Professor Norman P. Stein's thoughts on President Obama's MyRA plan and developments in pension funding have been appearing in various news outlets. 

Following President Obama's announcement of MyRA, financial news site, Kiplinger, turned to Stein to discuss its merits as a viable alternative to traditional retirement accounts.  MyRA, a savings account which some compare to investing in savings bonds via payroll deductions, could benefit those looking to retire but not invested in a structured retirement account. “I think this could be a very interesting investing option inside a traditional retirement plan,” Stein said. "[MyRA] could be useful for older people who would like a better rate of return than a CD, want to have access to their money and don’t want to be concerned with the loss of principal,” he added.

Stein was also a guest on CBS radio, San Francisco where he commented on pension plan reliability. Many plans are becoming more stable, Stein said, with some now 98 percent funded, up from the dismal 73 percent we saw not too long ago, Stein said.  If interest rates continue to go up, we may see many pensions fully funded soon enough, he added. However, as Stein told Bloomberg BNA, getting funds fully funded will ultimately depend on pension plan sponsors investing in less risky assets.  

Professor Stein is a nationally recognized authority on pension law, employee benefits and tax law. In addition to producing a rich body of scholarship, he is actively involved in policy development and testifies frequently before Congress. He also organized this year's law review symposium examining the landmark ERISA pension law.