State pension fund recovery stalled

Pension

Actuaries reported in October that the PERS funding percentage — the share of future obligations covered by current assets — ticked down to 60.4 percent from 61 percent the year before.

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The Pension Sink Is Gulping Billions in Tax Raises

Pensions

Remember that ‘temporary’ tax hike for California schools? Most is now going to public worker retirements. By STEVE MALANGA | www.wsj.com | January 13, 2015 California Gov. Jerry Brown sold a $6 billion tax increase to voters in 2012 by promising that nearly half of the money would go to bolster public schools. Critics argued that much…

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States In Danger As Pension Underfunding Of $4.7 Trillion Threatens Their Fiscal Health

Pensions

“This spells trouble for the millions of baby boomers who are quickly approaching retirement age and expect to collect the pensions promised to them by government officials,” IBD Editorials | Posted 11/19/2014 | news.investors.com State Finances: Voters in the midterm elections gave Republicans control of 31 governorships and 23 state legislatures, the most since 1929. A big reason…

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Mississippi’s pension system improves, but unfunded liability still tops $14 billion

Iron Man

Thanks to some improved returns on its investments, the Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi is in better shape, according to the newest financial report, but the news isn’t all rosy. By Steve Wilson  /   October 31, 2014  / www.watchdog.org / Mississippi Watchdog Photo : IRON MONEY: One of Mississippi’s pension system’s investments in 2013…

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Mississippi pension fund heads for final ‘Jeopardy’

The state’s unfunded liability with PERS as a percentage of the state’s gross domestic product was third worst behind New Mexico and Illinois, according to the study by Robert Sarvis. By Steve Wilson | Mississippi Watchdog |  July 21, 2014 We’ll take pension reform for a thousand. Make no mistake, Mississippi is playing “Jeopardy” with its…

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Public pension systems in Alabama and Mississippi face financial peril

RSA Tower

A new report on Alabama’s public pension system offers some startling facts on the system’s woes, but offers a prescription for reform that could be a blueprint for Mississippi’s system. A new report on Alabama’s public pension system offers some startling facts on the system’s woes, but offers a prescription for reform that could be a blueprint for Mississippi’s…

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Public Pensions: "Tremendous Risk"?

How much riskier are public pensions for taxpayers and government budgets these days? According to a Wall Street Journal opinion piece by American Enterprise Institute scholar Andrew G. Biggs, public pensions pose about a 10 times greater risk than they did in 1975. How much riskier are public pensions for taxpayers and government budgets these…

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The Pension Debate Continues

Steve Kreisberg, a union representative for AFSCME, and Andrew G. Biggs, a scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, discuss public pension issues on “Newshour” in relation to the Detroit bankruptcy and Illinois vote to cut pension benefits. Public pensions are contractual obligations to pay employees retirement benefits as partial compensation for their work. Biggs says…

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Do Public Pensions Bet Against the Odds and Let Politicians off the Hook?

What’s one reason for the nation’s public pension crisis? It may have to do with placing false hopes on risky investments and making pensions look better off than they really are. What’s one reason for the nation’s public pension crisis? It may have to do with placing false hopes in risky investments and making pensions…

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