Wednesday, January 10, 2007


Pension Accountants - Where Are You?


A crisis is upon us. According to Wall Street Journal reporter Ronald Alsop, U.S. business schools are scrambling to find qualified professors in accounting, finance and management, respectively. (See "Ph.D. Shortage: Business Schools Seek Professors, January 9, 2007) Alsop offers sobering statistics, courtesy of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). A current estimated shortage of 1,000 Ph.D.s is expected to grow to 2,400 by 2012. Supply and demand dynamics are in full force with B-school salaries on the rise. Unfortunately, money alone will not help. Someone starting doctoral studies today will be lucky to finish by 2011 and that's if they attend on a full-time basis, ignoring the lure of Wall Street.

While one can reasonably dispute the merits of putting Ph.D.s in the classroom (versus industry practitioners), the reality is that business school accreditation mandates certain coverage ratios. When too few academically qualified professors are available to teach, courses are cut, class size is reduced and/or admissions are scaled back.

Under any of these scenarios, fewer students become business school graduates. The resulting dearth of trained technicians is problematic. At a time when new pension accounting rules are upon us, investing is global and financial engineering requires more than a passing knowledge of basic concepts, where will much-needed expertise come from?

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posted by Susan Mangiero at 1/10/2007 12:08:00 AM | 0 comments | links to this post  

Wednesday, December 13, 2006


Life of a Benefits Manager Heading Into 2007?



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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posted by Susan Mangiero at 12/13/2006 12:30:00 AM | 0 comments | links to this post