Welcome to the latest edition of This Week in Pensions! As we do most weeks, we have gathered the best stories about pensions and retirement security from the previous week. This is the news you need to know in the fight for a secure retirement.
Here are this week’s top stories:
- Q5: Retirement crisis in America cause for concern by Rimsie McConiga: the Leavenworth Times interviews NPPC executive director Bailey Childers about the retirement crisis in the United States. When asked why taxpayers should help fund public pensions, Childers said: “Pensions are a great value for taxpayers – they provide a benefit that allows the state to recruit and retain the best teachers, nurses, firefighters, and other public employees.”
- Keep teacher pensions by Ronnie Ray James: a South Carolina high school teacher argues that the state must reject calls to force new teachers into risky 401(k)-style plans. James concludes: “Don’t let outside influencers tell you 401(k)s are better than our pension, because they’re not.”
- Why public employee pensions matter in Texas by Justin Meyer: a retired Texan public employee writes to the El Paso Times and argues for protecting pensions in the Lone Star state.
- Why SC teacher pensions matter to all of us by Sherry East: a science teacher in South Carolina warns against efforts by anti-pension legislators there to close public pension plans to new hires. Although those attacks were defeated this year, East worries that the same attacks will happen again next year.
- Leave Wisconsin Retirement System alone by Julie Jansch: a retired public employee in Wisconsin cautions against proposed changes to the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS). As we’ve discussed before, WRS is a fully-funded, model pension system. Changes proposed by state Sen. Stroebel would harm this well-functioning system.
- How the GOP is quietly sabotaging retirement for millions by Diane Oakley: the executive director of the National Institute on Retirement Security criticizes the Trump administration for its recent actions that harm the ability of working Americans to save for retirement. Shutting down the MyRA program was just the latest move by the administration that undermines retirement security for working families.
If you missed our Facebook Live Q&A yesterday, you can watch the recorded video here.
Be sure to check back next week for the latest news in the fight for a secure retirement!
