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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Alaska avoids attempt to roll back 2005 pension reform
Instead of unraveling pension progress, policymakers should seek to bolster the policies that brought resiliency and reliability.
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The Great Resignation highlights the need for public pension plans to adapt to today’s mobile workforce
Governments should consider modernizing their retirement plans and options for workers who don’t intend to stay in one position or with one employer for multiple decades.
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Comparing how much states contribute to public workers’ defined contribution retirement plans
Government employers should ensure their contributions to employees' defined contribution retirement plan are in line with industry best practices.
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Alaska pension bill would bring major financial risk and unfunded liability growth
House Bill 55 would commit Alaska to unpredictable long-term costs for public safety workers' pensions so it is crucial to consider the costs over decades, not just a few years.
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Current pension plans aren’t helping recruit and retain teachers
The data show that public pension offerings may be preventing public schools from providing teaching staff what they really want: higher salaries.
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Gov. DeSantis’ proposed budget would improve Florida’s defined contribution retirement plan for teachers, workers
The governor’s proposal would raise the state's retirement contribution rate for employers by 3 percent, bolstering employees' retirement accounts.
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Testimony: Recommendations for the FRS Investment Plan
Adjustments to Florida's public defined contribution retirement plan could better serve employees and taxpayers.
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Three reasons why public pensions still need reform
Despite realizing excellent investment returns in 2021, public pension plans are still in need of reforms to prevent future debt and ensure they can pay out promised benefits.
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Colorado’s pension debt may be worse than policymakers think
A change to PERA's mortality assumptions, which more accurately project the length of time current members will be drawing benefits from the plan, added $3.1 billion in liabilities.
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Colorado’s Missed Pension Payment Could Cost Taxpayers Millions
One simple solution—especially with the state sitting on a massive surplus—would be a prompt make-up payment.
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Landmark Texas Pension Reform Law Tackles Funding Issues, Secures Employees’ Retirement Benefits
Senate Bill 321, the new Texas pension reform law, addresses persistent structural underfunding and will pay down over $14 billion in unfunded liabilities.
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An Extra Pension Payment Could Generate Immediate Savings for Colorado And State Employees
A new report finds that making a $500 million payment to PERA this year could generate significant annual savings.
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California’s Pension Debt Takes Money From Classrooms and Students
The rising cost of pension debt crowds out the education budget, diverting funds away from classrooms.
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Colorado’s Proposal to Roll Back Pension Contributions Would Have Long-Term Costs
While weighing policy options to alleviate coronavirus-related budgetary pressures, it is critical policymakers understand short-term savings can mean much higher long-term costs.
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Colorado Considers Reducing Pension Contributions in Response to Budget Concerns
If pension contribution policies are adjusted it would result in the addition of significant long-term costs and a public pension plan that is no longer en route to full funding.
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Seeking Pension Resiliency
National public pension funding barely improved over the last decade despite a historic bull market. It would be false hope to think that we will invest our way out of the current crisis. It’s time to think differently.
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Examining Yavapai County and How Pension Debt Drives Rising Costs for Arizona Municipal Governments
Yavapai County’s total payments to ASRS and PSPRS have skyrocketed from about $587,000 per year in 2001 to over $8 million in 2018.
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Examining the City of Bisbee and How Pension Debt Drives Rising Costs for Arizona Municipal Governments
The city of Bisbee's total payments to ASRS and PSPRS have skyrocketed from about $100,000 per year in 2001 to over $1.6 million in 2018.