Public pensions are increasingly being politicized and used as a means to affect social or political change. These actions act directly against the fiduciary responsibility that fund managers have to their plan beneficiaries. One of the most common tools used in these cases is divestment, or stripping plans of investments deemed to be against a […]
Resources
IPFI Issue Brief: Proxy Voting and Public Pensions
For decades, proxy voting has been a pillar of capital markets, ensuring that shareholders have their voice heard through elected representatives. However, this process is under threat as shareholder influence has been consolidated by institutional investors and other organizations that now own between 70% and 85% of the ten largest American companies. Wielding tremendous market […]
ESG Investing For Public Pensions: Does it Add Financial Value?
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing is growing in popularity in both the private and public sectors. The Institute for Pension Fund Integrity (IPFI), which focuses on fighting for fiduciary responsibility in public pension funds, believes that it is important to investigate the merits and potential scope of ESG investment, particularly when it comes to […]
Chicago and Cook County Fact Sheet
This document provides a high-level, side-by-side comparison of the four pension funds paid into by the City of Chicago and the two pension funds paid into by Cook County, Illinois. Data is chiefly drawn from the actuarial valuation reports issued for each fund as of December 31, 2016. Across the country, public pensions have been […]
IPFI: Our Mission
Advocating to take politics out of pensions, IPFI fights for the security of retirement accounts across the United States. Want more information on what politics in pensions means for your retirement? Click on this link to see exactly what we stand for at the Institute for Pension Fund Integrity.
New York City RFI Response
The Institute for Pension Fund Integrity (IPFI), a non-profit organization which seeks to ensure that state and local leaders are held responsible for their choices in public pension investment, responded today to the New York City Comptroller’s request for information (RFI) regarding how to divest city pensions from energy company holdings. See IPFI’s response to […]
Yankee Institute: Public Pension Plan Crisis Research Database
Bill Seeks to Lower Teacher Pension Contribution Part of the bipartisan budget passed in November included raising teachers’ contribution toward their pensions from 6 to 7 percent, but a bill passed out of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee would roll that contribution back. View the database: Yankee Institute: Public Pension Plan Crisis Research Database
Fiduciary Responsibility
As Baby Boomers retire daily and the American population continues to age, one thing becomes clear: public pensions are poorly underfunded. States and cities are facing an impending funding crisis that will burden future generations and taxpayers for years to come. Beyond this, pension fund fiduciaries are increasingly pressured by outside stakeholders to manage the […]
Manhattan Institute: The Public Pension Problem: It’s Much Worse than It Appears
Taxpayer-funded contributions to government pensions can make up one the largest single elements in a local budget. Manhattan Institute scholars have consistently pushed for governments to reform their pension system and thus avoid the necessity of cutting public services.
ALEC: Unaccountable and Unaffordable: Unfunded Public Pension Liabilities Exceed $6 Trillion
Absent significant reforms, unfunded liabilities of state-administered pension plans will continue to grow and threaten the financial security of state retirees and taxpayers alike. The fiscal calamity could be far deeper and prolonged than the Great Recession.