Blog

By Robert W. Browning, PCAM, RS  

For years, tariffs were a topic mostly confined to college classrooms and economic policy debates. But, as recent headlines have shown, tariffs have stepped firmly into the mainstream – and with them, new and unexpected implications are emerging across various sectors, including reserve studies.  

If our office is any indication, in recent months, reserve specialists are fielding an increasing number of questions: Are tariffs impacting reserve studies? If so, how should associations respond? This article explores what tariffs are, how they might influence reserve funding plans, and what tools associations can use to mitigate their effects.  

What Is a tariff? A tariff is defined by Random House Webster’s Dictionary (1996) as “a schedule of duties imposed by a government on imports or exports.” In practical terms, tariffs are taxes placed on goods entering (or leaving) a country, designed to influence trade dynamics, support domestic industries, or a...