Retirement

The Rise of Alternative Designs for Public Plans

The Rise of Alternative Designs for Public Plans

The Rise of Alternative Designs for Public Plans

Research from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College

State and local governments have traditionally provided defined benefit pensions for their employees that insulate them from market volatility and provide lifetime income, but funding these plans has become increasingly burdensome since the 2008 financial crisis. As a result, some governments have adopted alternative plan designs in order to transfer some investment and/or longevity risk to workers. This brief examines how these reforms alleviate employer burden while providing core annuity benefits to retirees.

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Since 2018, First Eagle Investments has collaborated with the Boston College Center for Retirement Research (CRR) to develop actionable insights and tools for plan sponsors, consultants and financial professionals. Leveraging CRR’s decades of scholarly research and First Eagle’s many years of practical experience, together we are committed to serving as a steadfast resource in support of American workers’ journey toward secure retirement. 

This content is part of a series of wide-ranging insights that explore key challenges that retirement savers face in the years leading up to and while in retirement. Additional topics address how different workers save in their company-sponsored retirement plans, what affects spending in retirement, and the impact of healthcare expenses for different segments of the retiree population.

For financial professional use only. Not for distribution to the public. 

These materials are provided for informational purposes only. These opinions are not intended to be a forecast of future events, a guarantee of future results, or investment advice. Any statistics contained herein have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but the accuracy of this information cannot be guaranteed. The views expressed herein may change at any time subsequent to the date of issue hereof. The information provided is not to be construed as a recommendation or an offer to buy or sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy or sell any security. The information in this piece is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for accounting, legal, and tax advice.

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