Month: May 2011
For Mother’s Day, Help Mom Get Organized
Mother’s Day is today, May 8. In addition to traditional gifts like candy and flowers, consider spending a few hours helping your mom organize her financial, legal and medical records so that she — and you — knows where she stands.
Should You Roll Over Your 401(k)?
When leaving a job, most people automatically transfer, or “roll,” their 401(k) accounts to an individual retirement account. Now, some companies are urging departing employees to leave their savings right where they are — and there could be some good reasons for doing so.
When Benefits Bite Back
The Supreme Court is set to answer a question with huge implications for workers: Are employers’ promises of benefits such as pension payments and health-care insurance worth the paper they are written on?
Oklahoma appreciates its military spouses
Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day. A fitting day to tell you all that current and former military spouses (especially those in Oklahoma) can breathe a sigh of relief. This is because the Oklahoma State legislature failed to pass a measure that would have hurt former spouses – mostly civilian women – involved in military […]
Groups Urge Legislators not to Disrupt Public Pension Oversight
Organizations testifying before a U.S. House panel contended that public pensions are faring better than recent reports say, and that current transparency measures are working effectively.
5 ways to make 401(k) plans more like pensions
It may feel as though 401(k)s have been around forever, but they’ve only been with us since the 1980s (okay, maybe that is forever). Until the 401(k) came along, if you had a workplace retirement plan it came in the form of a traditional defined benefit pension.
Pension plans’ funding ratios keep rising, reports say
The funding ratio of corporate U.S. defined benefit pension plans improved for the eighth consecutive month in April, according to two reports released Thursday.
Tour golfers worry little about retirement, thanks to the best pension plan in sports
Since turning professional in 1996, Joe Ogilvie has won exactly one PGA Tour event, the 2007 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee. He has finished second three times, been third twice and out of the top 10 in 313 of the 338 events he has started.
401(k)s Primarily Benefit the Wealthy
High income employees receive the majority of the tax benefits of 401(k)s, according to a new Government Accountability Office report. The analysis found that 401(k) tax benefits accrue primarily to highly paid employees and do relatively little to help lower income workers save for retirement.
