Implode-o-Meter News - New Math Deals Minnesota's Pensions the Biggest Hit in the U.S.

Minnesota's debt to its workers' retirement system has soared by $33.4 billion, or $6,000 for every resident, courtesy of accounting rules... Minnesota in 2016 reported having just 53 percent of what it needed to cover promised benefits, down from 80 percent a year earlier, transforming it from one of the best funded state systems to the seventh worst, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
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The Minnesota's teachers' pension fund, which had $19.4 billion in assets as of June 30, 2016, is expected to go broke in 2052. As a result of the latest rules the pension has started using a rate of 4.7 percent to discount its liabilities, down from the 8 percent used previously. Its liabilities increased by $16.7 billion... other factors also helped boost Minnesota's liabilities: Eight of Minnesota's nine pensions reduced their assumed rate of return on their investments to 7.5 percent from 7.9 percent, while three began factoring in longer life expectancy.

The worsening outlook for Minnesota is in line with what happened nationally. Pension-funding ratios declined in 43 states in the 2016 fiscal year, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. New Jersey had the worst-funded system, with about 31 percent of the assets it needs, followed by Kentucky with 31.4 percent. The median state pension had a 71 percent funding ratio, down from 74.5 percent in 2015.

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New Math Deals Minnesota's Pensions the Biggest Hit in the U.S.