NCPERS News Clips

April 10, 2012

News Clips for Aprl 10th, 2012

• Maryland boldly seeks return to full funding
  The system is more than 10 per cent below the average funded level of US public pension funds and both state politicians and the system's board have put in place programs that aim to have the system reach 80-per-cent funding by 2023.
• Legislature may take up pension reform sooner than expected
  (Ohio) Earlier this year, I shared that it was anticipated there would be no movement on pension reform legislation until after the November election. It now appears the Ohio Senate intends to move on this legislation before the conclusion of its spring session.
• Will state pension crisis be the tipping point?
  (Blog) The Supercommittee has come and gone without reaching an agreement on reducing our nation's debt.
• One sentence at core of pension reform debate
  State constitution offers guarantee, but Democrats and Republicans disagree on how far it extends
• Lawmakers hammering out 'hybrid' pension plan
  (Santa Rosa, CA) A two-house legislative committee is working with Gov. Brown's Department of Finance on a 'hybrid' retirement plan for new state and local government hires, a committee member told a forum here last week.
• Opposing view: Offer retirement security for all workers
  Social Security benefits average just $1,200 a month, leading many workers to rely on employer-sponsored plans such as 401(k)s to maintain their standard of living when they retire. Yet, these plans come with high fees and a complicated array of investment options, not to mention painful losses when markets decline.
•  Editorial: Publicly run pensions invite trouble
  If worrying about government debt, the sluggish economy and high gas prices weren't enough, consider this: America is facing a retirement crisis.