Pension News – CORPaTH

4 08, 2020

Real estate executive Peter Palandjian lines up a who’s who of Corporate Boston for voting initiative
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Real estate executive Peter Palandjian lines up a who’s who of Corporate Boston for voting initiative

Economy

Real estate executive Peter Palandjian lines up a who’s who of Corporate Boston for voting initiative

CORPaTH2020-08-04T11:40:02-07:00August 4th, 2020|Categories: Economy|Tags: intercontinental, peter palandjian, voting|

Low voter turnouts in the US have always bothered Peter Palandjian. After the COVID-19 pandemic and waves of racial unrest overlapped this spring, he decided to do something about the issue. Palandjian, chief executive of Boston-based Intercontinental Real Estate Corp., is launching the “A Day for Democracy” project this week. It’s a nonpartisan pledge card initiative aimed at rounding up employers of all sizes who will work to increase voter participation, in part by promising to give employees some [...]

3 08, 2020

California Supreme Court forbids pension spiking, but upholds other retirement protections
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California Supreme Court forbids pension spiking, but upholds other retirement protections

Pension Funding

California Supreme Court forbids pension spiking, but upholds other retirement protections

CORPaTH2020-08-03T11:59:28-07:00August 3rd, 2020|Categories: Pension Funding|Tags: california, pension spiking|

The California Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against public employee unions that were trying to beat back part of former Gov. Jerry Brown’s pension overhaul law. The court’s ruling prohibits so-called pension spiking, a strategy in which county public workers took extra shifts, worked odd hours at higher pay or cashed out accumulated leave at the end of their careers to inflate their pensions in retirement. The Alameda County Deputy Sheriff’s Association filed a lawsuit in 2012 over Brown’s [...]

3 08, 2020

Canadian defined benefit pension plans enjoy best quarter ever
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Canadian defined benefit pension plans enjoy best quarter ever

Defined Benefit Plans

Canadian defined benefit pension plans enjoy best quarter ever

CORPaTH2020-08-03T11:56:43-07:00August 3rd, 2020|Categories: Defined Benefit Plans|Tags: canada|

Canadian defined benefit pension plans experienced a pronounced upsurge in the second quarter, posting a median return of 9.6 per cent, according to the RBC Investor & Treasury Services All Plan Universe. This marked the highest single quarter return in the universe’s history, reversing the steep Q1 losses and raising the median plan’s return to 1.4 per cent on a year-to-date basis. The gains followed a series of aggressive fiscal and monetary support measures introduced in March to address [...]

9 07, 2020

Pension plans see rebound in second quarter
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Pension plans see rebound in second quarter

Pension Funding

Pension plans see rebound in second quarter

CORPaTH2020-07-09T14:59:45-07:00July 9th, 2020|Categories: Pension Funding|Tags: COVID-19, pension funding|

The funding status of the largest corporate pension plans in the U.S. have rebounded during the second quarter of 2020, due to improvements in the equity and bond markets, according to Willis Towers Watson data. “The first quarter was a more difficult quarter for the equities,” says Joseph Gamzon, senior director of retirement at Willis Towers Watson, a global advisory, broking and solutions company. “For most pension plan sponsors the combination of the equity markets performing well and the [...]

30 06, 2020

A Pandemic Problem for Older Workers: Will They Have to Retire Sooner?
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A Pandemic Problem for Older Workers: Will They Have to Retire Sooner?

Retirement

A Pandemic Problem for Older Workers: Will They Have to Retire Sooner?

CORPaTH2020-06-30T08:46:57-07:00June 30th, 2020|Categories: Retirement|Tags: COVID-19, retirement|

Dorian Mintzer loves her work. A 74-year-old psychologist, coach and author, she has no plan to retire, and has continued to work during the pandemic, doing teletherapy from her home in the Boston area. Now, like millions of other older working Americans, Dr. Mintzer is uncertain about the future of her job — much will depend on whether health insurers continue to cover teletherapy post-pandemic. “I’m going to keep working virtually — the idea of going into an office [...]

26 06, 2020

DOL proposal could hurt prospects for ESG in ERISA plans
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DOL proposal could hurt prospects for ESG in ERISA plans

ERISA, ESG

DOL proposal could hurt prospects for ESG in ERISA plans

CORPaTH2020-06-26T14:53:25-07:00June 26th, 2020|Categories: ERISA, ESG|Tags: dept of labor, erisa, esg|

A proposal from the Department of Labor stipulates that ERISA plan fiduciaries cannot invest in ESG vehicles that sacrifice investment returns or take on additional risk, which sources say could curb environmental, social and governance investments. "Private employer-sponsored retirement plans are not vehicles for furthering social goals or policy objectives that are not in the financial interest of the plan," Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia said in a news release. "Rather, ERISA plans should be managed with unwavering focus on [...]

10 06, 2020

Pandemic Puts More Stress On Struggling Pension System
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Pandemic Puts More Stress On Struggling Pension System

Pension Funding

Pandemic Puts More Stress On Struggling Pension System

CORPaTH2020-06-10T14:54:52-07:00June 10th, 2020|Categories: Pension Funding|Tags: COVID-19|

The coronavirus outbreak has presented daunting challenges for an already-struggling multiemployer pension plan system. It's also amplifying calls for Congress to step up and pass legislation to protect against millions of retirees losing their financial livelihood. More than a hundred multiemployer pension plans covering over a million workers and retirees were on the ropes even before COVID-19 became a household term, and that number could more than double depending on how the pandemic plays out, according to a letter [...]

13 05, 2020

Union Pension Partitions Included in Democrat’s 4th Relief Proposal
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Union Pension Partitions Included in Democrat’s 4th Relief Proposal

Economy

Union Pension Partitions Included in Democrat’s 4th Relief Proposal

CORPaTH2020-05-13T15:38:17-07:00May 13th, 2020|Categories: Economy|Tags: CARES Act, COVID-19, HEROES Act, PBGC|

The Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives has published a draft version of a fourth economic relief package in response to the coronavirus pandemic, dubbed the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act or the “Heroes Act.” The wide-ranging legislation addresses a host of issues, from providing supplemental funding to the SNAP food security program to creating a special fund to support struggling fisheries. Notably, the entire Division D section of the legislation is dedicated to [...]

6 05, 2020

Protecting pensions after coronavirus
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Protecting pensions after coronavirus

Pension Funding

Protecting pensions after coronavirus

CORPaTH2020-05-06T14:49:06-07:00May 6th, 2020|Categories: Pension Funding|Tags: COVID-19, pensions|

Unions and pension schemes are being supportive of employers struggling with the pandemic. When the recovery starts that support should be repaid. Across the whole economy, employers are under unprecedented strain as they deal with lockdown and economic contraction. Companies with defined benefit pension schemes could face particular short-term pressures, as turmoil in financial markets may increase deficits – the gap between the assets a scheme has and the pensions it must pay – at exactly the time they are [...]

6 05, 2020

Public pension funds are a net gain for state and local revenue – study
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Public pension funds are a net gain for state and local revenue – study

Economy

Public pension funds are a net gain for state and local revenue – study

CORPaTH2020-05-06T14:47:18-07:00May 6th, 2020|Categories: Economy|Tags: public pensions|

Public pension funds were net revenue generators for state and local governments in 2018, surpassing taxpayer contributions by $179 billion, according to a biennial study released Tuesday by the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems. That represents a 30.6% increase from the original study covering 2015-2016. In 2018, pension funds generated about $341.4 billion in state and local revenues through investments and retiree spending, while the taxpayer contribution to those pension plans was $162 billion. For 40 states, [...]