Blogs & Newsletters
Retirement under attack
Look out, people, Congress is launching an all-out attack on the retirement security of current and future retirees. Under the guise of cutting federal and state budget deficits, there is a an all-out assault on Social Security, Medicare and public pension plans – all programs that are central to providing economic well-being to millions of Americans. […]
The “happiest place on earth” doesn’t have retirement security
It appears that Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck may find themselves in deep trouble when they retire. According to Central Florida’s News Channel 13, the Walt Disney Company is likely cutting its workers’ pensions* by changing the formula used to calculate benefits for current workers and by dropping pensions for new workers. Mickey and Donald […]
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 […]
GE’s deep pension freeze
When I first saw the story that General Electric (GE) was closing its traditional pension plan to new hires I thought about lifelong activist and friend Helen Quirini and knew that she would be furious! Helen was a long-time GE employee who fought for cost-of-living adjustments in GE retirement plans. Sadly, Helen died last fall, […]
What’s in a Name?
At the Pension Rights Center, we deal with a lot of technical language that can be puzzling to people who don’t work on retirement income issues. But the meaning of words is important, even if you don’t use them every day, and, when it comes to the law, a word’s meaning can make all the […]
A sobering thought on International Day of Older Persons
October 1 is International Day of Older Persons, a day to raise awareness about issues affecting older people and to appreciate the contributions they make to society. So it is fitting that today we look at how older Americans are faring in retirement. One way to measure the wellbeing of the elderly is to measure […]
“Wake Up, Washington!” on Women and Retirement
As we approach the end of the second week of Retirement USA’s “Wake Up, Washington!” Month” we have learned a great deal about the challenges women face in retirement. Women face special challenges because they make less than men and spend less time in the workforce. Yet they typically live longer than men, requiring more […]
“Wake Up, Washington!” launch
This morning things were abuzz at the National Press Club as Retirement USA (an initiative of the Pension Rights Center and other partnering organizations) launched “Wake Up, Washington!” Month. The month is dedicated to raising awareness among policymakers about the Retirement Income Deficit faced by millions of Americans. We learned that the Retirement Income Deficit […]
Spike in 401(k) loans and withdrawals
Thinking about tapping into your 401(k) early? Think again – at least if you want a shot at a secure retirement. In a recent report, Fidelity Investments notes that the percentage of Fidelity customers who borrowed from their 401(k)s increased over the past year from nine to 11 percent. Currently, a whopping 22 percent of account […]
Happy 75th, Social Security!
Our birthday present to you is that we are going to stop policymakers from chopping you to pieces. Social Security, you’ve been providing an economic lifeline that millions of Americans rely on. It’s too bad that on your 75th birthday, you’re under siege like never before. What a bunch of ingrates, right? You’ve become so […]
And the rich get richer…
Certain rules in the Internal Revenue Code are designed to prevent employers from discriminating against non-highly paid employees in their pension plans. Unfortunately for the retirement security of their employees, some employers look for ways to get around the nondiscrimination rules. Instead of sponsoring pension plans that treat all participants equally, some employers circumvent the rules […]
Think the government is after your 401(k)? Think again.
By Kyle Garrett Have you heard that the government is planning to seize your 401(k) and use the money to send monkeys to Mars? Well, we haven’t heard about the monkey part, but some people are making the claim that the government is gunning for workers’ 401(k)s. Let’s start with the facts. First, two governmental agencies (the […]
