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Pension Shocker: Plans Face $2 Trillion Shortfall, Moody’s Says

July 19, 2015

Pension Shocker: Plans Face $2 Trillion Shortfall, Moody’s Says

Last month, in “Cities, States Shun Moody’s For Blowing The Whistle On Pension Liabilities,” we highlighted a rift between Moody’s and some local governments over the return assumptions for public pension plans.

To recap, when it comes to underfunded pension liabilities, one major concern is that in a world characterized by ZIRP and NIRP, it’s not entirely clear that public pension funds are using realistic investment return assumptions. The lower the return assumption, the larger the unfunded liability. After 2008, Moody’s stopped relying on the investment return assumptions of cities and states opting instead to use its own models. Unsurprisingly, this led the ratings agency to adopt a much less favorable view of state and local government finances and as WSJ reported, rather than admit that their return assumptions are indeed unrealistic, local governments have opted to drop Moody’s instead.

The debate underscores a larger problem in America. Almost half of the states in the union are facingbudget deficits.

Underfunded pension liabilities are one factor, but the reasons for the pervasive shortfall vary from plunging oil revenues to plain old fiscal mismanagement. The pension issue gained national attention after an Illinois Supreme Court decision threw the future of pension reform into question and effectively set a precedent for other states, sending state and local officials back to the drawing board in terms of figuring out how to plug budget gaps. One option is what we have called the “pension ponzi” which involves the issuance of pension obligation bonds. Here is all you need to know about that option:

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

 

The Three Reasons Why Moody’s Just Downgraded Japan From Aa3 To A1 | Zero Hedge

December 1, 2014

The Three Reasons Why Moody’s Just Downgraded Japan From Aa3 To A1 | Zero Hedge.

Less than two weeks ago we were delighted to remind S&P that about a year ago, the laughable rating agency which is now terrified of being sued any time it tells the truth, promised it would downgrade Japan the moment things for the insolvent nation turn up to be, well, just as they are with the Bank of Japan now monetizing every yen of Japanese debt issuance. And yet, so far S&P has been very quiet on the downgrade front, most likely because it still has its hands full on the litigation front with the DOJ (and Tim Geithner) for downgrading the US back in 2011. So overnight we were not exactly surprised when that “other” rating agency, Moody’s, shocked the world and headline scanning algos when it downgraded Japan by 1 notch from Aa3 to A1.

Here are the reasons why Moody’s just did what it did, just two weeks ahead of the all-important for Abenomics snap election, in which should support for Abe tumble, then all bets on Abenomics, and the global stock market reflation game, are off.

The key drivers for the downgrade are the following:

  1. Heightened uncertainty over the achievability of fiscal deficit reduction goals;
  2. Uncertainty over the timing and effectiveness of growth enhancing policy measures, against a background of deflationary pressures; and
  3. In consequence, increased risk of rising JGB yields and reduced debt affordability over the medium term.

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

Why Moody’s Cut Russia to Two Notches above Junk | Wolf Street

October 20, 2014

Why Moody’s Cut Russia to Two Notches above Junk | Wolf Street.

It was not the most productive summit in the history of mankind. President Vladimir Putin, after watching a military parade in Belgrade, Serbia, and questioning Kosovo’s independence, arrived in Milan on Friday so late that Chancellor Angela Merkel, with whom a private meeting had been scheduled, had to cool her heels for hours. Once done at 2 a.m., he headed over to his buddy’s place, persona non grata in EU politics, Silvio Berlusconi. But the Russian economy was not amused.

Russians know that the ruble is in trouble, and are not so naïve to think that their currency will start to strengthen again soon. Countless factors point in favor of further depreciation, not least the inability of Russian entities to borrow from international markets, recent marked falls in oil prices, and expectations of future US rate hikes…. Government estimates that capital flight is likely to reach between $90-120 billion this year look too conservative to us.

[A]s ever with Russia, there are countless risks. What if capital flight accelerates to rates well beyond expectations to generate genuine unease about the adequacy of the CBR’s [Central Bank of Russia] reserves? What if the ruble is completely irresponsive to interest rate hikes, and simply depreciates rapidly further beyond the CBR’s comfort zone, fueling a jump in inflation into double digits? And what if companies, already unable to borrow from international markets because of sanctions, struggle to meet debt repayments? And – perhaps most obviously – what if the geopolitical situation, which is well beyond the control of the CBR, further deteriorates?

…click on the above link to read the rest of the article…

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