Is it Wise to Trade Your Pension for a Lump Sum? Most employers have already replaced traditional pensions, which promise lifetime income payments in retirement, with defined contribution plans such as 401(k)s. Even so, 35% of workers say they (and/or their spouse) have pension benefits with a current or former employer. Pension payments are a major or minor source of steady income for about 47% of retirees.(1) About half of pension plan participants can choose to take their money in a lump sum when they retire.(2) In addition, companies can offer pension buyouts — not only to vested former employees who are working elsewhere but even to retirees who are already receiving pension payments. B
Will Social Security Survive? As an Investment Advisor, and for Evergreen as a whole, we have clients who show great concern about receiving their Social Security checks in the future. They have been told Social Security is going to fail soon by politicians, TV news media, radio show host, newsletters, blogs, financial planners and even family members. An example of this is an article from Zero Hedge titled "Scathing New Report Shows Just How Bankrupt Social Security Really Is".(1) The following sentences come from the article: It’s absolutely incredible. The government is publishing this data in black and white. They’re telling anyone who’s willing to listen that Social Security has dug its
Debt Ceiling: A Stop Sign for Federal Borrowing THE BIPARTISAN BUDGET ACT OF 2015 SUSPENDED THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S STATUTORY DEBT LIMIT — COMMONLY CALLED THE DEBT CEILING — THROUGH MARCH 15, 2017. THAT DEADLINE CAME AND WENT WITH LITTLE FANFARE AS CONGRESS FOCUSED ON OTHER MATTERS, BUT THE DEBT CEILING CANNOT BE IGNORED FOR LONG, AND IT’S LIKELY TO BECOME A FOCAL POINT FOR NEGOTIATIONS ON BROAD FISCAL ISSUES, INCLUDING THE FEDERAL BUDGET AND TAX REFORM. As an investor and taxpayer, you may want to know more about how the debt ceiling relates to the national debt and annual budget deficits. Government in the Red Put simply, the federal government runs a deficit when tax revenues are not suf
