The pension system for NFL players has taken a lot of heat from Congress, with a House committee looking into why only a small percentage of former players receive disability benefits. The latest response from the NFL Players Association confirms that the pensions of current players will not be taken away from them to help former players.http://www.newser.com/2008 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorWed, 19 Nov 2008 12:11:12 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/42538/401k-matches-fall-victim-to-downturn.html?refid=rss_all_defaultShrinking 401(k) accounts may soon seem like a bit of a luxury as more and more companies eliminate matching contributions to the retirement accounts, reports BusinessWeek . Some 2% of firms in a recent survey said they had already cut out the match, and another 4% said they’ll drop it within the next year as the economy worsens.http://www.newser.com/story/42538/401k-matches-fall-victim-to-downturn.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 13 Nov 2008 5:13:10 CSThttp://www.newser.com/story/39737/sinking-401ks-raise-debate-on-how-to-save.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTumbling stock markets have cracked open the piggy bank that many Americans use to store retirement savings—401(k) accounts—sparking fresh debate about how best to save money, the Washington Post reports. Supporters argue that 401(k)s offer bigger rewards than traditional pensions, which are less exposed to market turbulence. But they lose more on average too—between 7.2% and 11.2% over the last year.http://www.newser.com/story/39737/sinking-401ks-raise-debate-on-how-to-save.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSun, 12 Oct 2008 11:47:48 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/39428/crisis-drains-2t-from-retirement-savings.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThe financial crisis has drained $2 trillion from Americans' retirement savings over the past 15 months, reports the Washington Post , a 20% drop in the value of pensions and 401(k) plans that may force many to retire later and could spread to the general economy as workers tighten belts further. The decline has renewed debate about whether 401(k) plans, heavily linked to the market and heavily pushed by the government, are smart retirement investments.http://www.newser.com/story/39428/crisis-drains-2t-from-retirement-savings.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 08 Oct 2008 7:09:38 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/39042/as-stocks-sink-new-cash-cows-emerge.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWith stocks tanking, 401(k)s plummeting, and the market’s usual safe haven—real estate—at the heart of the current crisis, investors are seeking refuge in unusual investments—everything from parking spaces to comic books to alpacas, the Wall Street Journal reports. A growing number of retirees are taking individual control of their IRAs as Wall Street has failed to safeguard their savings.http://www.newser.com/story/39042/as-stocks-sink-new-cash-cows-emerge.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 03 Oct 2008 8:58:45 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/38154/retirees-hit-hard-by-markets.html?refid=rss_all_defaultAmong those hardest hit by the financial crisis are retirees, and they have less chance to recover than their younger counterparts, the New York Times reports. As companies have abandoned fixed pensions for 410(k)s, retirees can lose large percentages of their wealth in a short period. And low-risk investments, like bonds, simply don't offer enough income.http://www.newser.com/story/38154/retirees-hit-hard-by-markets.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 23 Sep 2008 7:31:11 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/34277/wall-street-may-scoop-up-troubled-pension-plans.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThough still smarting from the subprime debacle, some of the Wall Street’s biggest players are lobbying the government to be allowed to buy up and manage some of the $2.3 trillion in US corporate pension funds, BusinessWeek reports. Many businesses, eager to get the plans off their books, are backing the movement—but consumer advocates have reservations.http://www.newser.com/story/34277/wall-street-may-scoop-up-troubled-pension-plans.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 06 Aug 2008 7:28:20 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/34085/firms-gamble-pensions-to-fund-exec-perks.html?refid=rss_all_defaultCompanies from CenturyTel to Intel are funneling pension benefits to retired executives at the expense of workers, using a practice that potentially violates tax rules and puts pension plans at risk, reports the Wall Street Journal . Hundreds of millions of dollars in long-term benefits pegged for executives are draining plans at the expense of the rank and file.http://www.newser.com/story/34085/firms-gamble-pensions-to-fund-exec-perks.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 04 Aug 2008 6:56:41 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/29948/many-retirees-will-have-less-than-they-think.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMany employees will enter retirement with a much smaller income than they expect, the Economist reports. By 2014, the amount of money saved in direct-contribution retirement plans—ie 401Ks—will outpace than the amount saved in old-fashioned direct-benefit plans. But workers set contributions to their DC schemes at lower levels than might have been set aside in DC schemes. Add poor investment decisions, and many pensioners could end up with half the retirement income they would’ve drawn under DB.http://www.newser.com/story/29948/many-retirees-will-have-less-than-they-think.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 16 Jun 2008 16:47:06 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/59103/forgotten-forefathers-part-two.html?refid=rss_all_defaultIf Browns' Hall of Famer Leroy Kelly retired after a 10-year career today, he'd make around $50,000 a year. (If he had the skill and foresight to play baseball instead, that figure would be $180,000 annually.) But pension payments are calculated based on your retirement date, meaning the further back you go, the more laughable your stipend.http://www.newser.com/story/59103/forgotten-forefathers-part-two.html?refid=rss_all_defaultFri, 01 Feb 2008 16:27:38 CST