June 2026

US. Investment Returns Outweigh Small Liability Jump for Pension Finances

Surging investment returns outpaced slow-growing liabilities in May, bringing the funded status of the 100 largest U.S. corporate defined benefit pension funds to 109.6%—the highest ratio recorded since the 109.9% mark observed in July 2001—according to Milliman’s Pension Funding Index. Thanks to last month’s robust 2.22% investment return, more than quadruple Milliman’s expected rate of 0.53%, the market value of Milliman 100 plan assets grew $22 billion during May. The projected pension liability for Milliman 100 plans increased by $4 billion over...

US. NYC comptroller launches search for new pension fund asset managers

New York City Comptroller Mark Levine announced Friday that the city’s pension funds would undertake a search for new asset managers to provide passive indexing of public equity stocks for the city’s five public pensions systems. Levine and the city’s pension funds said the search specifically includes seeking indexes that are weighted by market capitalization, alternatively weighted or those based on ESG factors and limits on carbon, so long as they are consistent with each pension system’s investment guidelines, according...

US. Federal Rescue Stabilizes Pension Benefits for 1.8 Million Workers

A new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report on multiemployer pension plans lands at a tense moment: a $77.9 billion federal rescue program enacted under the Biden administration has stabilized the retirement benefits of 1.8 million workers, but unresolved questions about improper payments, structural vulnerabilities, and the long-term health of hundreds of plans are now up to a Republican Congress and a Trump administration with a very different view of federal intervention in private sector pensions. More than 11 million workers...

LGBTQ+ Labor Market Outcomes

By Travis Campbell & Yana Van Der Meulen Rodgers The emerging field of LGBTQ+ economics has convincingly demonstrated that LGBTQ+ individuals face distinct labor market disparities. This chapter provides an overview of their unfavorable labor market outcomes and then focuses on several specific issues for transgender workers. Previous studies show that gender-affirming care can improve mental health, whereas conversion therapy, which denies an individual's gender identity, damages mental health. An unexplored question is whether these mental health effects extend to...

A $600 Billion Experiment Kicks Off at the Biggest US Pension Fund

Stephen Gilmore’s 40-year tour of global finance has given him a front-row seat to the Russian debt crisis, the bailout of a financial giant and the rise of sovereign wealth funds. It’s also taken him to a war zone. As the International Monetary Fund’s representative in Tajikistan in the 1990s, Gilmore hunkered down in his office for three days as a militia advanced on the capital city of Dushanbe. Now he has what many consider the hardest job in investing....

US. How Saving More and Starting Early Can Significantly Improve Retirement Happiness

Many retirees regret not saving enough or starting sooner, since both can shape their financial security and happiness later. Even small amounts saved early can grow significantly over time, thanks to the power of compounding interest. With longer lifespans and fewer pensions, saving more now can give you more room to enjoy retirement—not just cover the basics.Retirement has changed due to longer life spans, shrinking pensions, and rising health care costs. What was once a quiet chapter in...

US. As retiree pensions shrank, Colorado PERA paid its staff millions of dollars in bonuses

In 2022, the Colorado state pension fund had its worst year since the Great Recession, losing $9.8 billion. The losses were so large, they set the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association’s finances back for years, digging a hole that the pension is only now starting to climb out of. But in the aftermath, PERA’s investment managers took home some of their largest bonuses ever. On average, PERA’s investment staff more than doubled their take-home pay, earning bonuses of $299,000 — the equivalent...

US. This is the most underrated retirement savings move you should know about, says the head of Citizens Wealth Management

Americans are becoming less sure about their ability to retire well. Indeed, workers’ confidence in having enough money to live comfortably in retirement fell 6 percentage points from 2025 to 61%, according to a 2026 survey by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. For some, that might mean a trip to a financial adviser to solidify plans (you can find an adviser at CFP Board, NAPFA or through this free tool that matches you to fiduciary advisers, from our ad partner SmartAsset)....

Rising costs push US retirement target to $1.46 million

Survey shows retirement target jumps to $1.46 million A Northwestern Mutual survey found that Americans now believe they need $1.46 million to retire comfortably, a $200,000 increase from 2025 and matching the record high seen in 2024. The findings revealed that 46% do not expect to be financially prepared, while 48% think it’s likely they will outlive their savings. Persistent cost-of-living pressures, especially in housing, healthcare, and energy, are driving these higher expectations. Retirement comfort varies by wealth tier • Poor retirees often...

US. Are you financially fulfilled? If not, your retirement plans are in danger.

Only 16% of Americans say they're financially comfortable, a new poll found Current money stressors can have a damaging impact on future financial stability in retirement. Present-day financial stress can have long-lasting implications on a person's future retirement - putting millions of Americans with money worries at risk. Almost a third of U.S. adults experience "consistent financial stress," according to a new Edward Jones and Gallup Money and Meaning poll released this week. Those consistent financial stressors include "straining to meet obligations,...