Ronald J. Ryan
Whether in political history or analyzing spreadsheets of historic data, when looking back we need to be very aware of where we are looking back from.
Retirement security is a key area of focus for the Future of Finance initiative at CFA institute, and we hosted an online forum featuring a panel of experts with varied backgrounds and perspectives to examine the size and scope of the public pension funding gap, debate its causes, and to consider potential solutions.
Over the past decade, the funding gap for US public pension plans has widened considerably, and many state and local plans today find themselves in desperate straits, facing an aggregate shortfall in excess of $4 trillion.
In the United States, state and local governments’ defined benefit pension plans are underfunded by more than $4 trillion, threatening the financial security of approximately 8 million retirees and 14 million workers, and taking a fiscal toll on states and municipalities.