07-29-2006, 09:48 PM
House Passes Overhaul Of Nation's Pension Laws
By JIM ABRAMS The Associated Press
Published: Jul 29, 2006
WASHINGTON - The House approved an ambitious overhaul of the nation's pension laws late Friday, hoping to prolong the traditional employer-based pension plans relied upon by millions while also promoting new savings options and protecting the government from future taxpayer bailouts.
The reforms in the bill "represent the most sweeping changes to America's pension laws in more than 30 years," said House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.
He said the bill "will ensure that workers and retirees can continue to count on their hard-earned pension benefits."
The 279-131 vote came only hours before the House was expected to begin a five-week summer break.
The legislation now moves to the Senate, which is expected to take it up next week before it departs for its August recess, sending it to the president for his signature.
The 900-page pension bill, the product of several years of congressional effort, would force employers that have fallen behind in their defined-benefit pension payments to catch up within seven years and close loopholes that have allowed companies to underfund their plans by an estimated $450 billion.
The measure also promotes pension alternatives, such as 401(k) plans, through such steps as automatic enrollment. It would give financial firms greater latitude in steering investors toward high-earning savings programs.
The legislation would give airlines that have frozen their pension plans, Northwest Airlines Corp. and Delta Air Lines, an additional 10 years to meet pension obligations. American and Continental, the only two major airlines with active defined-benefit plans, would get an extra three years.
The fear is that if they abandon their plans - Delta is already seeking to terminate its pilot pensions - it will add billions in deficit to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., which already has amassed a deficit of $22.8 billion.
"If passed, the airline provision currently before the Congress will save Northwest Airlines employees' hard-earned pension benefits," the airlines said in a statement.
The PBGC now operates on premiums and interest earnings, but a big jump in the deficit could shift its burden onto taxpayers. The agency takes over benefit payments for terminated plans.
The pension bill aims to strengthen and improve the financial status of single-employer and multiemployer plans covering some 44 million Americans.
It also would give legal certainty to future cash balance and other "hybrid" defined-benefit plans. Such plans have faced lawsuits over charges they discriminate against older workers.
Pension plans that are less than 80 percent funded would not be allowed to increase benefits during contract negotiations. Companies with plans at risk or in bankruptcy would be restricted in increasing executive compensation.
The legislation also gives financial firms that manage investment plans rights to offer advice to people with 401(k) and IRA plans. Advocates argued that individual investors today often don't have access to good advice, while critics questioned whether portfolio managers might give biased advice.
The legislation comes at a time when more companies are opting to scale back or eliminate defined-benefit plans.
Q. With the multi-million dollar unfunded liabilty that defines St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue's pension plan, why does the majority of this article look great yet the two paragraphs highlighted in red potentially spell disaster for us?
A. Because this city has no respect for it's Public Safety Professionals. Those same Professionals will now bear the burden of the City of St. Petersburg's past crimes!
This is serious stuff for a serious city. How did we ever get to where we are?
FD Bro'
By JIM ABRAMS The Associated Press
Published: Jul 29, 2006
WASHINGTON - The House approved an ambitious overhaul of the nation's pension laws late Friday, hoping to prolong the traditional employer-based pension plans relied upon by millions while also promoting new savings options and protecting the government from future taxpayer bailouts.
The reforms in the bill "represent the most sweeping changes to America's pension laws in more than 30 years," said House Majority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio.
He said the bill "will ensure that workers and retirees can continue to count on their hard-earned pension benefits."
The 279-131 vote came only hours before the House was expected to begin a five-week summer break.
The legislation now moves to the Senate, which is expected to take it up next week before it departs for its August recess, sending it to the president for his signature.
The 900-page pension bill, the product of several years of congressional effort, would force employers that have fallen behind in their defined-benefit pension payments to catch up within seven years and close loopholes that have allowed companies to underfund their plans by an estimated $450 billion.
The measure also promotes pension alternatives, such as 401(k) plans, through such steps as automatic enrollment. It would give financial firms greater latitude in steering investors toward high-earning savings programs.
The legislation would give airlines that have frozen their pension plans, Northwest Airlines Corp. and Delta Air Lines, an additional 10 years to meet pension obligations. American and Continental, the only two major airlines with active defined-benefit plans, would get an extra three years.
The fear is that if they abandon their plans - Delta is already seeking to terminate its pilot pensions - it will add billions in deficit to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., which already has amassed a deficit of $22.8 billion.
"If passed, the airline provision currently before the Congress will save Northwest Airlines employees' hard-earned pension benefits," the airlines said in a statement.
The PBGC now operates on premiums and interest earnings, but a big jump in the deficit could shift its burden onto taxpayers. The agency takes over benefit payments for terminated plans.
The pension bill aims to strengthen and improve the financial status of single-employer and multiemployer plans covering some 44 million Americans.
It also would give legal certainty to future cash balance and other "hybrid" defined-benefit plans. Such plans have faced lawsuits over charges they discriminate against older workers.
Pension plans that are less than 80 percent funded would not be allowed to increase benefits during contract negotiations. Companies with plans at risk or in bankruptcy would be restricted in increasing executive compensation.
The legislation also gives financial firms that manage investment plans rights to offer advice to people with 401(k) and IRA plans. Advocates argued that individual investors today often don't have access to good advice, while critics questioned whether portfolio managers might give biased advice.
The legislation comes at a time when more companies are opting to scale back or eliminate defined-benefit plans.
Q. With the multi-million dollar unfunded liabilty that defines St. Petersburg Fire & Rescue's pension plan, why does the majority of this article look great yet the two paragraphs highlighted in red potentially spell disaster for us?
A. Because this city has no respect for it's Public Safety Professionals. Those same Professionals will now bear the burden of the City of St. Petersburg's past crimes!
This is serious stuff for a serious city. How did we ever get to where we are?
FD Bro'