Kyle Garrett's Posts

In a new book, Retirement Heist, prize-winning journalist Ellen Schultz has provided the ultimate backstage pass to the world of pensions, with plenty of drama and shocking details. More...

In “The elderly are better off than advertised” Washington Post columnist Robert J. Samuelson attacks what he calls “selective and self-serving statistics” that have been cited by defenders of Social Security and Medicare. According to Samuelson, such statistics are used to oppose cuts in these vital programs and support an “outdated More...

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.

As someone who monitors the news on a daily basis, I often come across stories about retirement systems in other countries. Below are just a few of the recent articles that I thought were interesting. What can we learn from retirement income policies in other countries?

In December 2009, Visteon Corp. announced that it was going to terminate its pension plans, which cover some 21,000 workers and retirees, as part of the company's overall bankruptcy and reorganization effort. 

Does successful investing guarantee a successful retirement? 

Not really. At least that's the answer according to Evan Cooper, an editor for Investment News. Cooper is pondering retirement and has come to a surprising conclusion - at least we think it's surprising, considering the source.

In the current economic climate, few of us want to open our 401(k) statements.  As we've written in the past, the faltering stock market, combined with employers eliminating their 401(k) matching contributions, has made retirement security quite a gamble.  But if you are one of the brave, a new tool can help you find out how your 401(k) measures up to 401(k) plans at other companies.

Every day I receive calls from workers and retirees who need help with their pensions.  Often, the people I speak to are looking for lost pension income that their employers promised would arrive at a critical time in their lives - retirement.  These callers may be having trouble locating their pensions or finding out if they are even eligible to receive benefits.