About

About Public Funds Investment Institute

We are a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering participants in the $4 trillion public funds investment market with insights, tools and resources to help them make well-informed investment decisions.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide timely data and news, cutting-edge research, and best-practices advocacy to promote the common interests of public funds investors.

Our Vision and Values

We focus exclusively on the unique needs and interests of public funds investors, supporting a community for investors to connect, share best practices, and stay up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in public funds investing. We strive to be a leading resource and advocate for public funds investors, promoting best practices, strong governance, and positive impact on society.

Expertise

We want to be the go-to resource for news and analysis, offering insights and knowledge gained from years of experience in the industry.

Integrity

We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards, ensuring independence, transparency and honesty in all of our interactions.

Collaboration

We foster a collaborative community of investors who share best practices and work together towards common goals.

Impact

We believe in the positive impact that public funds investing can have on society and are dedicated to promoting responsible investment practices that benefit the greater community.

Our Leadership

Marty Margolis

FOUNDER
Marty Margolis founded the company that grew into PFM Asset Management, the nation’s premier public sector investment manager. He led the company for 40 years until it was acquired by a regional bank in 2021. He pioneered in creating the first grass roots local government investment pool in the nation (Pennsylvania) the first state-sponsored non arbitrage pool (Virginia), the creation of a multi-asset class outsourced chief investment officer product, and the development of a robust national separate account business. When he left PFMAM in 2021 it had $150 billion of assets under management.

CONNECT

Insights

Banks vs. LGIPs: The Saga Continues

Banks don’t like local government investment pools. Except for those banks that provide investment management, payment services, custody, or brokerage services to LGIPs. These include the nation’s largest banks (think JP Morgan, Bank of America, BNY, US Bank, State Street). But the rest, particularly the 4,000 or so community banks, are fierce competitors. Banks and […]

Move to Expand Deposit Insurance Gains Momentum

A proposal to increase federal bank deposit insurance to $10 million on non-interest-bearing transaction accounts in community and regional banks has gained momentum in Congress and with the Trump administration. If enacted, it would raise the limit on transaction accounts for businesses and municipalities from its current $250,000 limit. This could eliminate the need to […]

Where Next? A Review of Recent Investment Performance

Short/intermediate term fixed income portfolios have had strong returns recently. For the past 18 months or so as the Federal Reserve eased monetary conditions and interest rates fell they out-performed local government investment pools and other cash investments by a healthy margin. In the 12 months ending January 2026 our 1-3-year model portfolio returned 5.08%. […]