(1) Corporate trustees authorized by Nebraska law to exercise fiduciary powers and holding retirement or pension funds for the benefit of employees or former employees of cities, villages, school districts, or other governmental or political subdivisions may invest and reinvest such funds in such securities and investments as are authorized for trustees, guardians, conservators, personal representatives, or administrators under the laws of Nebraska. Retirement or pension funds of such cities, villages, districts, or subdivisions may be invested in annuities issued by life insurance companies authorized to do business in Nebraska. Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, any other retirement or pension funds of cities, including cities operating under home rule charters, villages, school districts except as provided in section 79-9,107, and all other governmental or political subdivisions may be invested and reinvested, as the governing body of such city, village, school district, or other governmental or political subdivision may determine, in the following classes of securities and investments: (a) Bonds, notes, or other obligations of the United States or those guaranteed by or for which the credit of the United States is pledged for the payment of the principal and interest or dividends thereof; (b) bonds or other evidences of indebtedness of the State of Nebraska and full faith and credit obligations of or obligations unconditionally guaranteed as to principal and interest by any other state of the United States; (c) bonds, notes, or obligations of any municipal or political subdivision of the State of Nebraska which are general obligations of the issuer thereof and revenue bonds or debentures of any city, county, or utility district of this state when the earnings available for debt service have, for a five-year period immediately preceding the date of purchase, averaged not less than one and one-half times such debt service requirements; (d) bonds and debentures issued either singly or collectively by any of the twelve federal land banks, the twelve intermediate credit banks, or the thirteen banks for cooperatives under the supervision of the Farm Credit Administration; (e) certificates of deposit of banks which are members of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or capital stock financial institutions, and if the amount deposited exceeds the amount of insurance available thereon, then the excess shall be secured in the same manner as for the deposit of public funds; (f) accounts with building and loan associations, qualifying mutual financial institutions, or federal savings and loan associations in the State of Nebraska to the extent that such accounts are insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; (g) bonds or other interest-bearing obligations of any corporation organized under the laws of the United States or any state thereof if (i) at the time the purchase is made, they are given, by at least one statistical organization whose publication is in general use, one of the three highest ratings given by such organization and (ii) not more than five percent of the fund shall be invested in the obligations of any one issuer; (h) direct short-term obligations, generally classified as commercial paper, of any corporation organized or existing under the laws of the United States or any state thereof with a net worth of ten million dollars or more; and (i) preferred or common stock of any corporation organized under the laws of the United States or of any state thereof with a net worth of ten million dollars or more if (i) not more than fifty percent of the total investments at the time such investment is made is in this class and not more than five percent is invested in each of the first five years and (ii) not more than five percent thereof is invested in the securities of any one corporation. Notwithstanding the percentage limits stated in this subsection, the cash proceeds of the sale of such preferred or common stock may be reinvested in any securities authorized under this subdivision. No city, village, school district, or other governmental subdivision or the governing body thereof shall be authorized to sell any securities short, buy on margin, or buy, sell, or engage in puts and calls. Section 77-2366 shall apply to deposits in capital stock financial institutions. Section 77-2365.01 shall apply to deposits in qualifying mutual financial institutions.

Ask a will, trust or estate question, get an answer ASAP!
Thousands of highly rated, verified estate & trust lawyers.
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

(2) Notwithstanding the limitations prescribed in subsection (1) of this section, trustees or custodians holding retirement or pension funds for the benefit of employees or former employees of any city of the primary class, city of the metropolitan class, metropolitan utilities district, county in which a city of the metropolitan class is located, or public power district shall invest such funds in investments of the nature which individuals of prudence, discretion, and intelligence acquire or retain in dealing with the property of another. Such investments shall not be made for speculation but for investment, considering the probable safety of their capital as well as the probable income to be derived. The trustees or custodians shall not buy on margin, buy call options, or buy put options. The trustees or custodians may lend any security if cash, United States Government obligations, or United States Government agency obligations with a market value equal to or exceeding the market value of the security lent are received as collateral. If shares of stock are purchased under this subsection, all proxies may be voted by the trustees or custodians. The asset allocation restrictions set forth in subsection (1) of this section shall not be applicable to the funds of pension or retirement systems administered by or on behalf of a city of the primary class, city of the metropolitan class, metropolitan utilities district, county in which a city of the metropolitan class is located, or public power district.

(3) For purposes of subsection (2) of this section, a custodian means a custodian meeting the requirements of section 401(f)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code.