Tag: Cheiron

Marin pension board takes conservative approach on big gains

Mary Pat Campbell

Link:https://www.marinij.com/2022/01/16/marin-pension-board-takes-conservative-approach-on-big-gains/

Excerpt:

Despite a 32% investment return in the last fiscal year, Marin County’s public pension fund is playing it safe.

The board of the Marin County Employees’ Retirement Association decided to factor in the extraordinary gain over four years rather than immediately when assigning annual employer contributions.

The association includes Marin County and eight other public entities. Its net investment return was $829.8 million for the fiscal year that ended June 30.

….

Last year, when the association’s board voted to cut the fund’s assumed annual rate of return from 7% to 6.75%, Block advocated reducing it to 6%. At that time, the association also lowered its assumed annual rate of inflation from 2.75% to 2.5%.

The Cheiron actuaries, however, said the association’s assumptions regarding inflation and the annual rate of return remain valid.

Author(s): Richard Halstead

Publication Date: 16 Jan 2022

Publication Site: Marin Indepedent

New Research Offers Comprehensive Guide on Public Sector Hybrid Retirement Plans

Mary Pat Campbell
New Research Offers Comprehensive Guide on Public Sector Hybrid Retirement Plans

Full report link: https://www.nirsonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Hybrid-Handbook-F8.pdf

Graphic:

Excerpt:

A new report provides a comprehensive  overview of the many aspects of public sector hybrid retirement plan designs. The report finds that some shifts to hybrid designs were made without a proper evaluation of the long-term implications of the plan changes. In contrast, other hybrids are well-thought-out and more likely to provide retirement security to employees, enabling public employers to recruit and retain a qualified workforce.

…..

A hybrid is not one particular plan design, but instead is an umbrella term capturing a wide range of different plan designs. Some hybrids are defined benefit (DB) pensions with risk-sharing provisions, while others blend attributes of DB and defined contribution (DC) plans. Each of these plan designs offers tradeoffs in terms of retirement benefits, risks, and costs.

Author(s): Dan Doonan, Elizabeth Wiley

Publication Date: 10 May 2021

Publication Site: National Institute on Retirement Security

ARPA and Pension Plans: A Closer Look

Mary Pat Campbell

Link: https://www.asppa-net.org/news/arpa-and-pension-plans-closer-look

Excerpt:

Contribution Requirements. Callan expects that higher discount rates and longer periods for shortfall amortization probably will reduce pension plan sponsors’ contribution requirements. Further, they expect that effect to be greatest for plans with smaller normal costs and/or larger funding shortfalls.  
Callan continues that if smoothing is ever fully phased out, they anticipate contribution requirements would increase as discount rates “finally decline from historical highs to match market conditions,” but they also add that the longer amortization period “does provide a permanent reduction in annual cash requirements.”

The changes to the minimum funding requirements, Cheiron says, will result in lower minimum funding requirements. They will not affect segment rates used for other purposes such as calculation of lump sum benefits and the maximum deductible limit. 

Author(s): John Iekel

Publication Date: 29 March 2021

Publication Site: ASPPA