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MBTARF

American Citizenship, Transportation
June 21, 2022

Study Finds Pension Obligation Bonds Could Worsen T Retirement Fund’s Financial Woes

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.
American Citizenship, Education, Opportunity, Transportation
June 21, 2022

Rolling the Retirement Dice: Why the MBTA Should Steer Clear of Pension Bonds

This study illustrates why 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.
American Citizenship, Opportunity, Transportation
March 6, 2019

Whistleblowers Were Proven Right: MBTARF Was Underreporting Its Unfunded Pension Liabilities

In a new brief, Pioneer shows that whistleblowers’ 2015 claim that the MBTA Retirement Fund (MBTARF) had been underreporting its unfunded pension liabilities has proven to have been accurate. In their study, Boston University Professor Mark T. Williams and Bernie Madoff whistleblower Harry...
American Citizenship, Opportunity, Transportation
June 5, 2017

Report Calls on FMCB to Seek Legislative Intervention on Projected 18-Year, $1.485 Billion T Pension Shortfall

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...
American Citizenship, Opportunity, Transportation
April 5, 2017

Study: Evidence Suggests MBTA Pension Low-Balled Costs And Liabilities

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...
American Citizenship, Opportunity, Transportation
June 9, 2016

Study: T Pensions Would Be Worth $902M More Had Assets Been Managed by State Pension Fund After 2000

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...
American Citizenship, Transportation
April 25, 2016

OpEd: Shine a light upon MBTA pension fund

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...
American Citizenship, Opportunity, Transportation
March 10, 2016

Recent Ruling on MBTA Retirement Fund Major Victory for Transparency & Accountability

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...
American Citizenship, Opportunity
February 20, 2014

The End of the Line for the MBTA Retirement Fund?

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...