Has COVID Affected Pensions for Workers without Social Security?

Link:https://crr.bc.edu/briefs/has-covid-affected-pensions-for-workers-without-social-security/

PDF: https://crr.bc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/SLP81.pdf

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At the outset of the pandemic recession, many feared it would undermine workers’ employer-sponsored retirement plans.

State and local employees who are not covered by Social Security would have been particularly vulnerable, as they lack the buffer this program offers.

Their employer defined benefit plans would have been hurt by a long recession with poor investment returns and reduced contributions due to tax shortfalls.

Instead, these plans exceeded their return targets; tax revenues held up; and government sponsors got stimulus aid, so plan funded ratios actually improved.

And long-term structural headwinds such as negative cash flows and aggressive return targets still pose little risk to their ability to pay future benefits.

Author(s):Jean-Pierre Aubry and Kevin Wandrei

Publication Date: January 2022

Publication Site: Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, Working Paper

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

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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.

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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