This issue includes the following news summaries:

• GRS Publishes Article on Prefunding OPEB Liabilities
• American Academy of Actuaries Publishes Policy Paper on the Retirement Security of Public Sector Workers Not Covered by Social Security
• S&P Global Reports Local Government Pension Funding Levels and Credit Ratings Improved in Fiscal Year 2024
• CRR Studies Expanding Social Security’s Payroll Tax Base to Increase Revenue

This issue includes the following news summaries:

• S&P Global Ratings Reports U.S. Public Pension Funded Ratios Continue to Improve in 2025
• MissionSquare Releases State and Local Government Workforce Survey Results for 2025
• NASRA Updates COLA Issue Brief
• CRR Publishes Issue Brief on Medicare 2025 Trustees Report

Typically, employers finance Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) obligations through either: 1) a Pay-As-You-Go (PayGo) approach; or 2) prefunding through a dedicated trust. In this article, we compare these two approaches by highlighting their advantages and drawbacks, and comparing their financial impact through a practical case study. This article is intended to increase awareness in the advantages of prefunding OPEB benefits, while also balancing current budget priorities with long-term fiscal sustainability.

This issue includes the following news summaries:

• CRR Reports on the Improvement in the Funded Status of Public Plans
• NCPERS Reports Public Pensions Drive $2.9 Trillion in Economic Output
• NASRA Reports on Sustainability Provisions for Public Pension Plans with Fixed Employer Contributions
• CRR Publishes Brief on the Financial Outlook of Social Security in 2025
• Groom Law Group Summarizes Benefits-Related Provisions Enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
• Moody's Finds Public Pension Liabilities Declined in FY 25 for the Fifth Consecutive Year
• NASBO Releases Spring 2025 Fiscal Survey of States

This issue includes the following news summaries:

• Social Security Trustees Release the 2025 Report on the Status of Social Security Funds
• Medicare Trustees Release the 2025 Report on the Financial Status of Medicare Funds
• NASRA Updates Brief on Public Pension Plan Investment Return Assumptions
• Survey Findings of the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on State and Local Employees
• MissionSquare Reports on Retirement Readiness for Public Sector Employees