In the News • December 23, 2008
US News and World Report, December 23, 2008 — Simply finding a job in 2009 will be challenging for many. “But if you can, seek an employer offering a traditional pension,” advises Beth Almeida, executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security. Almeida adds, “Pensions offer what Americans are looking for: the security and peace of […]
In the News • December 3, 2008
Rocky Mountain News, December 3, 2008 In a letter to the editor regarding Colorado’s public pension, Marie Valenzuela writes that data in a recent NIRS research report indicates that defined contribution plans are significantly more expensive to fund than defined benefit plans. She continues, “I hope that a good deal of thought and unbiased research goes into the […]
In the News • December 3, 2008
The Kiplinger Letter, December 3, 2008 Renuka Rayasam reports on the transition to the new pension funding requirements passed in 2006 — which couldn’t come at a worse time. “We are in a transition period to a new funding regime, and then the financial crisis throws over the apple cart,” says Beth Almeida, executive director […]
In the News • December 1, 2008
Plan Advisor, December 1, 2008 Janet Aschkenasy reports in the kinds of questions plan sponsors and advisers need to address if they’re going to free participants of the notion that a plan loan or hardship withdrawal is the best place to turn for the extra cash many so sorely need in the current financial environment. Plan […]
In the News • November 25, 2008
BNA Daily Report for Executives, November 25, 2008 An analysis of public plan investment behavior released Nov. 24 showed that public plan fiduciaries reacted prudently to the market downturn in 2000 and can be expected to do the same in response to the current market collapse. The report, In It For the Long Haul, published by […]
In the News • November 24, 2008
Plan Sponsor, November 24, 2008 Rebecca Moore on new NIRS analysis of public pension investment data that indicates that public plans exhibit prudent investment behavior even during volatile market conditions. Report co-author Dr. Jeffrey Wenger remarked, “The results underscore that public pensions are suitable for plan participants when debt and equity markets are tranquil or […]
In the News • November 24, 2008
Pensions & Investment, November 24, 2008 Barry Burr reports that public pension plans are better positioned than other institutions to recover from the worldwide financial market collapse because they rebalance regularly, follow leading peer funds, and keep their long-term strategic asset allocation. This is according to Christian E. Weller, associate professor of public policy at […]
In the News • November 24, 2008
On Nov. 24, 2008, Global Pensions reports on NIRS new report, which finds that that US public pension plans exhibit prudent investment behaviour in bear and bull markets. These institutional investors don’t get caught up in a “herd mentality” — even during turbulent times. A report by NIRS revealed that despite market uncertainty, institutional investors had largely […]
In the News • October 31, 2008
Plan Advisor, October 31, 2008 Rebecca Moore freezing a defined benefit pension plan might not reduce costs. A NIRS research brief says freezing the DB plan in favor of a defined contribution plan could involve increased costs, reduced benefits, or a combination of both. “Look Before You Leap: The Unintended Consequences of Pension Freezes,” specifically […]