On August 17, 2006, President George W. Bush signed into law the Pension Protection Act (PL 109-280). The 907-page federal law has been referred to as the most comprehensive reform of the nation's pension law since the enactment of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) of 1974 (Lucas, 2008). This paper will examine the major…

Presents highlights of the "Retirement Income Security Act of 1974" that represents the most comprehensive federal legislation ever enacted affecting the private pension system in this country. (Author)

Two proposals before Congress threaten to offset the delicate balance in pension plan design. The significance of the normal retirement feature in plan design, some possible program design changes, and how the pension arrangements of higher education institutions would be affected are discussed. (MLW)

The 1986 amendments to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and tax reforms from that year will require changes in retirement policies in higher education, especially pension plans, because of the extension of nondiscrimination rules to all tax-deferred annuities. (Author/MSE)

The Tax Reform Act of 1986 and subsequent legislation have radically altered the rules needed to maintain favorable tax status of tax-sheltered annuity plans for college employees. Application of the new rules is complex. Critical questions facing institutions and organizations are answered, and potential liabilities facing educational employers…

There is in the United States an increasing interest in pensions for teachers. In several cities and States some form of pension system has been adopted. Public opinion on this subject is, however by no means unanimous. Many doubt the wisdom or justice extending to one class of public servants a consideration and help withheld from another class.…

The impact of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act Amendments of 1978 (ADEA) and possible options for adjusting to the impact were estimated for members institutions of the Consortium on Financing Higher Education (COFHE). Questionnaire information was gathered on active, departed, and retired faculty from 27 individual COFHE institutions.…

The results of more than two-and-one-half years of study by the United States Department of Labor on the effects of the Age Discrimination in Employment Amendments on older workers' retirement plans indicate that removing employment obstacles facing older workers will increase labor force participation rates and, in turn, help refinance the Social…

Recent trends toward earlier retirement have exacerbated the financial problems facing the Social Security system and many other public and private pension plans. The massive commitment of public and private funds to Social Security and pension funds is partly responsible for the trend to early retirement. This, in fact, was one of the early goals…

The uncapping of college faculty retirement age in 1994 has implications for tenure, retirement programs, and potential for age discrimination litigation. Institutions should carefully examine the probable impact of the change on the quality of their academic programs and financial situation and develop contingency plans as early as possible. (MSE)

Age and sex discrimination are addressed in two newsletter articles. In "Age Discrimination in Faculty Employment," Stuart H. Bompey reviews employment litigation issues and their impact on the collective bargaining process. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) stipulates that individuals may be mandatorily retired at age 70;…

Changes in higher education employee benefit plans brought about by the extension of the mandatory retirement age to 70 are the focus of the monograph. Chapter one summarizes the volume and presents some major recommendations that institutions may find helpful in benefit and personnel planning. Chapter two sketches the meaning of the new law (1978…

Proceedings of a 1980 Brown University conference on faculty retirement are presented. Papers and authors are as follows: "A Review of Current Legal Status and National Policy Issues" (Laura C. Ford); "Mandatory Retirement Age Legislation for Tenured Faculty: The Policy Issues and Their Context" (W. Lee Hansen);…

Retirement plans of older participants of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF) were surveyed. Questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of 2,260 participants aged 59-69, and 1,438 returns served as the base for data analysis. This group was 62 percent male and 38 percent female; 48 percent…

Changes in retirement patterns at colleges and universities can be expected because of demographic reasons and because of federal and state legislation uncapping mandatory retirement. Institutional policies that will encourage reluctant older faculty to retire need to address the three fundamental components of successful employee retirement: (1)…