Resources

  • Are Cash Balance Plans the Answer?

    Nebraska presents what could be a model for public sector pension reform, the so-called “cash balance” plan that offers some of the better aspects of both traditional defined benefit pensions and the defined contribution, 401(k)-type plans that dominate in the private sector.
    Read more

  • Employee Benefits and Their Relationship to School Levy Referenda

    This study found that employee benefits as a percentage of the district's budget were negatively associated with levy outcomes, while salaries were positively associated with levy outcomes, suggesting that voters may be more sensitive to retirement and healthcare benefits than salaries when voting.
    Read more

  • The “California Rule” and Its Impact on Public Pension Reform

    Many states are actively considering how best to address the problem of state and local pension plan underfunding. In many states, however, courts have held that the statutes establishing state retirement systems created contracts between the state and employees that prohibit the state from making any detrimental changes to the benefits provided to current employees within such systems, even on a prospective basis.
    Read more

  • The Legal Framework for Public Pensions

    There is significant interest in reforming retirement plans for public school employees, particularly in light of current market conditions. This paper presents an overview of the various types of state regulation of public pension plans that affect possibilities for reform.
    Read more

  • Retirement Security Across Generations

    This report tracks the wealth of age cohorts over the last two decades to assess the Great Recession's impact on each group’s financial security. The downturn heightened concerns about retirement planning—or lack of planning—by younger generations. Many younger Americans were already behind in saving for retirement, and suddenly millions of them were out of work or owned homes worth far less than they had been just a few years earlier.
    Read more