The holiday season is here, and so is the annual question: What do you get for the people who safeguard retirement security for millions of public employees? Trustees, administrators, investment professionals, actuaries, and financial partners spend their days navigating market volatility, fulfilling governance responsibilities, and planning for the long term. A thoughtful gift can show appreciation for the vital work they do.

Public employee pension systems are beginning to explore how artificial intelligence can enhance their ability to communicate more effectively with the people they serve. While many AI tools were initially developed for marketing or customer service, the same concepts can also help retirement systems explain complex benefits in clearer and more timely ways.

Investing Without a Map: How Global Pension Funds Are Adopting Dynamic Asset Allocation

Texas public employee retirement systems are operating in one of the most uncertain investment environments in decades, according to a new global survey from the Amundi Investment Institute and CREATE-Research. The report, "Dynamic Asset Allocation on the Rise as Pension Plans Face an Era of Controlled Disorder," released in December 2025, describes today's market landscape as an era of controlled disorder, shaped by heightened volatility, shifting U.S. policy, and structural inflation pressures.

Texas public pension systems are reviewing new federal rules that establish accessibility requirements for websites and mobile apps used by state and local governments. The U.S. Department of Justice finalized the rule under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act to ensure digital services are accessible to people with disabilities.

Public pension funds hold some of the most sensitive information in local government. This includes Social Security numbers, banking details, beneficiary records, and extensive financial histories for active and retired public servants. As geopolitical tensions rise, cyber risks evolve, and regulations shift, organizations across every sector are reassessing the extent of control they truly have over their technology and data environments.

The race to develop artificial general intelligence is no longer just a technology story. It is emerging as a global competition with economic, geopolitical, and systemic implications, precisely the kind of long-horizon risk public pension fiduciaries are expected to monitor. A new RAND Corporation report, A Prisoner’s Dilemma in the Race to Artificial General Intelligence, offers a clear, neutral way to understand what’s driving this race and why it matters.

Trustees and administrators of Texas public employee retirement systems plan for service across decades. A new national study reveals that many Americans are not adopting the same long-term perspective. The inaugural Longevity Preparedness Index highlights significant gaps in people's readiness for extended lifespans. The Index was developed by John Hancock and the MIT AgeLab. Its findings have direct implications for the public employees who rely on defined benefit plans, including law enforcement officers, firefighters, EMTs, librarians, utility workers, and municipal staff across Texas.

A newly released November 2025 issue brief from the National Association of State Retirement Administrators (NASRA), authored by Keith Brainard, NASRA Research Director, and Alex Brown, NASRA Research Manager, provides a detailed overview of employee contributions to public pension plans across the United States. The report, titled "Employee Contributions to Public Pension Plans," outlines national trends, recent reforms, and the increasing use of risk-sharing tools in public retirement systems. 

Research from the Pew Research Center confirms something pension trustees have long understood: how well Americans age is deeply shaped by income, and the gap between older adults’ lived experience and younger adults’ expectations is striking.

TEXPERS System Members are used to thinking in decades, balancing today’s benefits against tomorrow’s obligations. But what happens when tomorrow lasts longer than ever?

How much did COVID-19 really change how long people live—and what does that mean for public pension plans? A new report compiled by the Retirement Plans Experience Committee of the Society of Actuaries Research Institute sheds light on post-pandemic mortality trends, and the findings could affect every trustee’s outlook on plan funding and assumptions. However, here’s the short version, along with a link to an audio explainer on the TEXPERS' Deep Dive podcast.

The U.S. Department of Education has agreed to resume long-delayed student debt relief under income-driven repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness programs as part of a legal settlement announced Oct. 17, 2025, in American Federation of Teachers v. U.S. Department of Education, according to the American Federation of Teachers.

A single tap could be all it takes to compromise sensitive retirement data.

Key insights from the Oh, Behave! report and The Deep Dive Podcast by TEXPERS.

When identity theft hits home, it’s not just a personal crisis; it’s a governance issue. New data from the Identity Theft Resource Center shows that cyberattacks are causing deeper financial and emotional harm than ever before. For pension systems that guard sensitive member data, the message is clear: protecting information is part of protecting benefits.

Understanding how long people expect to live doesn’t just influence their personal retirement choices; it also shapes how they value lifetime benefits. For trustees and administrators of public pension systems, this awareness gap presents a significant challenge to effective communication.

When the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) temporarily halted operations during the recent federal government shutdown, one independent research firm stepped in to fill the gap. Revelio Labs released its Revelio Public Labor Statistics (RPLS) report, estimating that the U.S. economy added 60,000 jobs in September, according to a press release.

Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed four new members to the Texas Municipal Retirement System (TMRS) Board of Trustees, which oversees retirement benefits for employees of more than 800 cities across Texas.

Each year, TEXPERS brings together the trustees, administrators, and service providers who guide more than $32.7 billion in public pension assets for Texas’ municipal, police, and firefighter employees. For sponsors, the Annual Conference isn’t just an event—it’s an opportunity to align your brand with fiduciary leadership, investment excellence, and long-term public service.

A wave of retirements and campaign announcements is reshaping the 2026 election season for Texas lawmakers.