If you are an employee at a school, church, hospital or other non profit, then you are eligible for a “tax-sheltered annuity” — also known as a 403(b) plan. (Don’t work for a non profit? Learn more about annuities and how to invest in them in a tax advantaged way. ) History of the 403(b)…
Pensions News, Information and Guidance
If you are debating whether or not to take a lump sum pension offer in place of lifetime benefits, it’s important to understand key information in order to make an informed decision. According to a new Government Accountability Office report, many of the informational materials provided by sponsors offering lump sums do not present enough…
Planning for retirement has changed a lot in the last 20 years, and it is safe to assume that it will be nearly unrecognizable in another two decades. When you’re already struggling to keep up with life, how can you expect to keep up with all the changes with retirement plans, let alone understand them?…
You’ve probably seen it in the movies. A worker reaches retirement and the company presents him or her with a gold watch and a nice, comfortable pension. That kind of security makes devoting years of your work life to a single company or industry worthwhile. The peace of mind that a pension affords might not…
Dr. Ros Altmann of PensionsAndSavings.com is known as a consumer champion and has spent a good part of her career “highlighting financial injustice, helping ordinary members of the public pro bono and explaining complex financial or economic issues for the layperson.” With her vast experience and strong knowledge base, her insight on retirement and investment-related…
This is a contribution from Bud Hebeler who runs Analyzenow.com Lots of people plan to retire on a pension and Social Security with little savings. They have never done any serious retirement planning or sought any professional help. That can be a very big mistake unless they have taken into account the damage that can come from…
This week, New Jersey lawmakers passed a bill that severely cuts the benefits of government workers and retirees. This new legislation not only decreases union’s collective bargaining rights, it also raises retirement ages, increases the amount workers must now pay for their health insurance and suspends cost-of-living (COLA) increases to retirees’ pension checks, The most…
AP Newswire, March 8th, 2011 Pension Envy! The Next Big Fight/Debate!? You have probably read about the brouhaha in Wisconsin over pensions. More and more state and local governments find that they are not able to pay for benefits that public employees have been promised. A recent article from the Associated Press, “Anger brews over…
The New York Times, January 20th, 2010 Policy makers are working behind the scenes to come up with a way to let states declare bankruptcy and get out from under crushing debts, including the pensions they have promised to retired public workers. Unlike cities, the states are barred from seeking protection in federal bankruptcy court….
The New York Times, January 1st, 2010 Ever since Marie Corfield’s confrontation with Gov. Chris Christie this fall over the state’s education cuts became a YouTube classic, she has received a stream of vituperative e-mails and Facebook postings. “People I don’t even know are calling me horrible names,” said Ms. Corfield, an art teacher who…
