Annual Census of State and Local Public Pensions Shows Discouraging Investment Returns, Declining Assets The U.S. Census Bureau has released its 2016 Annual Survey of Public Pensions, which provides a comprehensive look at the financial activity of the nation's state...
Illinois
Fiscal Contagion: When Distressed Municipalities Put States and Local Clusters at Risk
by Richard A. Ciccarone When a municipal government suffers severe fiscal problems, be it a city, county, school district, utility district, or any other special purpose government, those problems have a tendency to impact or be shared by other governments. Bond...
Into the Gap: State Retirement Savings Systems Empower Workers
State Retirement Savings Plans Provide Opportunities for Small Businesses and Their Employees Offering retirement plans is a widely practiced benefit offering among U.S. employers. However, the vast majority of those plans are offered by large companies with 500 or...
Illinois Officially Submits Medicaid Waiver to Improve Behavioral Health Services
Medicaid Waiver Would Free Up $2.7 Billion for Improvements Today, Governor Rauner joined agency directors, local officials and stakeholders today to announce Illinois has officially submitted the 1115 Medicaid waiver proposal to the federal government. The waiver...
State of Illinois to Issue $550 Million: MuniNet Featured Bond
Featured Municipal Bond in the Market, Week of 06/13/2016: Illinois This week’s featured bond comes from the State of Illinois, which scheduled to issue $550 million in general obligation bonds, secured by the full faith and credit of the State, the week of June 13,...
America’s Major Metro Areas Continue to Reduce Unemployment
Large Cities Continue to Beat National Average The Bureau of Labor Statistics has released its Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) unemployment figures for April 2016. Of the 387 official metro areas in the United States, 269 (70%) saw their unemployment rates drop...
Chicago Housing Authority Leads Nation in Voucher Purchases
HUD has released a new study on housing voucher programs around the country … Chicago’s cutting-edge program has helped over 130 new homeowners with the purchase of a home, more than any other housing agency in the nation.
Millenium Park
Millenium Park, Chicago’s ambitious new park off the lakefront and Michigan Avenue has opened to rave reviews and has become a top destination for tourists and residents alike.