Funding Archives - Page 15 of 36 - Pension Policy International

09JunJune 9, 2023

A Complaint Template for Legal Challenges to the Validity of the Statutory ‘Debt Ceiling’

By Robert C. Hockett The Statutory ‘Debt Ceiling’ appearing at 31 USC 3101(b), rooted in the Second Liberty Bond Act of 1917 aimed at expanding Treasury financing options during the First World War, is not valid in any application that would occasion default on U.S. sovereign debt, other contractual obligations, or Social Security or Veterans’ pension obligations. There are at least seven mutually reinforcing legal grounds for so saying. These include preemption of such application of the Ceiling by the...

June 9, 2023

Articles, System Sustainability2023, Funding, Political economy, Public Pensions, Social Security, US

06JunJune 6, 2023

Funding ratios for U.S. corporate pension plans increase in May

U.S. corporate pension plans saw their funding ratios increase in May thanks to falling liability values offsetting asset losses due to negative non-U.S. equity returns during the month, according to three new reports. Wilshire Advisors estimated the aggregate funding ratio of U.S. corporate plans increased 0.8% percentage points to land at 99.8% as of May 31. Liability values declined further than asset values after U.S. Treasury yields rose, primarily due to debt ceiling negotiations and continuing anticipation regarding the Federal Reserve,...

June 6, 2023

NewsFunding, US

31MayMay 31, 2023

UK. Derisking well funded DB schemes may be an opportunity missed

Funding is reaching record levels and DB schemes are now in a position of strength. Current regulations compel schemes to target ultra low investment returns, but taking risk and therefore return out of DB pension investments may be going too far, representing a ‘missed opportunity’ to better invest £1.5 trillion of UK DB pension scheme assets. Steve Hodder, partner at LCP, said: “For 20-plus years, regulatory focus has been on ‘slowing down’ DB schemes through reducing investment risk. This was...

May 31, 2023

NewsDefined Benefit, Funding, Pension Management, Risk, UK

26MayMay 26, 2023

Pension Reform: Conceptual Foundations and Practical Challenges

By Seamus Duffy & Oliver Giesecke Underfunded pension are the largest liability for state and local governments across the United States. As a result of increasing recognition of the associated risks, recent statutory funding mandates led to a sharp increases in required contributions, threatening city services and employee bases. As funding pressure mounts, pension reforms offer a viable tool for prudent economic policy. We propose five general principles that guide pension reform considerations and discuss how these principle stand in...

May 26, 2023

Articles, System Sustainability2023, Defined Benefit, Funding, Pension Reform, US

24MayMay 24, 2023

EU. MEPs face 50% cut to luxury pensions, but public still set for hefty bill

The European Parliament is set to slash payouts from its controversial top-up pension fund by 50 per cent as part of measures aimed at eradicating a €300 million deficit and averting a looming bankruptcy. Despite beneficiaries now facing major cuts to their pension payments, around €86 million is still expected to be covered with public money. After years of procrastination and an ever-growing deficit, the European Parliament has finally taken the bull by the horns to address the impending bankruptcy of...

May 24, 2023

NewsEU, Funding, Sustainability

22MayMay 22, 2023

UK. Treasury to bear risk of unfunded legacy public sector schemes

A policy paper published on 15 May states that the cost control mechanism (CCM) for new public sector schemes will exclude those legacy schemes closed to new members. Following a review by the government actuary and a series of consultations, the government will now bear “full risk” of costs related to unfunded legacy schemes, which includes civil servants, teachers and NHS staff. The paper states: “The government believes this is the right approach to take in order to ensure the CCM...

May 22, 2023

NewsFunding, Risk, UK

19MayMay 19, 2023

But What If a Pension Fund is Overfunded?

By James Tatum Currently, the consensus is that if a pension fund is less than 100 percent funded, it is underfunded.1 In other words, if the pension fund does not presently have all the assets needed to pay liabilities in the future (and without consideration of future contributions to the pension fund), the pension fund and retiree benefits are theoretically imperiled. So, out of concern for “underfunded” pension funds, of which there are many, there have been innumerable research papers,...

May 19, 2023

Articles, Pension Management2023, Funding, US

19MayMay 19, 2023

UK. British Steel forges $3.4 billion buy-in to fully insure plan

British Steel Pension Scheme, Glasgow, Scotland, insured £2.7 billion ($3.4 billion) in liabilities through a buy-in with Legal & General Assurance Society, securing a buyout, according to a news release. The latest deal, which was the plan's fourth risk transfer deal since November 2021, covered the remaining 40% of liabilities and the benefits of all 67,000 plan participants. In 2017, the British Steel Pension Scheme was restructured after its plan sponsor, Tata Steel U.K., experienced financial difficulty. "Since the new scheme was...

May 19, 2023

NewsFunding, Pension Management, UK

12MayMay 12, 2023

“Milliman’s Pension Funding Index. May 2023”

By Milliman The funded status of the nation’s 100 largest corporate defined benefit pension plans decreased by $7 billion during April, as measured by the Milliman 100 Pension Funding Index (PFI). A decrease in the benchmark corporate bond interest rates used to value pension liabilities led to an increase in these liabilities of $10 billion for the month. As of April 30, the funded ratio fell to 99.5%, from 100.1% at the end of March. April saw the funding surplus...

May 12, 2023

Books, Books, Reports, System Characterization, System Sustainability2023, Funding, Occupational Pensions, US

08MayMay 8, 2023

US. Rising interest rates put corporate pension plans on end-game path

U.S. corporate pension plans are on average fully funded for the first time in 15 years, and plan executives are now in the unfamiliar position of being able to achieve the end state of their plans. The publicly traded U.S. companies with the 100 largest defined benefit plans can now boast an average funding ratio of 100.2% as of Dec. 31, according to Pensions & Investments' analysis of the latest 10-K filings. It is the first time the annual analysis has...

May 8, 2023

NewsFunding, Pension Management, US

June 2023

May 2023