Tuesday, March 6, 2018

MPACT needs mo' money

State Treasurer Lynn Fitch issued the following press release.


Legislature Must Address MPACT-Legacy’s Shortfall or Face Insolvency by 2026

Jackson, MS. In her capacity as Chair of the Board of Directors of the College Savings Plans of Mississippi, Treasurer Lynn Fitch delivered a letter and resolution to the Legislature today asking for a special appropriation for Fiscal Year 2019 to address funding liabilities in the Legacy Program of the Mississippi Prepaid Affordable College Tuition program (MPACT).

“I’m pleased to report that the steps the Board took to restructure MPACT have put the program on the right path,” said Treasurer Fitch. “MPACT’s Horizon Program is cost-neutral to taxpayers, a better deal for Mississippi savers, and in good fiscal health. Our actions to defer enrollment set MPACT up for long-term sustainability.”

“But, the underfunding issues of the Legacy Program remain,” continued Fitch. “It is imperative the Legislature address this liability with a special appropriation in the coming fiscal year. MPACT is backed by the full faith and credit of the State. Delaying this special appropriation will ultimately mean a bigger bill for Mississippi taxpayers.”

Shortly after Fitch took office as Treasurer, in the Fall of 2012, she and the Board deferred enrollment in MPACT to have its first actuarial audit performed, analyzing the long-term sustainability of the program. Contracts existing at that time, known as Legacy Contracts, continued to receive benefits throughout that time. New contracts issued after MPACT enrollment was reopened in October 2014 became known as Horizon Contracts, and are structured differently.

An actuarial report presented to the Board on November 11,, 2017 indicates funding for the Legacy Program is at 69.4%, with an unfunded liability of $135.4 million. Pursuant to a funding policy established by the Board as part of the restructuring, when the Legacy Program fails to hit its funding target (100%), the Board will request a special appropriation of 10% of the shortfall from the Legislature. The amount of the requested cash infusion to cover this shortfall is $13,545.549.

This is the fifth time the Board has asked the Legislature to address the Legacy Program shortfall with a special appropriation. The previous requests all went unanswered. If the Legislature continues to fail to provide a cash infusion and all other economic assumptions are met, the Legacy Program will be insolvent by year 2026.

The Treasurer’s letter, as well as the Board’s resolution are attached.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Of course it does. Our legislature can’t do simple math. None of them. Neither can the state-wide office holders. Math is a foreign language to them all. This should disqualify all of them from any future elected offices.

Anonymous said...

I don't get it. Don't the parents invest money for eventual college tuition payment for their kids in this program? Why does the state have to kick anything in?

Anonymous said...

Thank Tate Reeves for this mess.

Anonymous said...

Lynn Fitch is going around the state preaching financial literacy. Can you say irony.

Anonymous said...

Here is how it works.....parent throws in some money. Our state guarantees that money will grow faster than college tuition inflation. If it doesn’t, the state makes up the difference.

So the taxpayers are on the hook if the state can’t make colleges reign in the growth of college costs beyond what the state can earn from its investment managers.

No moron would take that bet except elected officials with no skin in the game. They get to make that bet on our behalf. And then go preach about financial conservatism and financial literacy?

Anonymous said...

Same people that approved this also approved SLRP. They also killed the bridge funding program. They also passed tax breaks for wealthy business owners. They also mis-project budget estimates EVERY year. Why is any of this a surprise?

Anonymous said...

Good thing PERS is on solid financial footings

Anonymous said...

@7:13 that's MACS, this is MPACT. If only there was a website explaining the program...

Anonymous said...

Same people that approved this also approved SLRP.

Nope. As with SLRP, all established when the legislature was under the iron fisted majority control of Donkeycrats.

But that ruins your narrative, doesn't it?

Anonymous said...

Why does the state have to kick anything in?

Just like PERS the model assumed unrealistic growth rates for the underlying investments.

Anonymous said...

Nice try 726, but wrong. Thank Marshall Bennett for this fiasco, and his compatriot, Ronnie Musgrove.

Fitch should have 'noticed' this need before now, and for that she should answer. But the ridiculous concept was part of those 90's dot.Com bubble stock market craze that promised everybody everything. SLURP, PERS so called cola, all to be paid out of 'wonder money'.

Anonymous said...

Lynn is the current chair of PERS Board......I missed her press release on this issue

Nothing but politics, which she doesn’t do very well.

Anonymous said...

@9:19 then why can’t we “repeal and replace” now that we have “the party of fiscal responsibility” running things?

Kingfish said...

