Featured Articles

Bill Gates Talks About Public Pensions

Susan Mangiero
March 04, 2011 07:25

Business Insider journalist John Ellis summarizes Bill Gates' remarks at the TED conference on March 3, 2011 about public pension plans. Apparently, the founder of Microsoft is concerned that ailing state budgets will impair their ability to fund public education. His take on...

Unemployment at the Movies

Susan Mangiero
February 07, 2011 05:04

If you haven't yet seen "The Company Men" with Ben Affleck, Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper and Kevin Costner and don't need a lot of laughs, it's a worthwhile flick about the U.S. economic problems of late. The plot centers on a successful sales executive who gets the boot from a...

World Economic Forum Report - Demographic Gaia

Susan Mangiero
October 02, 2008 05:54

According to Wikipedia, the Gaia Hypothesis refers to an ecology that inextricably ties together elements of Earth and the biosphere. With respect to world population trends, the World Economic Forum embraces the notion that "We Are in This Together" as one possible scenario. Other...

Pensions for Sale?

Susan Mangiero
August 12, 2008 11:54

According to "Now Wall Street Wants Your Pension, Too" by Matthew Goldstein (Business Week, August 5, 2008), troubled banks have no business fiddling around with pension caretaking.  Citing a $2.3 trillion "pension honey pot" that could grow to $7+ trillion in a few...

Recent Articles

Public Pension Reform is Seen as Urgent

Susan Mangiero
March 19, 2012 05:02

According to "State Pension Reform, 2009-2011" by Ron Snell (National Conference of State Legislatures, March 2012), all but seven states have made "major changes" in order to lower pension fund obligations. Increasing employee contributions, reducing employer contributions...

Pension Risk, Governance and CFO Liability

Susan Mangiero
March 04, 2012 22:35

My November 2011 presentation about pension risk, governance and liability to financial executives struck a chord. Part of a Chief Financial Officer ("CFO") conference held at the New York Stock Exchange, attendees alternatively listened with interest while adding their insights from the...

ERISA and Securities Litigation Snapshot -- Things You Can Do Now to Minimize CFO and Board Liability

Susan Mangiero
February 21, 2012 05:10

In the last few years, pension funding levels and 401(k) account balances have fallen dramatically. New disclosure rules, volatile market conditions, investment complexity and mandatory cash contributions are only a few of the many challenges that are unlikely to go away. Not surprisingly, ERISA...

Fiduciary Duty to Hedge

Susan Mangiero
January 31, 2012 04:21

Who would have thunk that a discussion about pension governance and risk management would keep audience members in their seats for nearly three hours? Yet that is what occurred on January 24, 2012 as a panel convened to discuss such weighty issues as whether companies have a fiduciary duty to...

Pension Risk Management and Governance: Challenges and Opportunities in a New Era

Susan Mangiero
January 04, 2012 05:21

  Please join me and fellow panelists on January 24, 2012 fro. 4 to 6 pm for a topical discussion about pension risk management and governance. Given that the last few years have posed unprecedented challenges for plan sponsors, both corporate and public, as well as their asset managers and...

Pension Risk Management Within a Fiduciary Framework

Susan Mangiero
December 04, 2011 04:11

There are so many interesting insights and analyses we plan to share. It is hard to know where to begin. We will resume active blogging on January 1, 2012. In the meantime, have a wonderful holiday season.