PRC Urges Protections for Electronic Recordkeeping of Pension Information
Electronic recordkeeping of employee benefits plan information can aid plan administration efficiency and reduce costs for employers, but also poses increased difficulties and risks for plan members that the U.S. Labor Department must address, the Pension Rights Center will tell the ERISA Advisory Council during testimony the morning of September 20. Pension Rights Center Acting […]
Barbienomics: from panacea to real world poverty
By Karen Friedman I joined the throngs of people who flocked to see the monumentally popular movie, Barbie. I dressed up in hot pink from head to toe – because I can’t resist any opportunity for theatricality and a fun community event (which won’t surprise anyone who has been to our fundraising galas). My younger […]
Pension Rescue Law Providing Critical Assistance to Growing List of Plans
By David Brandolph The Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021 (BLA) continues to provide an important lifeline to financially challenged multiemployer pension plans, and in turn, has already brought monetary and mental stress relief to hundreds of thousands of retiree-plan-members, their spouses, families and their communities. As of August 3, the Pension […]
PRC urges additional consumer protections when employers unload pension liabilities
Should the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) rules be strengthened to better protect workers and retirees when employers unload their pension responsibilities in so-called “de-risking” transactions? That was the question asked and addressed during an all-day hearing July 18 convened by DOL’s ERISA Advisory Council. Norman Stein, PRC’s Senior Policy and Legal Counsel who testified […]
Senior Policy Consultant Norman Stein Testifies Before the ERISA Advisory Council
As part of PRC’s efforts to advocate for stronger consumer protections for retirees, Stein entered a written statement and appeared before the Council on July 18, during a day-long meeting in which the Labor Department’s advisory body heard testimony on possible changes to DOL’s Interpretative Bulleting (IB) 95-1. Stein was joined by nearly two dozen […]
When Swimming in 401(k) Asset Transfer Water: Beware of Sharks
By David Brandolph I expect a 401(k)-type plan customer service call center to be a place to get impartial information about the plan and one’s account. But a recent experience with a center representative has made me question the impartiality of anyone—including such a representative–who recommends transferring plan assets to an IRA, particularly if that […]
PRC News, Spring 2023
PRC urges IRS to protect spouses The Pension Rights Center (PRC) filed comments with the IRS/Treasury Department on March 30th urging the agency to strengthen – not weaken – critical legal protections for spouses’ retirement security. In its letter, PRC registered its strong disapproval of an IRS proposed rule that would eliminate the long-standing requirement […]
Senior Policy Consultant Norman Stein Testifies Before the IRS
PRC’s Senior Policy Consultant Norman Stein testified before the IRS and the Department of the Treasury on April 11th, urging them to take measures to protect spousal retirement rights. Read his testimony here:
Ralph Nader Radio Hour Features Pension Rights Center
By David Brandolph Pension Rights Center Executive Director Karen Friedman was recently interviewed on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour (the interview begins at 27:48) about current retirement issues. Referring to the protests over retirement issues in France, Friedman started the interview by telling Nader and co-hosts Steve Skovran and David Feldman that “Retirement issues are so […]
PRC Urges IRS to Protect Spouses
The Pension Rights Center (PRC) filed comments with the IRS/Treasury Department today urging the agency to strengthen – not weaken – critical legal protections for spouses’ retirement security. In its letter, PRC registered its strong disapproval of an IRS proposed rule that would eliminate the long-standing requirement that a spouse can only sign away their […]
PRC Comments to IRS on Physical Presence Requirements
The PRC filed comments with the IRS registering its strong disapproval of a proposed rule that would eliminate the long-standing requirement that a spouse can only sign away their right to a survivor’s benefit knowingly and voluntarily in the physical presence of a notary or plan official in order to safeguard against fraud and coercion […]
Racial and Income Inequities Threaten Older Workers’ Retirement Security, Study Shows
By Jane Smith A joint study from The New School’s Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis (SCEPA) and the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) provides insight into the systemic inequities and retirement challenges faced by lower income workers, particularly Black and Hispanic people and women. As a result, many people must overcome substantial hurdles to achieve […]
