With environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing on the rise and calls for public pensions to divest from fossil fuels, private prisons, gun manufacturers, and others, IPFI compiled the latest research to determine the efficacy of ESG investing for public pensions. Public pensions across the country are facing almost $6 trillion in unfunded liabilities. Any […]
COMMENTARY: State Pension Funds Shouldn’t be Captive to Politics
This op-ed originally appeared in The Buffalo News on June 09, 2019. The politicization of pensions continues plaguing our state. In a misguided effort to fight climate change, State Sen. Liz Krueger introduced Senate bill 2126, the Fossil Fuel Divestment Act, earlier this year. This prompted an open letter from New York Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, urging Krueger to reconsider […]
Public Pension Performance: Comparing Pension Investments to Passive Index Portfolios
With many states facing tough budgetary decisions, in part because pensions are requiring greater contributions, the Institute for Pension Fund Integrity decided to compare pensions through another metric besides the funding ratio. How well a pension is funded is important for determining the overall health of the system, but if the investments are not performing […]
Opinion/Letter: Divestment vote was doubly wrong – Christopher Burnham in the Charlottesville Daily Progress
This letter to the Editor originally appeared in the Charlottesville The Daily Progress on August 13, 2019 Charlottesville voted to divest from fossil fuels and national defense companies. The City Council of Charlottesville seeks to disassociate itself from companies that fuel our cars, heat our schools and businesses, or support our armed forces. As a Virginian and […]
PRESS RELEASE: California Treasurer Inserts Politics Into the Management of Teacher Retirement Fund
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 12, 2019 California Treasurer Inserts Politics Into the Management of Teacher Retirement Fund The Institute for Pension Fund Integrity urges California Treasurer Fiona Ma to prioritize her fiduciary duty instead of politics to optimize state investments. Arlington, VA – Yesterday, California Treasurer Fiona Ma, CPA, decided that supporting a political stunt […]
Opinion/Letter: NY pensions deserve protection – Richard Brower in New York Daily News
This Letter to the Editor originally appeared in New York Daily News on September 21, 2019. Rockville Centre, L.I.: Re “Don’t be fuelish, Tom,” (Sept. 2): New York’s retirees served the state all of their lives. As a former vice chairman of the FDNY Pension Fund and advisory board member for the Institute for Pension Fund […]
Bucking the Trend to Rescue New Jersey’s Pension
As three of New York City’s five pension funds move to divest from fossil fuels, one state government in the neighborhood is bucking the trend to move away from corporations operating in the carbon-based fuel industry. Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey has warned against the impulse to sever ties completely with industries or companies […]