PRC News E-Newsletter

April 14, 2009

Retirement USA Envisions a Universal, Secure and Adequate Retirement System
On March 10, the Pension Rights Center, along with the Economic Policy Institute, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, and the Service Employees International Union, launched the Retirement USA initiative. The goal of Retirement USA is to lay the foundation for a new universal, secure, and adequate retirement system to supplement Social Security for future retirees. Read our “Principles for a New Retirement System” and listen to our podcast to learn more. Stay up-to-date on this exciting new initiative by signing up to receive updates.

Just in Time for Tax Day: Read the Center’s New IRA Fact Sheets
There’s just one more day to set up an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) for 2008. Our newest fact sheets provide information about the many types of IRAs. Wondering about the annual contribution limits for IRAs and other retirement plans? See our list of the maximum contribution limits to retirement plans to find out how much you can contribute.

Spring Training for Counseling Projects
As part of the Center’s pension assistance activities, PRC has been on the road conducting on-site training for pension counseling projects in Michigan, Iowa, and Minnesota. Another session begins in Ohio next week. Next month the Center will convene our annual National Training Conference in D.C. for all six regional pension counseling projects. Earlier this month the projects, which provide information and assistance to workers and retirees with pension problems in 27 states, received the good news that they would receive an increase in their federal funding for the coming year.

In case you missed it…
Have you been reading our blog? If not, you’ve missed PRC Board member Dan Halperin’s take on why Roth IRAs and 401(k)s are poor tax policy, information on how the Making Work Pay tax credit could end up hurting some retirees, and a short commentary on the inequities in the nation’s bankruptcy laws that allow executives to break retirement promises to workers and walk away with millions of dollars in benefits for themselves. Don’t miss out!  Read our blog and subscribe today.

PRC Asks OPM to Alert Federal Employees to Gap in Survivor Protections
In a recent letter the Center asked the Office of Personnel Management to send a notice alerting employees covered by the Civil Service Retirement System that their spouses will lose survivor annuities if the employees leave federal employment and die before collecting their pensions. Read the letter.

Search with GoodSearch.com to Support the Pension Rights Center
GoodSearch.com is an easy way to support the Center when searching the web – and it costs you nothing. Simply visit www.GoodSearch.com and enter “Pension Rights Center” as the nonprofit you’d like to support in the “Who do you GoodSearch for?” box. Then, every time you use GoodSearch to search the web, GoodSearch will make a contribution to the Center that will help us continue our mission of protecting and promoting Americans’ retirement security.

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