Toolkit Resources – Public Pensions-General

Issue Brief: State & Local Government Spending – A NASRA brief finds pension costs for state and local governments are roughly three percent of total spending.

Lessons from Well-Funded Public Pensions: An Analysis of Plans That Weathered the Financial Storm – A June 2011 study of six plans (including NYSTRS) that successfully weathered recent market downturns. The report identifies six key features of sustainable and affordable pension plans.

Public Pensions and NYSTRS: The Real Deal – A National Institute on Retirement Security presentation outlining the economic impact of public pension plans.

Pension Dialog –A collaborative effort of the National Council on Teacher Retirement and the National Association of State Retirement Administrators offering public pension facts; examinations of relevant reports, studies, and media stories; and, information on proposed policies and legislative actions.

The PEW Center on the States' Pension Grades – This page from a February 2010 Pew Center report labels New York a "solid performer" in pension funding. Read the full copy of the report titled "The Trillion Dollar Gap."

The 3 R's of Teacher Pension Plans: Recruitment, Retention and Retirement – A NIRS study analyzing the effectiveness of defined benefit (DB) pensions on teacher retention and productivity finds that pensions play a critical role in recruiting and retaining productive teachers.

Issue Brief: Public Pension Plan Investment Returns – A NASRA brief containing median investment returns for periods ended 6/30/11 and the latest distribution of investment return assumptions for plans in the Public Fund Survey.

Challenging Faulty Pension Analysis – Scrutiny of assumptions used and conclusions drawn in a spring 2011 report critical of public pension plans.

Defending Public Pensions – A transcript from an ABC News item that aired June 29, 2011.

Addressing Media Misconceptions About Public-Sector Pensions – An article from the February 2011 edition of Government Finance Review pointing out and filling in gaps in the reporting of public pensions.

Transparency and Funding of Pension Plans – Comments from several state and local organizations regarding proposed changes to state and local pension plan reporting. (Issued May 2011) Also see Statement Opposing Federal Legislation.

Issue Brief: Investment Gains, Legislative Changes Speed Recovery – A NASRA/NCTR brief demonstrating public pension plans are recovering as expected. (Issued April 2011)

Facts on State and Local Government Pensions – A consortium of organizations rebut claims made by those who oppose the current pension structure.

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