Defined Benefit

The official blog of the National Public Pension Coalition

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  • This Week in Pensions: June 15, 2018

    Welcome to the latest edition of This Week in Pensions! As we do most weeks, we have gathered the best stories about pensions and retirement security from the previous week. This is the news you need to know in the…

  • The “Pension Crisis” is a Myth, Part Eight
    pension crisis is a myth

    Since the Great Recession in 2008, warnings of an impending pension crisis have been splashed across the business pages of newspapers across the country. Despite these boisterous decrees, America’s public pension funds are stable. We explore the roots behind the…

  • This Week in Pensions: June 8, 2018

    Welcome to the latest edition of This Week in Pensions! As we do most weeks, we have gathered the best stories about pensions and retirement security from the previous week. This is the news you need to know in the…

  • What does the increasing gap in retirement ages mean for pensions?
    retirement age public pensions

    Retirement inequality is increasing in the United States and the age of retirement is one dimension of that inequality. While the overall average retirement age for Americans is increasing, that increase is not even across socio-economic status. Less educated workers…

  • Don’t Trust the Reason Foundation on Public Pensions
    Retirement Security Initiative

    Despite its name, the Reason Foundation cannot be trusted to provide accurate information regarding public pensions. This so-called “think tank” promotes a radical anti-government agenda that is openly hostile to public employees and their retirement security. They have also accepted…

  • Public Pensions Generate Tax Revenue for States
    U.S. without pensions

    Despite what you may think, public pension plans generated more than $277 billion in state and local tax revenues in 2016. That is the groundbreaking finding of a new report from the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS).…

  • This Week in Pensions: May 25, 2018

    Welcome to the latest edition of This Week in Pensions! As we do most weeks, we have gathered the best stories about pensions and retirement security from the previous week. This is the news you need to know in the…

  • Attacks on Pensions Promote Retirement Inequality
    Attacks on pensions promote retirement inequality

    Defined benefit pensions are the most secure form of retirement savings. This has been true for decades and is why cities and states have offered pensions to their public employees for more than a hundred years. Pensions also used to…

  • What is the California Rule and why does it matter?
    California rule protects pensions

    Last week we wrote about the various forms of legal protections that exist for public pensions in the United States. We noted that a majority of states (34) follow a contract rights approach to public pension benefits. One of the…

  • This Week in Pensions: May 18, 2018

    Welcome to the latest edition of This Week in Pensions! As we do most weeks, we have gathered the best stories about pensions and retirement security from the previous week. This is the news you need to know in the…

  • Colorado Makes Changes to Public Pensions
    Colorado-Pensions-NPPC

    Teachers, firefighters, and other public employees in Colorado are members of PERA, the Public Employees Retirement Association. This public pension plan covers most public employees in the state. It is also a Social Security substitute: most members of PERA do…

  • What are the legal protections for public pensions?
    California Rule

    Public pension plans are authorized by the municipal or state government that offers the plan to its public employees. This means there is a wide range of variation about the specifics of public pensions from state to state. With thousands…