The first glimpses of global economic growth, inflation trends, and monetary policy meetings have kept financial and investment professionals busy this week. Some interesting retirement data is also set to be released soon. Online presentations offered by thought leaders from various firms in the financial, investment, banking, and research industries can provide your retirement funds insights to manage the pensions of your annuitants.Here are four webinars offering fresh insights into the latest economic market conditions and retirement research.

Texas Association of Public Retirement Pension Systems, a statewide nonprofit organization providing education to trustees and administrators of public employee pension funds, is pleased to announce Federated Hermes, Wolf Popper, and Napier Park as sponsors of its upcoming conference in El Paso, Texas. The firms are Silver Sponsors of TEXPERS' 2022 Summer Educational Forum Aug. 21-23 at Hotel Paso Del Norte in El Paso, Texas.

The Texas Pension Review Board committee creating rules for implementing House Bill 3898 accepted new, flexible proposals from the staff at its May meeting. The rules will be presented to the full Board on July 14 and the official public comment period will begin. Ultimate consideration of all comments and changes is planned for the October PRB meeting.

Wolf Popper LLP is a Silver Sponsor of TEXPERS' 2022 Summer Educational Forum Aug.21-23 in El Paso, Texas, and is sending securities and commercial litigation attorney Joshua Ruthizer as a presenter.

The Texas Pension Review Board is holding a board meeting at 10 a.m. CST on Thursday, July 14, 2022. The Board's Investment Committee will gather later that afternoon.

Robert "Bob" May, a former actuary member of the Texas Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems through his more than 50-year career as a principal actuary at Rudd and Wisdom Inc., died May 24, 2022. 

Amundi Asset Management is serving as a Gold Keynote Sponsor of TEXPERS' 2022 Summer Educational Forum to be held Aug. 21-23, 2022, in El Paso, Texas.

TerraCap Management is a Gold Keynote Sponsor of TEXPERS' 2022 Summer Educational Forum to be held Aug. 21-23, 2022, in El Paso, Texas, and is sending its founder, W. Stephen Hagenbuckle as a keynote speaker for the event’s opening session.

Interest rates have been on a secular decline since the early-1980s after Paul Volcker pushed short-term rates to nearly 20% to beat back inflation.  Today, by comparison, the Fed Funds rate is targeted between 0.25% and 0.50%.  Unfortunately, as interest rates fell, pension discount rates have barely budged, leading to a widening “yield gap” between what plan fiduciaries expect to receive from the market and what the market can realistically provide.

Numerous market commentaries and opinion columns since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have highlighted the fading investor perception of emerging-market assets. The story so far has played true to the worst emerging market stereotypes that global investors dread. A leader who started by promising stability and prosperity ends up as a thuggish strongman, callous enough to sacrifice the future of his own people in a destructive quest for glory. A country with vast resources and growth potential sliding rapidly down into economic desolation. Global investors who saw the promise and poured in billions, only to see it all evaporate in a matter of days. Political maneuvering by other countries spreads the risk perception and triggers investor panic elsewhere. We have seen parts of this storyline in the past, albeit on a smaller scale.  

Experience in emerging markets (EM) teaches the importance of knowing when to react quickly and when to ride out the storm.

“Go West, Young Man, and Grow Up with the Country!”  The famous line from Horace Greeley’s most famous editorial was about capturing and capitalizing on the opportunity and pioneering spirit in the West. Greeley’s East was crowded and stagnant, and the best opportunities and growth lay west of the Mississippi. The availability of exciting, new opportunities and entrepreneurism in the West still applies just as much today, especially for investors.

It’s hard to miss recent news headlines about the “global energy crisis.” Resilient global demand and a lack of sufficient available supply have created an energy crunch that has pushed up global energy prices. Soaring oil, natural gas, and coal prices are happening just as the winter heating season approaches in the Northern Hemisphere and as rising inflation poses an increasing risk to global economic growth.

I began my career in 1994 marketing investment management services to public retirement systems in Texas and throughout the United States. I write this article to share a unique retirement planning concept for both active and retired public employees. 

Information received in response to this Request for Qualifications will also assist the Austin Fire Fighters Relief and Retirement Fund staff in finalizing the scope of work and requirements that may be used at a future date in the issuance of a Cost Proposal or Request for Proposal, according to the RFQ document issued by the Fund. Download the document here. 

When it comes to tackling climate change, there is some consensus around what needs to be done—but solving for the how is much more complicated. In some ways, the urgency around this question has intensified amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. While extremely concerning from a humanitarian perspective, the conflict has also accelerated the thinking around energy security and energy independence.

Emerging markets endured a challenging 2021, dragged down mostly by China and South Korea, which represent close to half the index. But the developing world is diverse, and many individual countries did well. We expect improvement on several fronts in 2022, and the outperformance of EM over developed markets in January—despite turbulent market performance—is also encouraging.

We believe the COVID-19 crisis has facilitated a fundamental reshaping of society in how people shop and pay, along with how businesses interact with their employees, customers, and other businesses.

The impact of inflation on defined benefit pension plan liabilities might surprise you. For private plans, the news is mostly good. For public plans, it is more challenging and provides a good reminder that public plan sponsors need to keep making their full pension contributions even if times are difficult.

The Texas House Pension, Investments and Financial Services Committee is hosting a public hearing at 10 a.m. CT on Monday, June 6, 2022, regarding the operation of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas and its school district employee benefits program participation.