Zachary Christensen
Managing Director, Pension Integrity Project, Reason Foundation
Zachary Christensen is a managing director of Reason Foundation's Pension Integrity Project.
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Georgia’s teacher pension system needs reforms to address current debt, future risks
The pension plan is still $27.7 billion short on the assets needed to pay for retirement promises made to teachers.
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Pension Reform News: Contribution rates for teachers’ pensions in each state
Plus, how the costs of of teacher pensions are shared by Michigan's state and local taxpayers.
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How much teachers contribute to their retirement benefits in each state
Most states require teachers to pay between 5% and 12% of their pay, with the employer paying what remains to cover the benefit and pension system's debt.
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Pension Reform News: Webinar on how pensions impact worker recruitment and retention
Plus: Public pensions make risky private equity investments, the barriers to pension reform, and more.
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Is private equity a public financial hazard?
Private equity funds lack clear return and risk metrics, making it hard to assess performance before investments are redeemed, often a decade or more after the initial investment.
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Ohio teachers’ pension reforms should not be at the expense of taxpayers
Long-shot investment strategies that mask the risk to Ohio taxpayers are not the path toward improving teacher benefits.
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Pension Reform News: Impact of pensions on recruiting and retaining public workers
Plus: Surprisingly few public employees qualify for pensions and workers say they'd prioritize more pay over retirement benefits.
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Alaska pension proposal would impose big costs but have little impact on recruitment
Senate Bill 88 could ultimately cost the state an additional $9.6 billion without improving recruitment or retainment of public workers.
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Michigan bills would help parents give kids reasonable independence
The Michigan bills would establish clear allowances for kids traveling to or from school, playing outdoors, and remaining at home alone for reasonable periods.
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Pension Reform News: Delaying needed reforms costs taxpayers
Plus: Missouri proposal would unwisely fund public pensions through fines and fees.
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Pension Reform News: Public employee turnover rates, Alaska lawmakers weigh system options, and more
Plus: Michigan proposal would divert funding from underfunded teacher plan, Mississippi has chance to emulate successful reforms, and more.
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For most workers, the value of Alaska’s defined contribution plan surpasses that of a traditional pension
The following tool created by the Pension Integrity Project displays the year-by-year accrual of retirement benefits for a wide variety of Alaska workers in different fields and starting at different ages.
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Senate Bill 88 would expose Alaska to significant additional costs
This bill could realistically add $9.6 billion in additional costs to future state budgets and reintroduce Alaska to significant pension risk.
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Pension Reform News: Analyzing Mississippi’s pension challenges, a costly reform rollback in Florida, and more
Plus: Alaska bill would greatly improve public workers' retirement benefits, how to achieve full funding, and more.
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Major costs and risks associated with restoring the Florida Retirement System’s cost-of-living adjustment
Florida's cost of bringing back COLAs could rise above $32 billion over 30 years.
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Pension Reform News: How West Virginia improved funding and why reforms often fall short
Plus: S&P upgrades five states’ credit ratings and more.
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Pension Reform News: Ohio’s pension challenges, ESG proxy votes, and more
Plus: Public pension plans should not get into the private retirement annuity business, the continued rise of public pension contributions, and more.
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Examining the solvency and resiliency of Ohio’s public pensions
Ohio’s public pensions have over $68 billion in unfunded liabilities and need further reforms.
