Defined Benefits

Over the last two decades, the traditionally more generous public service benefits may have been diminished, as many state and local governments enacted changes to their DB pensions that raised contributions, says a new study.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has made changes that direct investment decisions to be based only on "pecuniary factors" and they can't include "social, political or ideological interests."

Over two-thirds of employees would access the help of financial professionals with financial planning and investing questions if it were available, according to a new Morgan Stanley survey.

Most public pension plans are distressed or fragile, and there are better ways – risk-managed pensions, guaranteed return plans, hybrid plans or any combination – to design them for the 21st Century, says a new report.

The new regulation opens the door for employers to adopt (or convert their existing cash balance plans) to market-return cash balance plans, without a minimum fixed rate, and with the opportunity to have a scale of pay credits that materially increase by age or service.

It's not necessarily problematic, but there's a gap between what a typical pension plan sponsor thinks they're bearing in terms of risk, and what Vanguard's survey findings indicate.