Congressional Research Service Reports - 167 Matching Results

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Cash Balance Pension Plans: Selected Legal Issues

Description: Over the past few years, cash balance pension plans have received significant attention. In particular, three issues have been controversial: the negative effect of a plan conversion on older employees due to wear-away, the whipsaw effect that may occur when computing a lump-sum payment of benefits prior to normal retirement age, and the claim that these plans violate federal laws prohibiting age discrimination. This report discusses the wear-away and whipsaw issues, a proposal by the Treasury … more
Date: July 29, 2005
Creator: Lunder, Erika & Staman, Jennifer
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Converting Retirement Savings into Income: Annuities and Periodic Withdrawals

Description: To a worker contemplating retirement, there is perhaps no more important question than "How long will my money last?" Congress has a strong interest in the income security of older Americans because much of their income is either provided directly from public programs like Social Security, or in the case of pensions and retirement accounts, is subsidized through tax deductions and deferrals. This report discusses risks involved with retirement fund disbursement and strategies for dealing with s… more
Date: December 1, 2008
Creator: Mulvey, Janemarie & Purcell, Patrick
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Overview of Filipino Veterans' Benefits

Description: This report defines the four specific groups of Filipino nationals who served under the command of the United States. It also outlines the Rescission Acts of 1946, benefit changes since 1946, current benefits for Filipino veterans by group, and recent legislative proposals and legislation.
Date: October 10, 2008
Creator: Panangala, Sidath Viranga; Scott, Christine & Davis, Carol D.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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S. 1783: The Pension Security and Transparency Act of 2005

Description: From Summary: "This report summarizes the major provisions of S. 1783, the Pension Security and Transparency Act 2005. The bill combines provisions of S. 219, the National Employee Savings and Trust Equity Guarantee Act, reported by the Finance Committee, and the Defined Benefit Security Act, reported by the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions."
Date: October 18, 2005
Creator: Purcell, Patrick
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Automatic Enrollment in Section 401(k) Plans

Description: This report discusses enrollment practices for 401k retirement plans. Historically, most employers that have sponsored retirement savings plans under §401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) have required employees to decide whether to enroll in the plan. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued rulings to inform employers that current law allows them to enroll employees automatically, provided that the employee is notified in advance and is permitted to leave the plan.
Date: October 14, 2004
Creator: Purcell, Patrick
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cost-of-Living Adjustments for Federal Civil Service Annuities

Description: Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) and the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) are based on the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W). All CSRS retirees and survivors receive COLAs. Under FERS, however, non-disabled retirees under age 62 do not receive COLAs. This report discusses cost-of-living adjustments for government retirees, as well as related legislation.
Date: October 16, 2008
Creator: Purcell, Patrick
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Federal Employees: Pay and Pension Increases Since 1969

Description: Under the terms of the Federal Employees' Pay Comparability Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-509), pay for civilian federal employees is adjusted each year to keep the salaries of federal workers competitive with comparable occupations in the private sector. The annual increases in federal employee pay are based on changes in the cash compensation paid to workers in the private sector, as measured by the ECI. Under certain circumstances, the President may limit the annual increase in federal pay by execut… more
Date: January 8, 2009
Creator: Purcell, Patrick
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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H.R. 4: The Pension Protection Act

Description: This report discusses the Pension Protection Act (PPA) reforms and the funding rules for defined benefit pensions; requires employers to disclose more information about pension funding; restricts benefit payments and accruals in underfunded plans; and clarifies, prospectively, that cash balance pension plans do not violate legal prohibitions on age discrimination in employee benefits.
Date: September 27, 2006
Creator: Purcell, Patrick
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Pension Issues: Lump-Sum Distributions and Retirement Income Security

Description: This report covers several issues regarding pensions. Forty-seven percent of all workers aged 21 and older participated in employer-sponsored retirement plans in 2006, but not all of these workers will receive a pension or other income from these plans when they retire.
Date: January 7, 2009
Creator: Purcell, Patrick
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Pension Sponsorship and Participation: Summary of Recent Trends

