The brief’s key findings are: Under traditional accounting rules, the aggregate funded ratio for state and local pension plans in 2017 was 72 percent, largely unchanged from …
Jean-Pierre Aubry
January 29, 2019
October 30, 2018
Issue Brief
Stability in Overall Pension Plan Funding Masks a Growing Divide
by Jean-Pierre Aubry, Caroline V. Crawford and Kevin Wandrei
August 8, 2018
Issue Brief
How Do Fees Affect Plans’ Ability to Beat Their Benchmarks?
by Jean-Pierre Aubry and Caroline V. Crawford
The brief’s key findings are: One way that public pension plans assess their investment performance is to compare returns by asset class to selected benchmarks. …
July 18, 2018
Issue Brief
What Explains Differences in Public Pension Returns Since 2001?
by Jean-Pierre Aubry, Anqi Chen, Alicia H. Munnell and Kevin Wandrei
April 17, 2018
Issue Brief
How Have Pension Cuts Affected Public Sector Competitiveness?
by Laura Quinby, Geoffrey T. Sanzenbacher and Jean-Pierre Aubry
The brief’s key findings are: To improve the funded status of state and local pensions, many plan sponsors have cut benefits, particularly for new hires. …
December 21, 2017
Issue Brief
The Funded Status of Local Pensions Inches Closer to States
by Jean-Pierre Aubry, Caroline V. Crawford and Alicia H. Munnell
The brief’s key findings are: Since 2001, the aggregate funded status of local pension plans has lagged behind that of state plans, but the gap …
October 24, 2017
Issue Brief
How Have Municipal Bond Markets Reacted to Pension Reform?
by Jean-Pierre Aubry, Caroline V. Crawford and Alicia H. Munnell
The brief’s key findings are: Bond rating agencies have begun accounting for public pension funding and have cited pensions in several downgrades. As a result, …
August 1, 2017
Issue Brief
State and Local Pension Plans Funding Sputters in FY 2016
by Jean-Pierre Aubry, Caroline V. Crawford and Alicia H. Munnell
The brief’s key findings are: In 2016, the funded ratio of state and local pensions declined under both old and new accounting rules. This decline reflected steady …
July 5, 2017
Issue Brief
A First Look at Alternative Investments and Public Pensions
by Jean-Pierre Aubry, Anqi Chen and Alicia H. Munnell
The brief’s key findings are: Public pension plans have boosted their holdings in alternative assets, defined as private equity, hedge funds, real estate, and commodities. This shift …
January 3, 2017
Issue Brief
State and Local Pension Reform Since the Financial Crisis
by Jean-Pierre Aubry and Caroline V. Crawford
The brief’s key findings are: Since the financial crisis, 74 percent of state plans and 57 percent of large local plans have cut benefits or …