Pension Risk News & Analysis : Pension Governance, LLC : Pension Risk & Investment

An homage to Norwegian painter Edvard Munch (born on December 12, 1863) Google's same day banner is reprinted herein. A reminder perhaps that 2007 is sure to create some agita for more than a few benefits managers and other related decision-makers?

Here are a few reasons for upset:

1. New pension accounting rules for companies

2. New OPEB (other post-employment benefit) accounting rules for municipalities

3. Forthcoming derivative accounting rules for public funds, similar to FAS 133 for companies (Remember that derivatives are getting more attention as possible elements of a liability-driven investment strategy.)

4. Anticipated Congressional oversight hearings about pension funds, 401(k) fees and hedge funds

5. Stated SEC consideration of rule changes as they apply to alternative investments (and possible impact on pension funds investing in hedge funds)

6. Proposed Form 5500 disclosure rule changes regarding service providers, fees and other elements of pension investing

7. Continued taxpayer upset regarding the cost of municipal benefits and a desire for lower property and state income taxes

8. Continued escalation in pension litigation

9. Continued focus on plan design and expected impact on an organization's cash flow

10. Continued focus on the Sarbanes Oxley - ERISA (corporate governance-pension governance) link

11. Anticipated guidance about default options for defined contribution plans (and related fiduciary impact)

12. The remaining 900+ pages of the Pension Protection Act of 2006

13. Projected worsening of the Social Security situation and likely impact on financing of the "three-legged" stool

14. Continued longevity patterns (good for retirees but expensive for employers)

15. Projected lower interest rates that increase liabilities

16. Anticipated pressure on asset returns

17. International pension woes and possible contagion for the U.S.

18. Predicted health care benefit cost increases that make pensions pale in comparison

19. Continued need to attract and retain scarce pool of talented workers with good benefits while keeping costs low

20. Continued scrutiny from ERISA and D&O liability insurance underwriters (and related impact on coverage and cost of coverage)

The good news is that there are lots of possible solutions but make no mistake. The new year will definitely entail major changes and challenges for all.

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Are derivative instruments a recipe for disaster, an integral part of effective investment management or something in between? As explained in "Derivatives: The $270 Trillion Gorilla", meteoric growth around the world speaks volumes. At the same time, the incremental risks are real and cannot be dismissed.

Financial News reporter Renee Schultes writes that few fund managers "have the operational infrastructure and expertise to trade outside the listed and less-liquid listed derivatives market." (See "Managers struggle with OTC derivatives trading", Financial News, September 25, 2006.) Financial Times journalists Paul J. Davies, Gillian Tett and Saskia Scholtes chronicle efforts to address operational issues related to derivatives. (See "Derivatives dealers' tough match", Financial Times, September 25, 2006.)

New accounting rules and regulations encourage a paradigm shift that emphasizes risk analysis. Liability-driven investing is the new "it" topic and, by extension, derivatives are getting a serious look by public and ERISA pension fiduciaries alike. Money managers use derivative instruments as well for a variety of reasons such as transforming cash flows, leveraging exposure to a particular asset class or hedging. The Towers Group, a research and consulting firm, reports that "buy-side derivatives usage" is expected to "explode, bolstered by the shift to electronic trading, search for alpha, and more accommodating regulations (such as changes to ERISA and the adoption of the Prudent Investor Rule), which allows derivatives usage in pension funds and institutional money management." (See "Growth in Derivatives to Have Profound Impact on Wall Street Firms", September 18, 2006.)

The ultimate question is whether the expected benefits outweigh the costs. I wrote an entire book on this topic. Written for fiduciaries and related parties, Risk Management for Pension Funds, Endowments, and Foundations is a primer about the risks and benefits of derivatives and, more broadly, risk identification, measurement and control. I could easily write a second book about the topic. There is so much to say.

That is why subsequent posts will address the topic of derivatives, and the fiduciary implications of their use.

For those who want to read more, here are links to earlier blog posts and some articles I've written about risk management.

1. "Derivatives Get the Blame"

2. "Operational Risk and Derivatives"

3. "Derivatives Valuation: One Size Does Not Fit All"

4. "Pension Risk Management: What We Don't Know Can Hurt"

5. "Five Keys to Risk and Risk Management"

You can find lots more by going to our online library. You may also be interested in receiving our complimentary ezine about risk and valuation. Click here to sign up. (A link to our privacy policy is at the same URL.)

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