Mariana Trujillo
Managing Director, Government Finance, Reason Foundation
Mariana Trujillo is managing director of government finance at Reason Foundation.
She holds a B.A. in economics from George Mason University. Before joining Reason Foundation, she interned at JP Morgan, The Mercatus Center, and The Cato Institute.
Trujillo’s research focuses on the fiscal health of federal, state, and local governments, particularly the impact of pension liabilities on fiscal condition and the effect of retirement benefits on public-employee recruitment and retention. Her work has appeared in outlets such as Reason magazine, the San Diego Tribune, Hartford Courant, Los Angeles Daily News, CQ Researcher, and more. She has also testified on these issues before the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Connecticut General Assembly.
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San Diego doesn’t have to accept spiraling public pension costs
By creating a new pension tier that shares pension risks with employees, San Diego can prevent escalating liabilities and ensure a more balanced distribution of costs.
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How Brazil’s X ban signals growing control over online free speech
Brazil should be viewed as a cautionary tale for the United States regarding the consequences of unchecked discretionary power over digital speech.
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The U.S. national debt could end low interest rates
The projected surge in treasury bill issuances to finance fiscal deficits may hinder the Federal Reserve’s ability to lower interest rates.
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Alaska is retaining public workers better than most states
Alaska's public sector turnover rates are significantly lower than both statewide and national private-sector averages and lower than most states offering defined benefit pensions.
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As pension costs rise, San Diego must choose between raising taxes, cutting services, or more debt
Without reforming its pension system, San Diego will only get further trapped in this cycle of rising pension costs for taxpayers and challenging budget trade-offs.
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CalPERS takes unnecessary risks that could cost taxpayers
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System has $180 billion in unfunded liabilities.
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Public pension debt rankings for state and local governments
The median public pension system is equipped to finance 76% of its pension obligations.
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Health care retirement debt surpasses state and local government pension debt
In 2022, state and local government other post-employment benefits (OPEB) liabilities reached $789 billion, surpassing $753 billion in unfunded pension liabilities.
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Webinar: 2024 Public pension solvency and performance report
Discussing the 2024 Pension Solvency and Performance Report's findings on public pension debt, investment return trends and more.
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Connecticut’s fiscal guardrails are a solution, not the problem
Public pension contributions made through the fiscal guardrails have freed up approximately $738 million in Connecticut's yearly budget.
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Pension fund size doesn’t matter: Large public pension systems don’t have better investment returns
Asset size is not meaningfully related to investment performance.
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How a public pension fund’s fiscal year-end month impacts investment returns
Changes in fiscal year dates significantly influence a public pension fund's reported investment performance.
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California’s state and local government debt is over $500 billion
The state of California has over $270 billion in debt and local entities have over $230 billion in debt.
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Webinar: Best practices in optional defined contribution plans for public workers
For those looking to implement or improve an optional defined contribution plan to go alongside an existing pension, several key policy decisions are important.
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Why defined benefit plans fail the majority of public workers
A review of 12 pension systems finds only 38% of public workers are expected to stay in their jobs long enough to meet the pension system’s vesting requirements.
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Most public employees leave jobs before they vest in pension systems
An examination of 12 public pension plans finds 62% of public workers leave before vesting in their pensions.
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Webinar: How pensions impact the recruitment and retention of public employees
In this webinar, pension experts discuss the modern challenges of recruiting and retaining talent in the public sector, focusing on the role public pensions.
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How the US Treasury shaped a new era of Swiss monetary policy
The United States Department of the Treasury classified Switzerland as a currency manipulator during the COVID-19 pandemic.