Monthly Archives: January 2018

Misguided Social Investing Costs Retirees

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Client Services

Andy Kessler’s piece in The Wall Street Journal titled “Stocks Weren’t Made for Social Climbing” accurately described the misguided approach to social investing. He writes, “Profits are the best measure of a business’s value to consumers.” According to a study released earlier this month, pensioners and retirees feel the same. Surveyed pension holders overwhelmingly weighed strong, steady returns as the most important issue in contrast to those who find social causes to be the top priority.

Kessler is accurate … Read More

Posted in Blog | Leave a comment

Growing ‘Tensions with Pensions’

Posted on January 9, 2018 by Client Services

Last week, Spectrem Group released a study titled “Tensions with Pensions,” that surveyed 3,265 pensioners on a host of issues related to pension funding, holdings, and performance satisfaction. The findings of the survey should serve as a warning for elected officials hoping to politicize pensions, especially as many are up for reelection at the end of the year.

While many are aware, pension underfunding is a growing problem across the country. However, the retirees in the survey overwhelming believed their … Read More

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Illinois Must Get Serious About Its Pension Problem

Posted on January 2, 2018 by Client Services

A Fitch Ratings report released in December illuminated the growing pension burden facing Prairie state pensioners. Illinois’s net pension liabilities totaled $151.5 billion at the end of the 2016 year. This cost is increasing year-over-year and elected officials continue allowing the burden to grow rather than deal with the problem.

If it was not noticeable before, the Fitch Rating report shows Illinois cannot afford to ignore the problem any longer. The total liabilities equate to 22.8% of residents’ personal income. … Read More

Posted in Blog, Illinois | Leave a comment