Robby Roberts. rroberts@communitydevelopment.com
Yes, it does. The data indicate that underfunded public pension funds compared with corporate pension funds confer a significantly higher allocation to alternative investments, which include private equity, hedge funds, and property. These assets are illiquid; risk is opaque and the performance reveals itself years after the initial investment. The underfunded pension fund has three unpalatable options: (1) Raise taxes; (2) cut benefits to retirees; or (3) assume additional risk. The first two are politically unpalatable; the third is attractive because the term of a politician’s job (before any promotions) is less than the duration of the investment. These retirement systems are more likely to invest in value add and opportunistic investments. Many pension funds have adopted this strategy in the belief that failing conventionally beats succeeding unconventionally.
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