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  • September 2017 (Revised July 2021)
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Asset Allocation at the Cook County Pension Fund

By: Emil Siriwardane, Juliane Begenau and Yuval Gonczarowski
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:13
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Abstract

Nickol Hackett, chief investment officer of the Cook County Pension Fund, is responsible for investing the fund’s $9 billion worth of assets on behalf of the employees of Cook County, Illinois. Like many other defined-benefit pensions at the time, the Cook County pension faces a funding shortfall, meaning that the value of its assets is below the value of its future obligations to retirees. Hackett can invest in fixed income securities, public equities, and alternative assets such as hedge funds, real estate, or private equity. What are the costs and benefits of each asset class? Should the funding status of the pension impact the asset allocation process? How should Hackett invest in order to grow the value of the fund’s assets and secure the retirement benefits for thousands of Cook County’s employees?

Keywords

Asset Management; Investment Funds; Financial Strategy; Decision Choices and Conditions

Citation

Siriwardane, Emil, Juliane Begenau, and Yuval Gonczarowski. "Asset Allocation at the Cook County Pension Fund." Harvard Business School Case 218-030, September 2017. (Revised July 2021.)
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About The Author

Emil N. Siriwardane

Finance
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Related Work

    • September 2017 (Revised September 2022)
    • Faculty Research

    Asset Allocation at the Cook County Pension Fund

    By: Emil Nuwan Siriwardane
    • December 2018 (Revised March 2020)
    • Faculty Research

    Asset Allocation at the Cook County Pension Fund

    By: Emil Nuwan Siriwardane
    • September 2017 (Revised July 2021)
    • Faculty Research

    Asset Allocation at the Cook County Pension Fund

    By: Emil Siriwardane, Juliane Begenau and Yuval Gonczarowski
Related Work
  • Asset Allocation at the Cook County Pension Fund By: Emil Nuwan Siriwardane
  • Asset Allocation at the Cook County Pension Fund By: Emil Nuwan Siriwardane
  • Asset Allocation at the Cook County Pension Fund By: Emil Siriwardane, Juliane Begenau and Yuval Gonczarowski
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