| BenefitsLink Retirement Plans Newsletter |   |
January 20, 2004 - 13,655 subscribers
Today's sponsor: DATAIR Employee Benefit Systems, Inc.
(Click on company name or banner to learn more.)
Pension Reporter System – 5500 Software Special Offer Switch Now and Save-- 1. Pay the lesser of 10% off our regular price or 10% off your current EFAST-approved vendor’s invoice 2. Free support & updates for 6 months with 2 year contract CHOOSE: * 5500 series including SARs & PBGC forms * 5300 series with 5310 * 1099-Rs including Electronic Transfer DATAIR also provides valuation, administration, proposal & document software for: * Defined Benefit Plans * Profit Sharing/401(k) Plans * Flex/Cafeteria Plans
(Please visit our sponsors. We try to make sure their products and services will be of interest to you. Thanks! --Editor)
While Employers Are Concerned About the Mutual Fund Scandal, Employees Aren't
Excerpt: "While plan sponsors are concerned about the mutual fund scandal, that same uneasiness doesn't appear to be shared by their employees. Just over 45% of plan sponsors reported that they had received no questions from their employees about the mutual fund scandal and 40.1% of plan sponsors indicated that they had received questions from fewer than 10 employees." (401kHelpCenter.com)
Pension Idea Would Cash In On Teachers' Deaths
Excerpt: "Under fire for its sheer ghoulishness, an unorthodox proposal before state leaders would raise money for teachers' pensions by banking on their deaths." ([Fort Worth, Texas] Star-Telegram)
Jesse Jackson Calls for More Social Investments
Excerpt: "Universities including Yale and other institutions with significant financial assets should patronize more minority-owned financial firms, the Rev. Jesse Jackson said in a speech ... Jackson, who said he believes increasing minority control would create economic development in underserved communities, said the goal was for these firms to control 5 percent of all institutional assets." (Yale Daily News)
Pension Assets Climb to $14.2 Trillion Worldwide
Excerpt: "Pension assets worldwide increased by a fifth to $14.2 trillion at the end of 2003, the highest for four years, but rising costs didn't help close fund deficits, according to a report released Monday." (Los Angeles Times; one-time registration required)
Powerful Trends Underway for Financial Advisers
Excerpt: "Even before the mutual fund headlines of the past year, leading advisors had begun implementing changes designed to increase their objectivity, revenues and practice efficiencies while meeting clients' need for lower costs. Many of today's clients want to pay fees (not commissions) for professional investment advice and asset management, and they want the total (all-in) cost of these fees to be 2.0% annually or less." (freeERISA.com)
Canada to Appeal Court Decision Requiring $100 Million in Retroactive Pension Payments
Excerpt: "The Canadian government announced Monday it will appeal a court ruling that ordered it pay at least $100 million in retroactive pension benefits to g*ys and l*sbians whose partners died between April 1985 and Jan. 1, 1998." (365G*y.com)
The Supplemental Security Income Program and Incentives to Claim Social Security Retirement Early
See second 'Issue in Brief' in the target publication. Excerpt: "We find that SSI recipients face quantitatively important financial incentives to claim OAI early; that SSI applications appear to vary with eligibility for OAI at age 62; and that SSI-aged program applicants are substantially more likely to make an early OAI claim, even holding family structure, health status, education, and expected Social Security replacement rates constant." (University of Michigan Retirement Research Center)
Links to Items on Executive Comp, Benefits in General
New Hay Group Study Reveals Pay Packages of Many European Executives Exceed U.S. Levels
Excerpt: "A new study by Hay Group, reveals that European executives are not only closing the pay gap on their US counterparts, but in many cases earning even more. Hay Group surveyed 153 publicly traded European companies to determine the prevalence and level of executive compensation practices, covering nearly 1,000 executives from 11 European countries." (Hay Group)
Alternatives to Employee Stock Options: Performance Restricted Stock
Excerpt: "Performance-based equity incentive awards provide a number of alternatives to employee stock options. An organization must carefully consider the type of award design and application within the organization in the context of its business environment and short-, mid-, and long-term business strategy. In this article, we describe a number of different ways to link performance to restricted stock." (Aon Consulting)
Newly Posted Events
Joint Annual Conference: New Visions in Employee Ownership
in Illinois on April 28, 2004
presented by National Center for Employee Ownership
Newly Posted Press Releases
North Carolina Firm Offers Super Bowl Special to Plan Sponsors
(Metrics Partners)
401kLoans, LLC Offers Loan Origination and Documentation Solution
(401kLoans, LLC)
Newly Posted or Renewed Job Openings
Pension Consultant
for TPA in SFV Needs You!
in CA
Pension Manager
for Benetrends, Inc.
in CA, PA
Employee Benefits Specialist
for Bank Group in scenic western Colorado resort areas
in CO
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- Employee Benefits Library
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