Kirsten Schmitz's blog

  • If Pensions Can Push Teachers Out, Can Pension Reform Pull Them Back In?

    October 17, 2016
    Kirsten Schmitz
    We know that traditional pension plans can push veteran teachers out of the classroom. But could pension reform draw them back in?
    Pension Politics
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  • Breaking Down Kansas' New Retirement Plan for Teachers

    October 4, 2016
    Kirsten Schmitz
    It was May of 2012 and, like many others, Kansas’ state-based teacher retirement plan was in trouble. As a response, legislators voted in a new retirement option, called a cash balance plan. We take a look at what the plan offers, and how it's worked out after its 2015 implementation.
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  • Updated: Teacher Benefits Continue to Drain District Budgets

    September 21, 2016
    Kirsten Schmitz
    The Census Bureau’s annual Public Education Finances compiles total education spending and revenue across the entire country. The latest data, released earlier this summer, shows teacher benefits continue to eat away at school budgets.
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  • Pension Plan Change: Turbulent but Necessary

    September 8, 2016
    Kirsten Schmitz
    Change isn’t easy, and the large-scale shift from defined benefit pension plans to 401k-style plans has had its bumps and missteps. A new report from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College (CRR) helps document how that transition is going.
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  • NerdWallet's Arielle O'Shea Talks Teacher Retirement, Millennial Savings, and Home Improvement

    August 11, 2016
    Kirsten Schmitz
    While nearly all of us could benefit from a brush-up on retirement saving practices, teacher-specific advice is hard to come by. To better understand how best to tackle the unique challenges educators face, I connected with NerdWallet's Arielle O'Shea.
    Mobility and Portability
    Retirement Insecurity
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