Description: According to the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS), the number of private-sector workers between the ages of 25 and 64 whose employer sponsored a retirement plan fell from 53.1 million in 2004 to 52.5 million in 2005. This report analyzes the Current Population Survey and describes several elements, including: 1) the percentage of workers whose employer sponsored a retirement plan; 2) the percentage of workers who participated in an employer-sponsored retirement plan; 3) the likel… more
Date: August 31, 2006
Creator: Purcell, Patrick
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Regulating Private Pensions: A Brief Summary of ERISA

Description: This report briefly discusses the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), and how it protects the interests of participants and beneficiaries in private-sector employee benefit plans. ERISA covers a number of fringe benefits provided by employers, but most of its provisions deal with pension plans. Pension plans sponsored by the federal, state, and local governments, or by churches generally are exempt from ERISA.
Date: January 15, 2004
Creator: Purcell, Patrick
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Retirement Savings and Household Wealth in 2007

Description: This report discusses various issues that impact the retirement income of Americans. About half of all workers in the United States participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan of some kind, a proportion that has remained relatively stable over the past thirty years. Because the majority of assets held in retirement accounts are invested in stocks, trends in stock prices have a significant impact on households' retirement account balances.
Date: April 8, 2009
Creator: Purcell, Patrick
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Retirement Savings Tax Credit: A Fact Sheet

Description: This report discusses the saver's tax credit, under which eligible individuals receive a non-refundable tax credit of up to $1,000 for contributing to a traditional IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement plan that is qualified under §401, §403 or §457 of the Internal Revenue Code. The credit was first available in 2002 but will expire after 2006 unless extended by Congress.
Date: April 1, 2004
Creator: Purcell, Patrick
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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The Retirement Savings Tax Credit: A Fact Sheet

Description: The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 authorized a non-refundable tax credit of up to $1,000 for eligible individuals who contribute to an IRA or an employer-sponsored retirement plan. The maximum credit is 50% of retirement contributions up to $2,000. This credit can reduce the amount of taxes owed, but the tax credit itself is non-refundable. The maximum credit is the lesser of either $1,000 or the tax that the individual would have owed without the credit. Eligibility… more
Date: August 7, 2006
Creator: Purcell, Patrick
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Summary of the Pension Protection Act of 2006

Description: This report summarizes the main provisions of the Pension Protection Act (PPA) as they affect single-employer defined benefit plans, multiemployer defined benefit plans, and defined contribution plans.
Date: October 23, 2006
Creator: Purcell, Patrick
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Summary of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)

Description: The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) provides a comprehensive federal scheme for the regulation of employee pension and welfare benefit plans offered by employers. ERISA contains various provisions intended to protect the rights of plan participants and beneficiaries in employee benefit plans. These protections include requirements relating to reporting and disclosure, participation, vesting, and benefit accrual, as well as plan funding. ERISA also regulates the responsib… more
Date: April 10, 2008
Creator: Purcell, Patrick & Staman, Jennifer
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Summary of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA)

Description: Due to the recent economic decline and the desire to enact large-scale health reform, the current federal regulation of pension plans, health plans, and other employee benefit plans has received considerable congressional attention. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) provides a comprehensive federal scheme for the regulation of employee pension and welfare benefit plans offered by private-sector employers. ERISA contains various provisions intended to protect the rights… more
Date: May 19, 2009
Creator: Purcell, Patrick & Staman, Jennifer
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Funding Postal Service Obligations to the Civil Service Retirement System

Description: This report provides background on the U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) funding of its retirement obligations, describes and analyzes the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recalculation, and discusses considerations Congress may bring to bear on the draft legislation.
Date: January 2, 2003
Creator: Purcell, Patrick & Stevens, Nye
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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S. 219: The National Employee Savings and Trust Equity Guarantee Act

Description: On July 26, 2005, the Senate Finance Committee approved S. 219, the “National Employee Savings and Trust Equity Guarantee (NESTEG) Act of 2005,” a bill to reform federal pension laws. This report summarizes the major provisions of the bill, as approved by the Committee.
Date: August 12, 2005
Creator: Purcell, Patrick J.
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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