MBTA Retirement Fund

A new study published by Pioneer Institute finds that issuing pension obligation bonds (POBs) to refinance $360 million of the MBTA Retirement Fund’s (MBTARF’s) $1.3 billion unfunded pension liability would only compound the T’s already serious financial risks.

New evaluation commissioned by MBTA projects T contributions would increase by more than $1 billion under terms of current pension agreement BOSTON – With the current MBTA pension agreement set to expire in June 2018 and a new evaluation projecting a $1.485...

Quarter-century of data shows costs at up to six times valuation assumptions, suggests MBTARF financial picture was made to appear artificially rosy BOSTON – Data from valuation reports and other financial documents suggest that suspect actuarial practices may have helped misstate the...

The MBTA should assess the feasibility of moving its employees out of the Social Security system and transfer investment management responsibility for its pension fund to the commonwealth’s Pension Reserves Investment Management board as initial steps toward terminating the MBTA Retirement Fund

MBTA would have saved $676 million, T pensions would have been fully funded BOSTON – Had MBTA Retirement Fund (MBTARF) assets been placed in the state pension fund at the end of 2000, their value would have been an estimated $902 million...

By Mary Z. Connaughton and Charles Chieppo Guest Columnists Originally published in The Berkshire Eagle, the Milford Daily News, New Bedford Standard-Times, and The Lowell Sun. It would be easy just to shake your head and turn the page upon learning that the MBTA...

The Boston Globe and the Boston Herald reported on an important new Massachusetts Superior Court ruling that, according to the Globe, “the records of the MBTA pension fund should be open to the public because the system receives tens of millions of...

Study Finds Poor Governance Structure, Lack of Accountability and Transparency at Heart of MBTA Retirement Fund Failings MBTARF dramatically underperforms state retirement fund, is plagued by cronyism and endemic conflicts of interest A poor governance structure that gives control over hundreds of...

The past year has seen the MBTA Retirement Fund mired in scandals involving conflicts of interest, losses of taxpayer money and, to put it mildly, imprudent attitudes towards the general public and the public trust. A high-quality mass transit system is critical...

Without Taxpayer Support, MBTA Retirement Fund Would Become Insolvent Between 2024 and 2036 Current employees would have to contribute at least one quarter of their salaries to stabilize fund’s finances BOSTON – The MBTA Retirement Fund (MBTARF) has long claimed that it is...