August 2026

U.S. Social Security funding crisis sharpens as insolvency risk nears

As reported by Financial Times, the U.S. social security system is approaching a critical funding point as lawmakers weigh politically difficult changes to avoid automatic benefit cuts. The article says a bipartisan path remains possible, with proposals centred on higher revenue, lower payouts and changes to investment strategy. One option is to raise or remove the payroll tax cap, under which income above $184,500 is exempt from social security tax. Support for lifting the cap exists across party lines in...

State of Pensions 2026: 7th Annual Edition

By Equable Institute State of Pensions is Equable Institute’s annual report on the status of statewide public pension systems, put into a historic context. Governments face a wide range of challenges in general – and some of the largest are growing, and often unpredictable, pension costs. State of Pensions analyzes trends in public pension funding, investments, contributions, cash flows, and benefits for 253 of the largest statewide and municipal retirement systems in all 50 states to illuminate the scale and...

US. Large pension funds oppose SEC climate rule rescission

Several large public pension funds filed comments opposing the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) proposal to rescind its 2024 climate-risk disclosure rule. They wrote that eliminating standardized greenhouse gas emissions reporting would increase costs for investors and reduce the quality of information available for investment decisions. The SEC proposed rescinding the rule on May 29, 2026, and the public comment period ended on Aug. 3. SEC Chair Paul Atkins said the rule was "a dramatic overreach of the Commission's statutory...

Retirement Planning for Couples​​ Without Children

Key Takeaways for Couples Without Children Planning Retirement Consider a flexible withdrawal strategy. Align your portfolio with your goals. Make a long-term-care and estate plan. Plan ahead for aging in place. Consider working with a financial advisor. Valentina Djeljosevic: Hi, I’m Valentina Djeljosevic with Morningstar. Welcome to Retirement Planning for Real Life. In today’s episode, we’ll talk about couples who don’t have children, and how they might plan for retirement differently. Christine Benz will tell us about the key issues to keep in mind, like long-term care, estate planning, and...

US pensions are better funded on average but high exposure to AI a concern

The Equable Institute’s 2026 survey of the 253 US state and local pension plans shows that their funded ratio has reached 85%, the best since hitting bottom during the 2008 global financial crisis.Their average return on investment was 9.4%, higher than the average target of 6.9%. Set against this strong performance, however, is the US$1.37 trillion in outstanding liabilities, higher than the institute’s $1.27 trillion prediction in January. The figure is “just $210 billion better than 2009’s $1.34 trillion gap...

US. Are Recession Fears Affecting Retirement Saving Approaches?

Are concerns about whether there will be a recession are arising among three quarters of non-retired investors affecting the approach some take to retirement saving and investing? A new study suggests that they are. In fact, the Nationwide Retirement Institute study found that more than three quarters (77%) of non-retired investors are concerned about a U.S. recession over the next 12 months. However, it also shows a shift from caution to action, as 1 in 3 (33%) non-retired investors say...

July 2026

US. Pension giants warn SEC climate rule rescission will cost investors

The SEC announced its rescission proposal in May, saying the rules exceed the scope of its statutory authority and are “unnecessary and inconsistent” with a registrant-specific, materiality-based approach to disclosure. In the proposal document, the US financial regulator also said it expects the market-driven flow of information to continue following a rescission of the rules. Several major pension funds have submitted responses in recent days, including US heavyweights CalPERs, and the New York City and Maryland comptrollers, as well as Sweden’s...

U.S. pension risk transfer costs decrease slightly in June: report

U.S. pension plan sponsors’ derisking costs decreased from 99.7 per cent to 99.6 per cent of accounting liabilities in June, according to a new report by Milliman Inc. It found the average annuity purchase cost across all insurers increased from 102.5 per cent to 102.6 per cent during the month. As of June 30, the competitive bidding process was estimated to save plan sponsors about three per cent on pension risk transfer buyout costs. “Competitive buyout costs remained below 100 per...

US. Policy Uncertainty Is Muddling Retirement Planning – and Advisors Are Just as Confused

Planning for retirement has always been hard, but when government policy is unpredictable, it makes it even more challenging. For example, changes to Social Security and Medicare can put basic security at risk; changes to the tax system can scramble a household’s finances; and ballooning government debt can increase interest rates and slow the economy. A 2025 survey conducted by Greenwald Research of 1,443 individuals ages 45-79 with over $100,000 in investable assets revealed that older Americans were keenly aware...

US. Only 14% of Gen X Has a Pension. For a 53-Year-Old Riding an AI-Heavy S&P 500, Social Security Is the Only Floor Left.

Only 14% of Gen X has a pension, and roughly 40 to 50% of the S&P 500 is tied to AI-themed stocks, leaving Social Security as the only guaranteed income floor. Delaying Social Security from 62 to 70 raises a monthly benefit from roughly $1,680 to $2,976, and that inflation-adjusted gap compounds across a 25-year retirement. The Social Security trust fund is projected to exhaust reserves in 2032, potentially cutting payouts to 78% of scheduled benefits right as...