Republicans have had plenty of opportunities to do something about SLRP but have taken a pass.

Anonymous said...

Simple. College costs have risen 5x the inflation rate over the last 15or20 years. Got to keep those admin and prof salaries 5x that of non-college affiliated working people.

Anonymous said...

Sorry 9:52, Bennett kicked off the program but Reeves had 8 long years to make the moves necessary (that Fitch HAS done) to place MPACT on more stable footing when it was obvious it was not working. Instead he spent all those years using the CollegeSavings Mississippi advertising budget to establish free name recognition in advance of his run for Lite Guv. Fitch DID notice this before now, took action and is still working to resolve the problems. Catch up before commenting further.

Anonymous said...

If Tate Reeves has no responsibility in this tell me why Lynn caught as treasurer her first year, but Tate did not correct the issue for the 8 years he was Treasurer prior to Lynn? Looks like Tate was not doing his job to me.

Anonymous said...

Everything Fitch touches goes in the crapper. Sometimes she didn't do it, but she could have stopped it. Look at history.

Anonymous said...

9:19 every year the legislature does not kill SLRP they are complicit. Party affiliation has no bearing.

Anonymous said...

I remember when Fitch hosted the 529 1-mile fun run early on in her term at the Renaissance. They gave every top finisher in his/her age group a $529 investment in the MACS program. My daughter was around 4 or 5 at the time. There were so few people registered for this run that you basically only had to finish it to win $529. They don't give out as many of these "scholarships" now, but this was easy money. Thanks taxpayers!

Anonymous said...

7:59 how many letters or emails or phone calls have you written or placed to your Senator and House reps demanding that they end SLRP?

Anonymous said...

If Lynn had just left MPACT open and continued to accept contracts AND payments, MPACT would not be in this shape - Just ask the State Auditor. Fitch is separating the two funds which should be one fund, which would have the money to make the payments due. MPACT, like any other college savings fund have their money invested in the stock market, which goes up and down. Ask Lynn about her missed bond payment on the state's bond debt. She lied and it took the Governor and AG to call her on the carpet before she got the state
in real trouble. Both bond rating companie have launched an investigation into this matter. Keep watching and wait for the FEDS to come to town!

Anonymous said...

Fitch has fixed and continues to fix MPACT. The Legacy program was closed to new participants and then replaced by the structurally responsible Horizon offering. Fitch did stop it when it comes to MPACT. Look at history.

Anonymous said...

Someone could look at California or New York or Iowa and find out why their college tuition plans work well and ours does not.

Anonymous said...

"Fitch should have 'noticed' this need before now, "

Read it again. It seems this is the fifth year she had made this request, and the legislature has ignored it each time.

FWIW, my kids have their college money in 529 plans in another state without any guaranteed payout. If there is some guaranteed payout it's no wonder the state is hosed.

Anonymous said...

"Yes, sir, Mr. 8:17 AM, I agree with you 1,000 percent. I'll file a bill today killing that program. And thank you for calling. You betcha."

Anonymous said...

I've dealt with her enough not to like nor respect Lynn Fitch, but this is mostly on Tate not her. She inherited the mess that is MPACT (thankfully, it is a relatively small mess) from Tate. She tried to stop the gushing bleeding and has asked the Legislature to make up the shortfall quite a few times. Because it would draw light to his poor job as Treasurer, as Lt. Governor Tate won't agree to appropriate the money to shore up the shortfall.
That said, if Lynn were really courageous or conservative, she'd have ended new enrollments in the program instead of changing the rules for new enrollments. MS is now one of only 3 or 4 states with an MPACT type program. PERS is enough of a liability over the taxpayers' heads; we don't need MPACT too. Also, MACS is the one of the worst performing market-based college programs in the country. It needs to be overhauled.

Anonymous said...

Hey, 8:03am, you really should not speak of things you know nothing about. The awards in that race were paid for by sponsorships and race entries and other proceeds FROM THE RACE. NOT BY TAXPAYERS.

Anonymous said...

One more of many reasons to vote for ANYBODY BUT TATER!

Anonymous said...

The MACS plan does not have a clawback provision dealing with recovery of income taxes for which contributions were tax exempt. I rolled my kids’ money to a Vanguard 529 plan years ago because I couldn’t track returns in MACS and the TIAA-CREF fees were outrageous. No accountholder is bound to leave their money their with such poor returns and options.


Recent Comments

Search Jackson Jambalaya

Subscribe to JJ's Youtube channel

Archives

Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


Note: Security provided by INS.

Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

Note: Security provided by INS
.