Coalition for Secure Retirement-Michigan

05/13/2026

"Empower announced today that the Municipal Employees' Retirement System of Michigan (MERS) will be joining the nation's second-largest1 retirement and wealth management services provider."

05/07/2026

"The Michigan Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on whether legislative leaders have the discretion to decide whether bills will or will not go to the governor’s desk once they are adopted by the House and the Senate."

The Michigan Supreme Court heard arguments Wednesday on whether legislative leaders have any discretion in deciding whether bills adopted by the House and Senate must go to the governor’s desk. Rick Pluta has more.

05/05/2026

It's election day! Please click on the article below to find your polling locations and what will be on your ballot today.

Whether you've voted in every available election since you turned 18 or this is your first time ever voting, you can use this article as a guide for May 5.

05/04/2026

The Future of our Pensions Rests with the Courts
By Ray Sholtz, Executive Director, Michigan Corrections Organization

Morale is at an all-time low inside Michigan’s correctional facilities. Thousands of officers head to work each day in the midst of a severe staffing crisis that sees no sign of stopping. Officers are resigning in droves due to burnout, unsafe working conditions, and a lack of retirement benefits.

For years, our union has fought tooth and nail for relief. At every level of power, we’ve pushed for better pay, safer conditions, and pensions for our officers to recruit and retain folks into our service.

In December 2024, the Michigan House and Senate finally heard us - or so we thought. Both chambers passed House Bills 4665, 4666, and 4667, a series of bills which put corrections officers back into the hybrid pension system, the same pension we provide our State Police. The next step should have been easy: The bills would head to the Governor's desk for her signature.

Instead, our bills became part of a political power struggle that won’t end. The previous Speaker and his clerk failed at their jobs to transmit the bills on time and the current Speaker is also refusing to follow the constitution. Their decision clearly defied Michigan’s State Constitution, which states: "Every bill passed by the legislature shall be presented to the governor."

One lawsuit and a few appeals later, our case will be heard by the Michigan Supreme Court on May 6th.

If you’re already exhausted reading about our bureaucratic marathon, imagine how our officers must feel. Our state officials play politics while the reality inside our prisons only gets worse.

We are losing officers to private and public sector jobs because our wages and benefits aren’t competitive. For officers that remain in the field, there are forced double shifts that keep them away from their families for days at a time.

The Court will take up a question that should have every Michigander paying attention: Does our Constitution mean what it says? Our Court must not set the dangerous precedent that a single person can veto legislation. A Court ruling against us would mean that hundreds of hours of testimony given by officers, and the bipartisan votes of both legislative Chambers, could be erased by one person.
Justice cannot be denied. On May 6th, we look to our highest Court to confirm that the law applied to all of us, no matter how powerful. Our officers have waited too long. It is time for justice to be served.

04/29/2026

04/27/2026

"As of 2024, Michigan was among the 10 states with the largest increase in the share of its private sector workforce employed by private equity-controlled companies, reflecting the growing role these firms play in shaping jobs and industries across the state. At the same time, Michigan is also among the top 10 states for the share of state pension assets invested in private equity, meaning that the retirement savings of public workers are increasingly tied to the performance of private equity funds."

Michigan Culture Press is an online news publication focusing on culture & lifestyle in the Michigan: Fresh news on culture and lifestyle in Michigan

04/22/2026

"Retirement confidence among Americans has declined in 2026, as financial pressures and uncertainty around key government programs weigh more heavily on both workers and retirees."

Survey finds mounting concerns over Social Security, healthcare and debt strain outlook.

02/20/2026

"New data from the National Institute of Retirement Security shows that the average American worker has less than $1,000 saved for retirement. This stark figure highlights the financial strain that millions of Americans could face as they approach their later years."

The average American worker has less than $1,000 saved for retirement.

02/18/2026

"In 2026, there’s a fundamental shift in retirement reality. Retirements are longer, less predictable, and more individual-dependent than ever before. The traditional “guaranteed income” foundation is gone.

“The prior generation of retirees had defined benefit pensions and Social Security benefits that covered their 'essential' expenses. Their investments were primarily used to cover discretionary expenses,” said Phil Lubinski, certified financial planner and co-founder at IncomeConductor.

If the markets went down, these retirees simply didn’t travel or golf as much until things recovered. “As a result, clients I worked with in the 80’s and 90’s were not worried about outliving their income,” explained Lubinski.

Today, outliving retirement savings is a common concern. When you factor in the lack of pensions and Social Security with inflation and rising healthcare costs, reframing lifetime income as part of retirement planning is not an option. It’s a necessity."

Retirements are longer and less predictable. The traditional “guaranteed income” foundation is gone. Enter, lifetime income.