Insight
The Power of the PENsion: Pension Contributions – Pay Now or Pay Later?
Every day we are required to make decisions on doing something now or later. Do we purchase airline tickets now or wait for prices fall? Should we start dieting now or wait until after the holidays? With either option, you assume risk: the risk that airline prices go up and the risk that you are…
Read More2022 Inflation and Investments
There’s no dodging inflation. But investors can hedge against it. If you drive a truck or SUV, no one needs to tell you that inflation has risen to uncomfortable heights—heights not seen in 40 years. A tank of regular gasoline that cost an SUV driver $114 last year, as we enter the summer vacation season,…
Read MoreThe Power of the PENsion: A New Series from Highland Consulting Associates
Pensions are retirement plans that are offered to individuals by private employers or government entities. These defined benefit plans invest in funds on behalf of individual account holders for guaranteed payment (in lump-sum or in payment streams) at retirement. The plans originated as early as 1875 with the first plan offered by the American Express…
Read MoreHughes v. Northwestern: What Plan Sponsors Can Learn from the Supreme Court Ruling
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ESG Investment Rules for ERISA Plans
While the Department of Labor rules keep changing, plan sponsors and fiduciaries should be familiar with this investment approach and what these rule changes could mean for retirement plans. As investor interest in sustainable investments has been increasing over the last decade, the trend has attracted heightened interest and action from regulatory and legislative bodies…
Read MoreCybersecurity Guidance for Retirement Plan Sponsors: Tips that Could Become Minimum Requirements
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Managing Pension Risk in a Volatile Interest Rate Environment
The persistent decline in interest rates has presented challenges for pension plan sponsors, especially those with a funding deficit. The most obvious challenge is the upward pressure on liabilities. The other is the difficulty of managing the asset portfolio with continuing expectations of lower market returns. In the absence of fixed-income investments that offer attractive…
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