GRS Consultants Present at MAPERS One-Day Seminar

Events​

February 29, 2024

GRS Consultants Present at MAPERS One-Day Seminar

Jeffrey Tebeau and Casey Ahlbrandt-Rains covered trending topics for public pension plans at the Michigan Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems (MAPERS) One-Day Seminar. During the session the presenters covered: Inflation and Capital Market Expectations; Lingering Effects of the Pandemic; Updates to Actuarial Standards of Practice (ASOP) 4; and Layered Amortization of the Unfunded Liability.

Key discussion items:

• Impact of inflation on both retiree purchasing power and development of actuarial assumptions
• How capital market expectations are used to develop the actuarial valuation’s investment rate assumption
• Review of post-pandemic scenarios for mortality assumptions
• Revised ASOP 4 requires the Low-Default-Risk Obligation Measure (LDROM) be disclosed in the funding valuation and comparison of LDROM and AAL (Actuarial Accrued Liability)
• Reducing contribution volatility using layered amortization and weighing its pros and cons.

 

GRS Consultants to Present at the P2F2 Conference

Events​

October 10, 2023

GRS Consultants to Present at the P2F2 Conference

Mark Buis and Francois Pieterse will present the session “Long-term Policy Implications with an Aging Population” at the 20th Annual Public Pension Financial Forum (P2F2) Conference.

The session discussion will cover the implications of an aging population on funding and how to “stay ahead of the curve” through changes in plan design and the use of actuarial assumptions and methods.

Learn more: Conference Brochure

Dana Woolfrey serves on a speaker panel at the P2F2 Conference

Events​

October 8, 2023

Dana Woolfrey will serve on a speaker panel at the P2F2 Conference

Dana Woolfrey will serve on a speaker panel at the 20th annual Public Pension Financial Forum (P2F2) conference for the session “The Actuarial Playbook.” The topics covered during the session will include fundamentals of actuarial valuations, funding policy, and trends in pension plan design that promote plan sustainability.

 Learn more: Conference Brochure

GRS Consultants to Present at MAPERS

Events​

09/11/2023

GRS Consultants to Present at MAPERS

Jim Anderson and Mark Buis will present at the Fall 2023 Michigan Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems (MAPERS) conference covering the topic “Long-term Policy Implications with an Aging Population.”

Overview: Public sector pension plans, already under intense scrutiny, face a new and evolving challenge of dealing with an aging population and demographic shifts. By understanding the implications of an aging population and pandemic-related views on the future of the workforce, the ever-changing demands of the public sector workforce can be addressed.

Navigating the Actuarial Experience Study

Events​

06/02/2023

Navigating the Actuarial Experience Study

Jamal Adora and Mike Kosciuk served as presenters at the Spring Michigan Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems (MAPERS) conference for the session “Navigating the Actuarial Experience Study.”  The speakers covered the PA 202 requirement for Michigan pension plans to undergo an experience study, the purpose and process of an experience study, how to evaluate the study’s findings, and the actions Boards of Trustees may need to take.  The discussion focused on economic and demographic assumptions and actuarial methods involved in an experience study.

Piotr Krekora Serves on FSFOA Speaker Panel

Events​

11/16/2022

Piotr Krekora Serves on FSFOA Speaker Panel

Piotr Krekora will serve on a speaker panel at the Florida School Finance Association (FSFOA) November conference.  The session “OPEB Refresher” will summarize the nature and history of Other Post Employment Benefits.  The panel will discuss various reporting aspects of GASB Statement No. 75.

GRS Consultants to Serve on Speaker Panel at PARS Webinar

Events​

November 1, 20222

GRS Consultants to Serve on Speaker Panel at PARS Webinar

Paul Wood and Blake Orth will serve as panel speakers at a webinar sponsored by Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS). The session titled “Trends and Best Practices for Managing OPEB & Pension Liabilities” will focus on the Texas landscape. In the face of inflationary pressures and market volatility, understanding current and forward-looking trends is key to developing strategies to address OPEB and pension liabilities. Insights on the importance of pre-funding; the advantages of using a section 115 trust; and case studies from Texas local governments will receive particular attention. A Q&A segment will round out the discussion.

The webinar is being held on November 1, 2022 at 10:00 am (CST).  Register here.

Lance Weiss to Co-Present at the CCA Annual Meeting

Events​

October 19, 2022

Lance Weiss to Co-Present at the CCA Annual Meeting

Lance Weiss will serve as a co-presenter in an open forum format on actuarial topics associated with public sector plans. Topics will be selected by session attendees covering areas such as funding to surplus, volatility management, impact of higher interest rates on plan design, economic assumptions, ASOP 27, and ASOP 4.

The CCA Annual Meeting is being held October 16-19, 2022 in Austin, TX.