PRC Perspectives Blog

President Obama calls for new consumer protections

Posted by Karen Friedman on February 24, 2015

At a briefing hosted by AARP yesterday, I had the privilege of watching President Obama announce his support for a proposed rule to put a brake on conflicts of interest in investment advice for retirement acco

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Tags: 401(k) fees, 401(k) investments, 401(k) plans, 403(b) plans, Department of Labor, Fiduciary, Future retirement security, Investment advice, Investment options, IRAs, Loopholes in the law |

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PBGC report highlights importance of pension counseling

Posted by Joellen Leavelle on February 09, 2015

We at the Pension Rights Center have long recognized the important role that U.S. Administration on Aging’s Pension Counseling and Information Program (PCIP) plays in protecting the legal rights of retirees and their families.

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Tags: Administration on Aging, Benefit calculation, Benefit claims, Benefit denial, Church pension plans, De-risking, Future retirement security, PBGC, Pension counseling, Spousal benefits |

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High marks for retirement plans

Posted by Karen Friedman on January 23, 2015

This week, President Obama unveiled his economic fixes for the middle-class. Among them was a proposal for Automatic IRAs, which he has championed since the Administration’s early days.

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Tags: 401(k) plans, Automatic enrollment, Future retirement security |

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Happy 40th, ERISA!

Posted by Joellen Leavelle on September 05, 2014

Forty years ago this week, bell-bottom jeans were still in style, the Vietnam War was coming to a close, and Watergate was still riveting the nation.

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Tags: ERISA, On this day... |

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The Case of the Deleted Social Security Data: Why It is Bad for Workers and Retirees

Posted by Karen Friedman on August 14, 2014

In their 2014 report on the finances of Social Security, the trustees of the system deleted key information on the replacement rates of Social Security. What’s the harm in that, right?

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Tags: 401(k) plans, Social Security, Statistics |

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Pensions lost and (hopefully) found

Posted by Joellen Leavelle on August 08, 2014

Imagine earning a pension after many years of hard work with a company. Then you leave your employer before retiring and without claiming your pension. When you reach retirement age, you expect to be able to start receiving that pension but you are unable to find the employer or the plan. Your pension plan is “lost”.

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Tags: Benefit calculation, Benefit claims, Benefit denial, Lost pension plan, PBGC, Pension counseling |

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Unemployed today, no retirement savings tomorrow

Posted by Joellen Leavelle on July 21, 2014

Last week, I accompanied Karen Friedman to Witness Wednesday, where she spoke about the fact that too many people who have lost their jobs and whose unemployment benefits have expired have had to dip into their 401(k) savings to pay for basic needs.

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Tags: Baby Boomers, Future retirement security, Poverty |

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Senator Harkin Introduces Legislation to Protect Whistleblowers

Posted by Matthew Litton on June 19, 2014

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) is leading the way in Washington when it comes to championing the rights of current and future retirees.

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Breaking Pension Promises is No Solution at All

Posted by Kyle Garrett on June 11, 2014

Complexity is to be expected when discussing an issue like pensions. So for the moment let’s make things simple: 150 to 200 multiemployer plans are severely underfunded and may run out of money in 15 to 20 years if no action is taken.

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Tags: Multiemployer plan |

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May is Older Americans Month

Posted by Joellen Leavelle on May 06, 2014

May is Older Americans Month, a time to celebrate the contributions older Americans have made to society – and to focus attention on the many services available to older Americans as a part of the Older Americans Act.

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Tags: Administration on Aging, Older Americans Month, On this day... |

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Did You Know?

NAFI Retirement Plans are retirement plans sponsored by government entities known as Non-Appropriated Fund Instrumentalities (NAFIs). NAFIs are part of the federal government but they do not receive funding from Congress. Instead, NAFIs fund themselves with revenue they earn through the services and products that they provide. Because NAFI employees are not eligible to participate in the retirement plans available to most civilian federal government employees, NAFIs sponsor their own plans. Learn more.