College and university employees are exposed to considerable risk in the management of their retirement funds, but there are also extraordinary opportunities for careful investors. Colleges should help employees gain knowledge of investing and ensure that a broad range of adequate investment options are available. (MSE)

Some superintendents and school board members tout early retirement plans as a way to reduce school personnel costs and offer attractive employee benefit at the same time. However, such plans are not always a sound idea. Potential benefits depend on a district's financial outlook, its staffing structure, and its goals for students. (MLH)

Presents data comparing administrative salaries at both four- and two-year institutions compared with other professionals. The National Average Base Salaries shows school administrative salary increases at these institutions are at an average of 4.2% compared to 4.3% of other executives. (GR)

Tax-sheltered annuities for school employees are benefits to employees who authorize the district to deduct a specified amount from their paychecks and forward that amount to the accounts selected. Article surveys recent legislative changes that enable school employees to make better use of their tax-sheltered annuities. (MLF)

Variations on the traditional methods of planning for retirement are offered to college faculty, focusing on use of Teachers Insurance and Annuities Association (TIAA) and College Retirement Equities Fund (CREF) investments, and other pension options. It is concluded that with careful planning, faculty can retire with close to full preretirement…

Every year there is a substantial flow of people into teaching roles as entrants or as movers from one school to another. Each such move involves attraction of the person to the job. Data for 1999-2000 reveal several important findings about teacher staffing. In 1999-2000, out of a teaching workforce of about 3.45 million, there were about 535,000…

Policy changes in state pension programs for public school educators typically affect not only current and future retirees, but also social conditions, labor market forces, and professional preparation and state licensing. A review of the literature, however, reveals that surprisingly little research has been conducted on the development,…

The electoral victory of Lu?s In?cio "Lula" da Silva in the presidential elections of 2002 epitomized two decades of social and political transformations in Brazil. Nevertheless, instead of launching an alternative mode of doing politics, the program of the Workers' Party affirmed a state logic with a view to gradually updating the…

Many higher education institutions today are struggling with the costs of their retiree health plans. The answer to controlling these costs may come in the form of a defined contribution retiree health plan for both current and future retirees. This article examines how such a plan can maximize availability of Medicare Part D prescription…

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…

Although baby boomers were not the sole focus of the American Association of Retired Persons' (AARP) website content on the issue of Social Security reform, their interests were addressed in a variety of ways. AARP provided information, position statements, a live chat forum, and message boards. Additionally, AARP had a partnership with the Rock…

Purpose: This article investigates how older Americans leave their career jobs and estimates the extent of intermediate labor force activity (bridge jobs) between full-time work on a career job and complete labor-force withdrawal. Design and Methods: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, we explored the work histories and retirement…

There are numerous financial planning and money management handbooks, but few focus on the needs of young adults between 16 and 25 years of age. Colleges and some high schools are increasingly offering courses covering money management, but the materials are more "economics-focused" than "real-world" focused. Young people are huge consumers who…

Results of a 1983 survey of pension plans in 17 Ontario, Canada, universities are presented. Information is provided on the following areas: type of plan, eligibility, member contributions, university contributions, benefits on normal retirement (age 65) and on early retirement (age 55), trustee and investment manager, and pension committee…

A study documented the continued backloading of pension benefits and the extent of retirement incentives by examining pension accrual in 1,183 U.S. defined benefit pension plans in 1979 and in one large Fortune 500 firm in 1984. Among the findings on the defined benefit pension plans were the following: many plans exhibit significant backloading;…