments are well suited to the portfolio needs of public pension plans, which themselves comprise the single largest pool of capital potentially available for the financing needs of American infrastructure and today are under-allocated to this asset type. This book begins with an analysis of the $4.3 trillion U.S. public pension system, drawing on a primary dataset comprising thousands of observations drawn from a decade of annual reports of the 25 largest American public pension systems - which together comprise about 55% of all public pension assets in the country. It then links sustainable pension finance to investments in real assets, specifically infrastructure projects. "Bridging the Gaps" is intended to provide greater transparency to the complex public finance challenges that mark these issues. Those with an interest in the public pension system will learn much from the discussion of these complex organizations - so critical to sustainability of retirement benefits. Asset managers and other advisors, who sell to these investors, will benefit from an empathic approach to understanding the needs of their most important clients. The book concludes with a range of ideas that can be explored by responsible public officials and policymakers as well as infrastructure agencies and their advisors. The ultimate objective is to help in the search for solutions to the persistent gaps facing America's public pension system and at the same time unlocking capital to reduce America's persistent infrastructure problems - creating winners on both ends of the financial chain.

Public Pension Funding in Practice

Public Pension Funding in Practice
Author: Alicia Haydock Munnell
Publisher:
Total Pages:
Release: 2010
Genre:
ISBN:
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"The NBER Bulletin on Aging and Health provides summaries of publications like this. You can sign up to receive the NBER Bulletin on Aging and Health by email. Public pension funding has recently become a front-burner policy issue in the wake of the financial crisis and given the pending retirement of large numbers of baby boomers. This paper examines the current funding of state and local pensions using a sample of 126 plans, estimating an aggregate funded ratio in 2009 of 78 percent. Projections for 2010-2013 suggest that some continued deterioration is likely. Funded status can vary significantly among plans, so the paper explores the influence of four types of factors: funding discipline, plan governance, plan characteristics, and the fiscal situation of the state. Judging the adequacy of funding requires more than just a snapshot of assets and liabilities, so the paper examines how well plans are meeting their Annual Required Contribution and what factors influence whether they make them. The paper also addresses the controversy over what discount rate to use for valuing liabilities, concluding that using a riskless rate of return could help improve funding discipline but would need to be implemented in a manageable way. Finally, the paper assesses whether plans face a near-term liquidity crisis and finds that most have assets on hand to cover benefits over the next 15-20 years. The bottom line is that, like private investors, public plans have been hit hard by the financial crisis and their full recovery is dependent on the rebound of the economy and the stock market"--National Bureau of Economic Research web site.

U.S. Public Pension Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for Trustees and Investment Staff

U.S. Public Pension Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for Trustees and Investment Staff
Author: Von M. Hughes
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2019-07-26
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1260134776
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The first comprehensive guide to mastering the roles and responsibilities of a public pension fiduciary in the U.S. In an ever-changing financial and political landscape, your job as a public pension fiduciary continues to get more difficult. Now, you have the help you need. U.S. Public Pension Handbook is the only one-stop resource that covers the various areas of public pension governance, investment management, infrastructure, accounting, and law. This comprehensive guide presents critical data, information, and insights in topic-specific, easy-to-understand ways—providing the knowledge you need to elevate your expertise and overall contribution to your pension plan or system. U.S. Public Pension Handbook covers: •Today’s domestic and global public pension marketplace•The ins and outs of the defined benefit model, the defined contribution, and hybrid pension designs•Financial concepts central to the actuarial valuation of pension benefits•Public pension investment policies and philosophies•Asset allocations and how they have changed over time•State and local government pension contribution policies•The impact of governance structure and board composition on organizational results•Fiduciary responsibility and the general legal/regulatory framework governing trustees•How changes in trust law may affect public pension trustee fiduciary responsibility and liability•Best practices in pension governance and organizational design Public pension trustees are the unsung heroes of the world of finance, collectively managing over $6 trillion in retirement assets in this country alone. U.S. Public Pension Handbook provides the grounding you need to make sure you perform your all-important with the utmost expertise and professionalism.

State and Local Pension Fund Management

State and Local Pension Fund Management
Author: Jun Peng
Publisher: CRC Press
Total Pages: 286
Release: 2008-08-21
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0849305519
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Intense media coverage of the public pension funding crisis continues to fuel heightened awareness in and debate over public pension benefits. With over $3 trillion in assets currently under management, the ramifications of poor oversight are severe. It is important that practitioners, researchers, and taxpayers be well-advised regarding any concer

The Money Flood

The Money Flood
Author: Michael J. Clowes
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 326
Release: 2000-06-13
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0471384836
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Praise for Michael J. Clowes and the money flood "What a fine book! As an active participant in the revolution in pension investing, I could almost feel the times and tides of the past half-century shifting beneath me. Mike Clowes's splendid and articulate tour through the era is destined to become a landmark on the bookshelves of everyone interested in this illuminating history of the past, as well as its portents of the future."-John C. Bogle, founder, The Vanguard Group "The corporate pension fund ranks high among the spectacular financial innovations of the twentieth century. Mike Clowes has built a fascinating story about the impact of this flood of money on the theory and practice of investing, the financial markets, the labor force, corporate management, and the general economy. The far-reaching consequences of these changes make this authoritative and lively book must-reading for everyone."-Peter L. Bernstein, President, Peter L. Bernstein, Inc., author, Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk "The definitive history of the rise of pension fund capitalism in America."-Keith Ambachtsheer, President, KPA Advisory, author, Pension Fund Excellence: Creating Value for Shareholders "Beautifully written, broad in coverage of all the best parts of a great American story, Mike Clowes's new book gives us an easy-to-read and easy-to-enjoy explanation of who did what and when in the investment revolution of the past half-century."-Charles D. Ellis, Partner, Greenwich Associates, author, The Investor's Anthology: Original Ideas from the Industry's Greatest Minds

Causes and Consequences of the Crises in State and Local Pension Funding

Causes and Consequences of the Crises in State and Local Pension Funding
Author: David M. Knapp
Publisher:
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2023
Genre:
ISBN:
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Many state and local pension systems are facing funding crises. The average U.S. public pension plan cannot cover a quarter of its obligations to provide pension benefits to current, retired, and former employees, and 17 systems are unable to cover more than half of their obligations. Using a comprehensive approach based on a synthesis of multidisciplinary research and discussions with stakeholders, the authors examine the recent history of pension finance, possible consequences for sponsoring government finances and services, reforms to pension financing and benefits aimed at shoring up system's funding, and characteristics of local institutions and politics that limit reforms. An overarching finding is that there is not a single national pension crisis. There are many small crises that reflect local circumstance, history, and constraints, including legacy pension costs. The authors identify a set of key insights for informing a tailored road map for reform that meets the objectives of its stakeholders.