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Whistleblower Says TIAA Pushes Costly In-House Products on Retirement Savers

"TIAA says its tool provides clients with 'objective recommendations that are suited for your investment needs.' But a whistleblower complaint filed with the [SEC] in June and shared with NBC News says TIAA stands to reap billions in new revenues when clients use the tool because it quietly steers them into two in-house TIAA investment products that yield the firm significant profits."

Puerto Rico Files New Debt-Restructuring Plan

"The plan includes a proposed cut of up to 8.5% to monthly pensions of at least $1,500."

Puerto Rico Governor Rejects Key Deal with Creditors to Reduce Debt Due to Pension Cuts

"Puerto Rico's governor announced Tuesday that a federal control board reached a key deal that would reduce the U.S. territory's overall debt by nearly 80 percent, but that his administration is rejecting it because it would require cuts to the island's crumbling public pension system."

As Insurance Companies Take Over Defined Benefit Plan Assets, Is Your Pension at Risk?

"Pension obligations are costly and companies have been eager to jettison them in recent years. Insurers have been happy to take on their assets -- such deals have totaled $110 billion since early 2015. But pensions taken over by private insurers are not protected from default by the government-backed PBGC ... [I]nsurers are regulated by the states, not the federal government, and some are now affiliated with private equity firms, whose focus is often on short-term profits which can conflict with insurers' long-term obligations."

Millennials Are Determined to Retire Early; Here's How They Can Actually Pull It Off

"Get strategic about paying down student debt... Don’t skimp on your 401(k) contributions... Invest in a diversified portfolio of small stocks... Get a Roth IRA... If it’s not a bill, pay it with cash... Hire a certified financial planner; it can be a one time thing... If buying a house, consider a multi-family home you can rent out... Turn a side hustle into a nest egg... Don’t overlook Social Security... Rethink retirement. Perhaps you can still work part time doing something you enjoy."

Kentucky Supreme Court Nixes Move to Hybrid Pension Plan for Teachers

"In April, Republican Gov. Matt Bevin signed a law that moved all new teacher hires into a hybrid pension plan. The law also restricted how teachers used sick days to calculate their retirement benefits and changed how the state pays off its pension debt.... [T]he state's highest court ... ruled that lawmakers cannot take a bill close to final passage and replace it with an unrelated bill without voting on it three times over three separate days as the Constitution requires." [Bevin v. Kentucky, Nos. 2018-SC-419-TGE, 2018-SC-421-TGE, 2018-CA-1200-MR (Ky. Dec. 13, 2018)]

Why Congress's Plan to Slash 401(k) Limits Was Never a Good Idea

"If removing the tax-preferred status of much of the country's retirement savings contributions leads to widespread conversion to Roth 401(k)s, where after-tax dollars are contributed but withdrawals are tax-free, the government could face a sharp drop-off in tax receipts when these workers hit retirement."

Employer-Backed Insurance Could Take a Huge Hit from GOP Healthcare Plan

"With tax credits for workers earning up to $215,000, the Republicans' health care plan would push the incentives for companies not to offer benefits further up the income spectrum ... If a wider pool of employees opts to take the tax credit and enter the individual market, companies would have a tougher time negotiating with insurers for coverage that is both affordable and comprehensive, with less-attractive offerings leading even more workers to forgo the benefit."

Obamacare Premiums Are Going Up -- What Does That Really Mean?

"More than 60 percent of Americans get health insurance through an employer. Another 16 percent use Medicare or Medicaid and 9 percent are covered by individual insurance plans -- including Obamacare. Another 2 percent are covered by military plans such as Tricare or the Veterans' Administration. Premiums for employer-sponsored plans have also been rising for years, although not at the sharp annual rates that the Obamacare exchanges will see in 2017."

Is a Mandatory Retirement Plan in Your Future?

"Requiring employers to provide health insurance to workers is one of the most controversial features of the [ACA], but a mandatory retirement savings program might just have a shot at success in Washington ... The idea is getting a push from a politically unlikely duo: labor economist Teresa Ghilarducci and Tony James, president of Blackstone Group LP, the global asset management firm. What they have in common is a mutual belief that the 401(k) system is not up to the job of building a secure retirement for average Americans."