The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "retirement system" ...
-
Good as gold: State pensions facing scrutiny
Public employees in Ohio have better wages and benefits than the taxpayers who support them. Taxpayer money funds the system which allows workers to retire a decade or more sooner than workers in the private sector. Also, more than one in four public school superindentents had received pension payments and salary simultaneously.
Tags: pension; private sector; public employee; pension funds; superintendents
-
Questionable Advisors, ethical gaps dog Detroit's public pensions
The investigation “focused on the advisers to Detroit’s public pension plans and their investments.” The findings revealed: advisers failed to display the problems with the businessmen who pitched investments, trustees didn’t follow their rules and had zero travel policies, and the fund invested a large amount of money in real estate.
Tags: Advisers; Public pension; Investments; Economy; General Retirement System; Trustees; Stock Market; Ethics
-
Sexual-Harassment Cases Plaque U.N.
This investigation digs into how the United Nations (U.N.) handles internal sexual harassment complaints. The current system for handling complaints is arbitrary, unfair and delays bureaucracy. Many cases take years to judge, accusers either retire or resign, which leaves them out of reach of the U.N. justice system. Overall, “no matter which way the cases go, they mishandle it.”
Tags: United Nations (U.N.); sex discrimination; foreign affairs; Ban Ki-moon; Ruud Lubbers; Investigation Committee
-
Michigan's Education Time Bomb
This story examines the loopholes and cost of the state's school retirement system. The system is forcing program cuts and layoffs.
Tags: FOIA; school system; retirement; pension; school district; education; Michigan; public education; health care benefits
-
Betrayed
A former health inspector and environmental health specialist is now permanently disabled because of his exposure to toxic mold at his workplace, the Southern Nevada Health District's Environmental Health Wing, and he's not the only worker affected. Although his employer knew the problem existed (and was serious, as they are the agency that investigates and shuts down mold-infected sites) they fought correcting the situation, refused to re-locate infected workers, and contested their disability claims.
Tags: Mold; Air quality; Southern Nevada Health District; Harry Reid Center for Environmental Studies at UNLV; rashes; Keck School of Medicine Environmental Sciences Laboratory at USC; Public Employees Retirement System of Nevada; U.S. Department of Labor Family and Medical Leave Act; Dan Pauluk; Apergillus; Stachybotrys; Yellow Rain; Aflatoxin; Saddam Hussein; Biological Weapons
-
Premium Pensions
Three stories examine the abuses of California's generous public pensions system. "Chief's Disease," reveals that the highest ranking officers of the California Highway Patrol often made injury claims as retirement drew near, so their pensions were supplemented by workplace injury settlements. "Workers' comp judges cash in," showed that judges who decided worker's comp claims were themselves six times more likely to claim job related injuries than their judicial colleagues in other parts of the system. "How state law fattens pensions," deals with California's law that allows pensions to be calculated based on the single highest year of salary a public worker achieves. California is the only state in the country that has such a law. There is also supplemental material that followed the publication of the series.
Tags: public pensions; workman's compensation; fraudulent claims; state government; local government; public servants
-
MPERS - Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System
Penny Roberts investigates the $1 billion retirement fund for the 9,300 full time police officers in 150 departments in Louisiana. The Louisiana Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System took a $200 million hit in the stock market, then spent $20 million on golf courses, then made a $6 million land deal with a non-existant company. Now the fund wants a bailout from taxpayer-funded local police departments, the Louisiana legislature, and the retirees it serves. In Baton Rouge alone, the department's pension costs have risen from $2.1 million to $5.2 million a year.
Tags: retirement funding; pension; police pension system; pension costs; Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System
-
Mission impossible: The inside story of how a band of reformers tried -- and failed -- to change America's spy agencies
Four top CIA officials including retired CIA director George Tenet went on the record to give details of what they thought was wrong with America's spy network. As the investigation reveals, the main problem was an uncoordinated working system that completely ignored basic requests such as Internet hook-ups and connectivity. It also talks about the fact that the collection of information on foreign targets including Iraq was incomplete and disjointed.
Tags: CIA; George Tenet; Joan Dempsey; James Simon; John Gannon; Charlie Allen; Central Intelligence Agency; Iraq; reforms in the CIA; spy; intelligence operations; 9/11 attacks; Iraq war; terrorism; espionage
-
Money To Burn: The Ohio Teachers' Pension Fund
Tipped off by a school superintendent and a former teacher, the Copley delves into the glaring incongruencies that highlight the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio. The investigation reveals that though the system was losing $12.3 billion from its investment portfolio over a three-year period, its board and administrators spent $15 million on staff bonuses, artwork, parties, furniture storage, childcare, executive perks and travel. From the questionnaire, "they also boosted the system's annual budget by nearly $ 5 billion. Meanwhile, the health care costs of retirees skyrocketed and pension benefits declined".
-
Penson Fund Follies
Public retirement systems came into sharp focus and criticism after Connecticut State Treasurer Paul Silvester was found guilty of taking kickbacks in return for placing investment money with five private funds. 'Governing' analyzes the current glitches in the investments of public pension funds. Also posited, are possible quick-fixes that might need to be implemented if the retired are to feel more safe about their money.
Tags: Pension; Retirement; Paul Silvester; SEC; CalPERS; investments; scandals