Blogs & Newsletters
03/07/24

PRC Supports Senate Committee in Quest to End Retirement Income Crisis

By David Brandolph The Pension Rights Center weighed in last week with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pension Committee, stating that both short-term incremental and long-term bold solutions must be considered and implemented if we are to help millions of Americans avoid the hardship of a financially calamitous retirement.     Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-VT) […]

Blogs & Newsletters
02/27/24

More Resources Now Available for Finding Lost Retirement Plan Benefits

By Jane Smith  There is a new resource for the many people who are entitled to retirement plan benefits but can’t locate their former employer to claim those benefits.   Those searching for benefits can start by checking out the “Find Unclaimed Retirement Benefits” search tool on the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation’s (PBGC) website. This tool […]

Blogs & Newsletters
02/21/24

A (Belated) Valentine’s Day Message from the PRC

As you polish off the rest of your Valentine’s Day chocolates, we wanted to take a moment to share our love and appreciation for all of you. Because of your tireless support, we’re able to take our fight for retirement security to the halls of Congress, the hearing rooms of regulatory bodies, and beyond. Your […]

Blogs & Newsletters
01/30/24

Our 2024 Resolutions Reflect our Commitment to Retirement Security for All

By Karen Friedman The New Year is always a great time to take stock and resolve to do better.   I’m already making headway on my personal goals of hitting the gym, eating healthier (mostly), and generally getting in better shape.   Our resolutions at the Pension Rights Center, however, are a bit more ambitious.   We’re working […]

Blogs & Newsletters
12/18/23

Return of Traditional Pension, Use of Hybrid Structures Touted in Media

By David Brandolph Lately, private-sector traditional defined benefit plan pension plans have been getting some well-deserved attention in the media. Articles in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal have been reenforcing what we already knew–that American workers value the guaranteed lifetime income offered by traditional defined benefit plan pensions. But these articles also […]

Blogs & Newsletters
11/14/23

Uptick in Withdrawals Exposes the Inadequacy of Do-It-Yourself Retirement

By David Brandolph For decades, employers have been steadily ridding themselves of the responsibility of funding and making payments to traditional defined benefit pensions in favor of 401(k)-type defined contribution plans. But are these individual account retirement savings plans providing sufficient retirement income for most Americans? For millions of workers, that answer is “No.” A […]

Blogs & Newsletters
11/02/23

PRC News, Fall 2023

PRC issues recordkeeping recommendations in testimony before the ERISA Advisory Council   Pension Rights Center Senior Policy Counsel Norman Stein was joined by Anna-Marie Tabor, a visiting law professor at the University of Massachusetts School of Law and the former director of the Pension Action Center located at the University of Massachusetts Boston in testifying before […]

Blogs & Newsletters
11/01/23

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 October 27, the Pension […]

Blogs & Newsletters
10/04/23

PRC Voices Concerns on Effect of Plan Information Electronic Recordkeeping

By David Brandolph The U.S. Labor Department should address the challenges and risks faced by employee benefit plan members due to the electronic and digital recordkeeping of their plan information, the Pension Rights Center told the ERISA Advisory Council during recent testimony. Pension Rights Center Senior Policy Counsel and Acting Legal Director Norman P. Stein, joined by […]

Blogs & Newsletters
08/29/23

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 […]

Blogs & Newsletters
07/26/23

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 […]

Blogs & Newsletters
06/02/23

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 […]