Free Republic

U.S. public pension liability is equivalent to $18,300 for every resident. Public pensions can’t afford not to invest in companies that generate impressive growth and profits. If you are a public employee or a retiree, you should be very concerned because new data shows public pension funds that let leftist policies drive their investment decisions, a.k.a. socially responsible investing, have been consistently underperforming their private peers and the general stock markets.Socially responsible investing (SRI), meaning only investing in companies with “ethical” practices, is not an entirely new concept. Public pension funds have been leading in this since the 1970s. For...

<p>WASHINGTON – The House voted Friday to relieve companies from paying an extra $80 billion into their pension plans, a step supporters said would stave off a financial crunch for businesses while protecting workers' retirements.</p> <p>House Republicans said they hoped the decisive 336-69 vote gives the bill enough momentum to pass the Senate next week. Companies want Congress to finish before April 15, when the next quarterly pension payments are due.</p>

Corporate pension woes deepen despite bull market Tuesday November 4, 2:16 pm ET By Deepa Babington NEW YORK, Nov 4 (Reuters) - Think the stock market's stellar performance this year means the end of the pension funding crisis that grabbed headlines last year?Quite the opposite, it turns out. Corporate pension plans are actually getting weaker this year, because the boost to pension assets from a rising stock market has not been able to outpace the effect of the concurrent drop of interest rates to historical lows, analysts say. Pension plans at Standard & Poor 500 companies are expected to be...

WASHINGTON -- Relief for companies complaining of skyrocketing pension costs cleared another hurdle in Congress on Wednesday, with a Senate panel approving a three-year interest rate adjustment that would let businesses pay less into their workers' retirement plans. The bill passed the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee after a compromise was brokered last week between committee Chairman Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) and the top Democrat, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.). Traditional pension plans have been hurt by a combination of low interest rates, the poor economy, stock market losses and an increase in retirees. Supporters fear that companies will...