What We Do
Equable Institute
Equipping stakeholders with independent, data-driven research at the intersection of retirement and public policy.
What We Do
Research
Equable produces rigorous, nonpartisan research that stakeholders can trust because our analysis is never shaped by ideology or political interest. We are committed to honest, accurate findings because the people who depend on public retirement systems deserve nothing less.
Education
Meaningful retirement policy decisions require meaningful public engagement. Equable provides the education and resources that help every stakeholder — from pension trustees to the public workers whose futures are at stake — understand the issues and engage with confidence.
Technical Assistance
Equable’s team brings decades of experience in retirement policy, actuarial analysis, and public finance to every engagement — translating research into practical guidance that helps states, municipalities, and retirement systems make better decisions for workers and communities.
Our Approach
Our data-first approach allows us to work with a broader range of stakeholders — including workers, unions, pension boards, and policymakers — and build broader coalitions around shared goals.
Our work
Our Expertise
Benefits
Explore research, data, news, and analysis on the retirement benefits that serve millions of public employees across the country.
Funding
Dive into research, data, news, and analysis on how public retirement systems are financed, managed, and sustained over the long term.
Investment Policy
Dive into research, data, news, and analysis on how public retirement systems are financed, managed, and sustained over the long term.
Transparency
Access research, data, news, and analysis on efforts to improve public pension fund transparency, governance, and accountability.
Featured Program
Teacher Retirement U
We know public pension retirement benefits can be complicated, but learning about them shouldn’t be. Teacher Retirement U has Free courses designed by experts and educators to help teachers understand how your retirement system works, the benefits it offers, and the challenges it faces.
Info for
Public Workers
Your retirement was earned and you deserve to understand it. Equable’s research and educational resources can help you better understand your financial future.
Journalists
From financial market news cycles to school board budgets, Equable’s expert analysis, research, and data can help inform and support your reporting.
Advocates
Equable provides the data, analysis, and policy support you need to engage constructively in retirement policy conversations.
Policy Makers
Stay ahead of emerging challenges with evidence-based research that supports sound, sustainable retirement policy.
About
Why Equable?
Equable was created because we have seen first-hand how bipartisan, collaborative processes can build lasting change for state and municipal governments. At the same time, we have all seen how a lack of clear information and partisan politics can lead to unnecessary fights that have threatened the solvency of pension plans, required cuts to public services, or made funding retirement benefits more expensive by delaying necessary changes. It is not enough just to have votes from more than one party, the path from identifying the source of existing problems to a solution is also an important conversation to have collaboratively from the start.
Challenges
Public retirement systems, their beneficiaries, and governments face a range of critical issues. Here are a few of the major hurdles we currently see:
Persistent Debt
Decades of underfunding left state and local pensions with $1.27 trillion in unfunded liabilities — straining budgets and impacting workers and communities.
Eroding Benefits
Since 2010, benefit cuts for new hires — higher retirement ages, longer vesting, eliminated COLAs — have reduced lifetime benefits by $140,000+ per employee.
Lack of Transparency
Transparency in public retirement systems varies widely — especially around alternative investments, where opaque valuation can mask true financial health.
Politics Over Math
When ideology trumps evidence, funding gaps persist and workers pay the price. Sound retirement policy isn’t partisan — the numbers have to work.
News & Resources
Check out our news analysis and other resources created to help demystify pension challenges.
Signature Reports
Our signature reports look at the state of pension health and benefits across the country to help you better understand the challenges states and workers face.