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In a Forbes column, NIRS Executive Director Dan Doonan writes time is on the side of those who save early, and this is just as true for Congress and Social Security as it is for an office worker putting savings into their 401(k). The options for strengthening Social Security’s finances only become more expensive the […]

In a Forbes column, NIRS Executive Director Dan Doonan writes financial stress is particularly high among public service workers, which shouldn’t be surprising given that government wage growth lags behind the private sector. In fact, a new report from MissionSquare Research Institute found that a whopping 88 percent of public service employees expressed concern about their personal finances and financial […]

In a Forbes column, NIRS Executive Director Dan Doonan writes that demonstrated way to keep teachers over their careers is to offer them a defined benefit (DB) pension. While there is a high degree of churn in the early years, as new teachers decide whether education is the right career for them, once teachers stay […]

In a Forbes column, NIRS Executive Director Dan Doonan writes that state leaders have learned the hard way that ending pension benefits comes with little to be gained and a big price to pay. More specifically, states that shifted new employees from defined benefit pensions to defined contribution or cash balance plans experienced increased costs […]

In a Forbes column, NIRS Executive Director Dan Doonan writes Corporate retirement plan sponsors reevaluating their benefit packages have a variety of retirement products available to them, including defined benefit pension plans. In fact, some companies may already have an existing “frozen” or closed pension plan on their balance sheet. In fact, a JP Morgan […]

In a Forbes column, NIRS Executive Director Dan Doonan writes that one segment of the workforce has been on stable ground when it comes to retirement: the state and local government workforce. Today, the vast majority of state and local workers have a defined benefit (DB) pension, and nearly three-fourths of public employees participate in […]

In a Forbes column, NIRS Executive Director Dan Doonan interview veteran financial journalist Mark Miller about his new book, Retirement Reboot: Commonsense Financial Strategies for Getting Back on Track . The book serves as a guide for the millions of Americans who just aren’t financially prepared for retirement. He offers insight on how to make […]

In a Forbes column, NIRS Executive Director Dan Doonan writes that during the unprecedented COVID-19 global health and economic crisis, pension funds remained a stable and reliable source of income for retirees. More specifically, pension plans paid out $612.6 billion in retirement income to nearly 25 million public and private sector retirees in communities across […]

In a Forbes column, Dan Doonan writes that despite economic challenges, public pension plans in the U.S. have remained resilient. In fact, many plans remain at their highest funded levels in years, even with more conservative investment return assumptions. The strength and resiliency of these retirement plans can be attributed, at least in part, to […]

Public pension benefits provide a vital source of retirement security to the retired public employees who earned them during their years of public service. But the impact of public pension benefits goes beyond the retirees, spouses, and other beneficiaries of these plans. These benefit dollars also play a critical role in supporting local economies, especially […]