In the interest of promoting the highest standards of research in the area of retirement security, the National Institute on Retirement Security routinely reviews emerging work in the field. Below are research reports that recently have been Fact Checked by NIRS.

American Legislative Exchange Council Report, January 2010

An ALEC report on state pension funds contains serious factual errors and omits relevant contextual information.  It reaches inaccurate and alarmist conclusions.  It's primary recommendation misses the mark and would ultimately be a waste of taxpayer dollars.  NIRS Fact Check highlights the most serious misstatements in the report and provides research citations that set the record straight.  

Read the full Fact Check in PDF here.  ALEC Fact Check

National Council on Teacher Quality 2008 State Teacher Policy Yearbook, January 29, 2009

One of the pressing policy priorities of our time is recruiting and retaining qualified educators to teach our nation’s children.  Traditional pensions have been proven highly effective at this task – that is, transforming new teachers into veteran teachers.  The National Council on Teacher Quality’s State Teacher Policy Yearbook identifies a laudable goal – to identify ways to retain effective teachers.  However, their recommendations in the area of retirement plans are out-of-step with established research findings and the consensus of expert opinion.  This is particularly true of the NCTQ’s embrace of defined contribution (DC) plans and condemnation of defined benefit (DB) plans. 

Read the full Fact Check in PDF here.  NCTQ Fact Check

DPS Employee Compensation: The Role of Pension Benefits, March 31, 2008

The Donnell-Kay and Piton Foundations released a report on the Denver Public Schools Retirement System. NIRS review uncovered a number of factual errors. Error # 1: “Pension plans such as DPS’ only work because - like Social Security - younger workers are paying for the pension benefits of retiring workers.” This statement is incorrect.

Read the full  Fact Check in PDF here.  DPS Fact Check

Peaks, Cliffs and Valleys: The Peculiar Incentives of Teacher Pensions, December 4, 2007

Given the importance of education to our society, economy, and democracy, the question of how best to recruit, retain, and retire our nation’s teaching workforce is one of our most important public policy discussions. Research tells us that one of the most effective retention tools available to employers seeking an engaged and productive workforce is the defined benefit (DB) pension plan.

Read the full Fact Check in PDF here.  Peaks Fact Check