PRC In the News
09/11/12|New York Times

The Tightwire Act of Living Only on Social Security

Living on an inflexible budget, one that teeters on the brink of poverty, is not what most people equate with retirement. But that is pretty much what anyone who lives solely on Social Security can expect.

PRC In the News
09/11/12|New York Times

For Top Executives, Richer Retirement Plans

With traditional pensions disappearing, tax rates and the future of Social Security in flux and even well-known businesses facing financial trouble, many workers are worried that their company retirement plans will not provide enough income. But for the upper tier of executives, these trends could actually lead to richer corporate perks as management moves to […]

PRC In the News
09/07/12|Boston Herald

Pension tension in store

Two companies controlled by the daughters of the late millionaire owner of Spag’s Supply Inc. have filed for bankruptcy with $6.1 million-plus in unfunded pension liabilities for 400 former employees of the defunct no-frills discount store.

PRC In the News
09/05/12|Winston-Salem Journal

Protecting our benefits

Are your health and retirement benefits protected? If you’re one of the lucky ones who still has a job with benefits, you should be very grateful.

PRC In the News
09/04/12|Pensions & Investments

DNC platform short on details for private-sector retirement plans

Private-sector retirement plans got a passing mention Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention, where the party platform focused on Social Security.

PRC In the News
09/03/12|Detroit Free Press

Weak jobs rate in Michigan may be ‘the new normal’

Labor Day means more than a chance to relax and eat hot dogs. It’s also a time to reflect on the challenges facing the American worker. (NOTE: this article also appeared in USA Today.)

Blogs & Newsletters
08/31/12

How Safe Are the New GM Retirees’ Annuities?

Back in June, thousands of salaried General Motors retirees were given seven weeks to decide whether to take their pension as a lump sum or continue with their lifetime monthly payments. As Pension Rights Center Executive Vice President Karen Friedman wrote in a Detroit Free Press op-ed, the annuity was the better option for most […]

PRC In the News
08/29/12|New York Times

Postponing Retirement Indefinitely

More than a third of adults near retirement age — 35 percent — said last year that they simply don’t expect to retire. That was up from just 29 percent two years earlier.

PRC In the News
08/28/12|Bloomberg BNA Pension & Benefits Daily

Cash Balance Plan Ordered to Pay $18 Million for Improper Benefit Calculation

A cash balance pension plan must pay a certified class of plan participants $18,677,671 in additional plan benefits and prejudgment interest as a result of its failure to use a whipsaw calculation in determining lump-sum distributions of participants who terminated employment before their normal retirement age, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of […]

PRC In the News
08/25/12|New York Times

When a 401(k) Is Locked in the Freezer

Everyone with a 401(k) knows that bad investments and high fees can threaten their retirement. But what if the company that sponsors your plan goes bankrupt?

PRC In the News
08/24/12|Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Benbrook widow sues Fort Worth fund for husband’s pension benefits

When So Son Harabedoff’s husband died last year, she thought she would receive his pension from the Fort Worth Employees’ Retirement Fund.

Comments & Letters
08/24/12

PRC and NWLC comments to the ERISA Advisory Council on beneficiary designation in retirement plans (08/24/2012)

The National Women’s Law Center and the Pension Rights Center submitted comments to the ERISA Advisory Council on challenges and best practices for beneficiary designations in retirement and life insurance plans. Our comments focused on two areas: electronic communication and recommendations for best practices. Read the comments.