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…

After a long decline, the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) of older men in the United States leveled off in the 1980s, and began to increase in the late 1990s. We examine how changes in Social Security rules affected these trends. We attribute only a small portion of the decline from the 1960s-80s to the increasing generosity of Social…

A study of pension plans at 14 companies for the years 1960, 1970, and 1980 shows that company-sponsored plans are dynamic. Changes may have resulted from statutory increases in the age at which workers can be forced to retire. (JOW)

This booklet was written to help readers understand how the Retirement Equity Act of 1984 makes it easier for both women and men to collect retirement benefits under private pension plans. Since women have had special problems in the pension area, it emphasizes how the retirement law works to their advantage by preventing loss of coverage during…

There is significant interest in reforming retirement plans for public school employees, particularly in light of current market conditions. This paper presents an overview of the various types of state regulation of public pension plans that affect possibilities for reform. Several states have legal protections that effectively prevent a state…

Examines how the 1978 Amendments to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act will affect the future labor force. Discusses how retirement age policies hurt older workers, changes that are expected to occur, how pension benefits affect the older work force, and why a linked employment/retirement policy is urged. (Editor/CT)

This report examines legislation proposed by the Nixon administration to (1) make available to employed workers a new type of personal retirement plan having tax-deferral advantages, (2) apply pre-retirement vesting requirements to the private pension system, and (3) broaden tax-deferred retirement plans presently available to the self-employed…

As conceived by the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL), Lifelong Learning Accounts (LiLAs[SM]) are employer-matched, portable individual accounts used to finance employee education and training. They provide employees with an affordable means of upgrading their skills and knowledge, while helping to meet the needs of employers and…

The Social Security Trustees project that the Social Security program faces longterm financing difficulties. Several proposals that have been offered to shore-up the finances of the Social Security program would create individual retirement accounts funded with part of the payroll tax. The authors of many of these proposals claim that future…

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 federal legislative agenda must focus on three trends: (1) the rise in health care costs; (2) the serious decline in the personal savings rate and the effect on pensions; and (3) the lengthening period of retirement as a combination of early retirement and longer life spans. (SK)

Following the passage of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the increased regulatory burden placed on defined benefit pension plans, the less complex fully funded defined contribution plan emerged as a more attractive and increasingly popular alternative. Traditionally the standard approach to pensions in the educational…

The transcripts of testimony given before the Senate Committee on Aging by the Secretary of the Department of Labor, F. Ray Marshall, and Ewan Clague, consultant and former Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, are presented. Issues reviewed in these statements address the following areas of concern: retirement trends, economic…

The transcripts of testimony given before the Senate Committee on Aging by representatives of numerous national organizations for older adults, such as the National Council on Aging and the National Gray Panthers, are provided. Issues reviewed in these statements address the following areas of concern: minority group needs, retirement planning,…

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…