Find insights from NCPERS members originally published in our quarterly educational journal. Find out how to submit articles here.
Tariffs, AI-driven market swings, and an uncertain rate environment are rewriting the rules for public pension investing in real time. NCPERS Director of Research Matt Eckel examines what it takes to maintain long-term discipline when short-term pressures are this intense. Continue Reading
Exposure to software and large‑cap technology across both public and private markets is creating outsized portfolio risk, and the lower middle-market may offer a compelling solution through greater diversification and enhanced return potential. Continue Reading
When evaluated through a cash flow lens, usage-based essential infrastructure looks a lot like fixed income — with stable, contract-supported revenue, long asset duration, and built-in inflation escalators. Here's how public pensions can put that to work. Continue Reading
When people hear “AI,” they often think of large language models and virtual assistants. But for public Defined Contribution (DC) plans, AI may prove just as valuable in areas like prediction, pattern recognition, workflow automation, and decision support. Continue Reading
Due to the current labor market, many government employers are looking to provide older employees with incentives to work longer rather than retire. This article outlines several possible strategies to achieve this goal. Continue Reading
This article highlights how integrating death identification and participant location efforts strengthens oversight, reduces risk, and supports more defensible fiduciary and supports more defensible fiduciary decision-making. Continue Reading
The rapid advancement of AI creates new fiduciary, operational, and governance risks for pension systems. Developing a dynamic, principle-based AI governance is essential to protecting beneficiaries’ data, while safely streamlining efficiencies and enhancing returns. Continue Reading
This report from Ortec Finance examines how macroeconomic developments, particularly declining interest rates, can translate into balance‑sheet risks for U.S. pension funds. Continue Reading
This article explains how pension funds can access best‑in‑class, high‑growth, late‑stage private technology companies at significant discounts to public market valuations through a small-ticket secondaries manager. Continue Reading
This article provides public Defined Benefit (DB) plan fiduciaries with the data to benchmark their plans compared to peer plans, over time and by size. Continue Reading
The article argues that investing in affordable housing can generate market rate returns, especially as downside protection in a turbulent market. Affordable housing is emerging as a resilient, alpha-generating real estate strategy due to powerful economic and demographic trends. Continue Reading
Modern retirement and pension administration is under pressure from changing demographics, regulation, cybersecurity, and digital expectations, exposing the limits of legacy systems and business processes. Continue Reading
