October 2017

US. New Accounting Rules Could Shift Pension Investment Mix

New accounting rules could prompt companies to accelerate the shift toward investing pension plans in safer, fixed-income assets, according to a recent report by Goldman Sachs Asset Management. The new guidelines focus on how and where on financial statements companies record pension plan expenses. Companies will have to separate employee service costs from other aspects of pension and postretirement benefit costs, such as expected return on plan assets and interest costs on the obligation. Businesses will be allowed to capitalize...

Trump health-care order could violate retirement plan law

President Donald Trump's plan to make it easier for small businesses to band together and buy stripped-down health insurance plans could violate a federal law governing employee benefit plans and will almost certainly be challenged in court, legal experts said. Trump signed an executive order on Thursday aimed at letting small businesses join nationwide associations for the purpose of buying large-group health plans that are not subject to coverage requirements of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. Industry experts said...

Here’s How Much the Average 40-Something American Has Saved for Retirement

By the time you reach your 40s, there's a good chance you'll have had about 20 years of working experience under your belt. And that means you should, ideally, be in a decent place as far as your retirement savings go. Unfortunately, a large number of American 40-somethings are already behind on building their nest eggs. They need to start catching up immediately. Among U.S. households headed by someone aged 44 to 49, the average retirement savings balance is $81,347,...

US. Ballot measure would strip pensions from corrupt lawmakers

For years, New York lawmakers convicted of abusing their power and sent off to prison had at least one thing to look forward to: a generous state pension. That practice could come to an end in November when voters will be asked whether to change the state constitution to authorize judges to strip pensions from corrupt politicians. Top lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo have argued the change will act as a powerful deterrent in a state where 30 state...

Is There a Retirement Crisis? Examining Retirement Planning in the Household and Government Sectors

By Andrew G. Biggs (American Enterprise Institute) In response to a widespread perception that households are undersaving for retirement, policymakers have proposed expanding Social Security and establishing supplementary retirement saving plans run by state governments. But these proposals take place against a background of record-high unfunded liabilities for government-run retirement programs. If government entities have either financial or political difficulty funding their existing obligations to retirees, shifting greater retirement provision from households to government could potentially worsen existing shortfalls in...

US. Here’s how many millennials are actually saving for retirement

When you're young, retirement can seem too far off to think about. And if you're putting off saving for it, you're not alone: Just 31 percent of millennials are contributing to a retirement account, a new survey from Earnest, Amino and Ipsos finds. Some experts say that if millennials don't change their habits they'll miss the boat completely. The longer you wait to start saving, the farther behind you'll fall and the more you'll miss out on compound interest, which...

September 2017

US. 6 ways retirement benefits will change in the next decade

In the coming decade, retirement benefits for the average American will change. Simple math dictates it: More than 9,000 Americans reach the retirement age of 65 every day, and they will need more money in retirement because people are living longer, healthier lives. One number sums up the nature of the challenge facing the aging Americans and our government in Washington. According to the Urban Institute, in 2010, there were 0.25 adults age 65 and older for every adult aged...

US. Wiles: Why you shouldn’t tap into your retirement plan after disasters

In the wake of a disaster like Hurricanes Harvey or Irma, a job loss or other financial trauma, it's natural to look to 401(k)-style retirement plans or Individual Retirement Accounts for help. Retirement plans are among the largest sources of fairly liquid, non-housing money available to millions of Americans. They are tempting sources of ready cash. The Internal Revenue Service recently acknowledged as much, reminding Harvey victims with 401(k) accounts that they could tap these plans in a pinch. In fact, the IRS is relaxing certain retirement rules, making it easier...

US. IRS Allows Easier Access to Retirement Plan Funds for Hurricane Irma Victims

We previously posted regarding the retirement plan relief provided by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for victims of Hurricane Harvey pursuant to Announcement 2017-11. The IRS extended the same relief to victims of Hurricane Irma in Announcement 2017-13. The relief relaxes the rules that normally apply to restrict a plan participant’s access to qualified retirement plan funds. The relief is available to a plan participant who, on Sept. 4, 2017, had a principal residence or work location (or whose...

US. Workers Wanted: Aging population presents double challenge in health care

Wisconsin’s growing worker shortage presents a particularly difficult challenge for the health care industry, especially in rural areas and at facilities that care for the elderly and disabled. As Wisconsin’s baby boomers retire in greater numbers over the coming decades and live longer than previous generations, there will be more consumers of health care while the working-age population that provides those services is projected to stay about the same. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those age 65 and...