tvguy
Question anything the facts don't support.
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2003
- Messages
- 47,393
Pension plans slowly were forced out of existence in many instances because they often were of greater benefit to higher income employees and managers. Thus the shift to 401ks by employers which have rules that limit how much higher paid employees can put in the plan, and encourage lower paid workers to take part. I think the short term cost is the same or greater to the employer but the long term cost is lower since their cost ends when an employee quits.A friend is a charter jet pilot. He wondered how many millions were spent at the Super Bowl in Las Vegas this year just on charter private jets. 525 jets had landing and take off slots. The fuel bill alone for the 12 passenger jet he flew there and back was $13,000.
Lee Iacocca noted in his book Iacocca that one of the biggest problems Chrysler had when he became President was they were spending more on pensions for retired workers, than they were for people who were still working. Thus pension reform because a necessity.
My half brother will be 90 this year and has drawn a pension longer than he actually worked for his employer.
My mom drew a fixed pension, no inflation factor. When she started working for her employer in 1948 her $400 a month pension was good money. It wasn't so good when she retired in 1985, and her social security was three times that amount.