Month: January 2011

OPM pension errors force thousands to pay up
Due to its own errors, the Office of Personnel Management for nearly five years undercharged thousands of federal employees for pension contributions. Now, OPM is demanding they immediately pay — in some cases thousands of dollars — to correct their pension accounts.

Give all Americans a secure retirement
Thanks to the big expansion of Social Security in the 1970s and the growth of employer pension plans, many Americans have retired, grown old and still managed to remain part of the middle class. But the system is eroding because of the change in the way pensions are delivered.

Statement by Karen Friedman, Executive Vice President, on the Failed Deficit Commission Vote
WASHINGTON – Following the failure of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to get the votes necessary for its recommendations to be voted on by Congress, Karen Friedman, executive vice president of the Pension Rights Center, issued this statement: “Social Security has been saved from the unnecessary cuts that the deficit commission had […]

Groups Reveal U.S. Retirement Income Deficit at Launch of Campaign to Make Retirement Crisis a National Priority
WASHINGTON – The magnitude of the nation’s retirement income crisis was revealed at a press conference in Washington, D.C., today, with the release of the Retirement Income Deficit – the gap between the pensions and retirement savings that American households have today and what they should have today to maintain their living standards in retirement. […]

“401(k) Fee Disclosure is as American as Apple Pie,” Pension Rights Center Says at Capitol Hill Event
WASHINGTON – The Pension Rights Center joined Congressman George Miller (D-Calif.), Congressman Rob Andrews (D-NJ), AARP, and other groups today at a press conference calling on the Senate to restore 401(k) fee disclosure provisions to the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010 (H.R. 4213). “The 401(k) fee disclosure provisions are critical to […]

The Pension Rights Center Mourns the Death of Beth Shulman
WASHINGTON – The Pension Rights Center mourns the death of Beth Shulman, a great human and a beloved colleague who died Friday, February 5, 2010. She was diagnosed with brain cancer in October and subsequently suffered complications from pneumonia. Beth is survived by her husband, Ernie Englander, and son, Aaron, as well as a loving circle of dear […]

Statement on President Obama’s Auto-IRA Proposal
WASHINGTON – The Pension Rights Center applauds the Obama administration for recognizing retirement insecurity as a major national issue – both in the President’s State of the Union address last night and in the recommendations released by the Middle Class Task Force on Monday. Giving workers better information about the fees they pay for their […]

Pension Rights Center Asks Senate HELP Committee to Provide Funding Relief for Companies that Continue Workers’ Pensions
WASHINGTON – Congress should make short-term emergency funding relief available for companies that continue their workers’ pension plans, the Pension Rights Center told lawmakers today. Testifying on behalf of the Center before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Center Executive Vice President and Policy Director Karen Friedman recognized the economic hardships that […]

Conference Calls for New Approach to Retirement Security, Looks at Proposals for Visionary Future System
Washington – A Retirement USA conference held in Washington, D.C., today spotlighted the need for a new, visionary approach to retirement security. Convened by the AFL-CIO, the Economic Policy Institute, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, the Pension Rights Center, and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Retirement USA is a new […]

Pension Rights Center Asks House Ways and Means Committee to Provide Funding Relief for Companies that Continue Workers’ Pensions
WASHINGTON – Congress should make short-term emergency funding relief available for companies that continue their workers’ pension plans, the Pension Rights Center told lawmakers today. Testifying on behalf of the Center before the House Ways and Means Committee, Professor Norman P. Stein recognized the economic hardships that companies are facing, but urged the panel to […]

The Pension Rights Center Mourns the Death of Lisle Carter
WASHINGTON – The Pension Rights Center released the following statement on the death of former board member Lisle Carter: “Lisle C. Carter, Jr. was a man of great distinction and infinite wisdom whose entire life was dedicated to public service, helping to lay the groundwork for many of the country’s most far-reaching retirement income reforms. […]