By: Ronald J. Ryan, CFA, CEO, Ryan ALM, Inc. Q: Should a pension plan with a 90% funded status have the same asset allocation as a 60% funded plan? A: NO! Asset allocation should be based on the economic funded...

By: Russ Kamp, Managing Director, Ryan ALM, Inc. We hope that your week has begun well. Sorry for the delay in getting our weekly ARPA update out. Three cancelled planes, flights supposedly from 4 different airports, an Amtrak train, and...

BY: Russ Kamp, Managing Director, Ryan ALM, Inc. We understand that US public pension systems operate under different accounting standards (GASB) than those sponsored by private companies (FASB), but should those differences create asset allocation frameworks that differ so widely...

By: Russ Kamp, Managing Director, Ryan ALM, Inc. On October 11, 2022, I penned a blog post titled "Rates Aren't High Yet, But They Might Get There ", in which I highlighted the fact that the 3-year Treasury yield was...

By: Russ Kamp, Managing Director, Ryan ALM, Inc. Good morning. We are pleased to provide you with the latest update on the progress of the PBGC's implementation of the ARPA legislation. Last week proved to be a quiet one for...

By: Ronald J. Ryan, CFA, CEO, Ryan ALM, Inc. Q: What is the Value of Bonds? A: The certainty of their Cash Flows! Bonds are, perhaps, the only asset class with the certainty of their cash flows. You know with...

By: Russ Kamp, Managing Director, Ryan ALM, Inc. We, at Ryan ALM, believe that Risk is best defined as the uncertainty of achieving the objective. Any argument? What is the primary objective of managing a pension plan? Again, we believe...

By: Russ Kamp, Managing Director, Ryan ALM, Inc. It appears that the "Summer doldrums" may have settled in as it relates to the PBGC and ARPA. The last couple of weeks have seen little action. Now, I don't mean to...

By: Russ Kamp, Managing Director, Ryan ALM, Inc. I've had the great pleasure of speaking at a number of industry events so far in 2023. I usually begin my portion of the talk or panel discussion by asking a very...

By: Russ Kamp, Managing Director, Ryan ALM, Inc. We are pleased to provide the weekly update on the PBGC's activity related to the ARPA legislation. There were no new applications submitted for review or approved for SFA payment. However, there...