Congressional Research Service Reports - 318 Matching Results

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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.
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
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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S. 1783: The Pension Security and Transparency Act of 2005

Description: On September 28, the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions announced that they had reached a compromise on a pension reform bill for consideration by the full Senate. The compromise bill has been introduced as S. 1783, “The Pension Security and Transparency Act of 2005.” S. 1783 combines provisions of S. 219, “The National Employee Savings and Trust Equity Guarantee Act,” reported by the Finance Committee, and “The Defined Benefit Security A… more
Date: October 3, 2005
Creator: Purcell, Patrick J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Age Dependency Ratios and Social Security Solvency

Description: As highlighted by the Social Security Administration (SSA), the aging of the (United States) population, hastened by the impending retirement of the huge baby-boom generation, has caused policy-makers to question whether the U.S. Social Security system can meet the demands for retirement benefits in the future. Because the current system largely pays benefits through taxes paid by current workers, the financial health of the system is sensitive to the ratio of dependents to workers—sometimes ca… more
Date: October 27, 2006
Creator: Shrestha, Laura B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Age Dependency Ratios and Social Security Solvency

Description: As highlighted by the Social Security Administration (SSA), the aging of the (United States) population, hastened by the impending retirement of the huge baby-boom generation, has caused policy-makers to question whether the U.S. Social Security system can meet the demands for retirement benefits in the future. Because the current system largely pays benefits through taxes paid by current workers, the financial health of the system is sensitive to the ratio of dependents to workers—sometimes ca… more
Date: July 7, 2005
Creator: Shrestha, Laura B.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Annuities and the Securities and Exchange Commission Proposed Rule 151A

Description: The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently released a proposed rule that would effectively reclassify equity indexed annuities as a security product in addition to being an insurance product. This report presents the different types of annuities, explains the taxation of annuities, and disentangles the federal and state roles in the regulation of annuities. It outlines the proposed SEC rule and its current status.
Date: October 22, 2008
Creator: Webel, Baird
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Automatic Cost of Living Adjustments: Some Economic and Practical Considerations

Description: This report looks at how automatic cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) influence the budget and identifies major programs that have indexing provisions. It also explains what price indexes attempt to measure and discusses some of their weaknesses. Finally, it points out some practical things to keep in mind when establishing an indexing provision.
Date: January 11, 2010
Creator: Cashell, Brian W.
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
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Brief Facts About Congressional Pensions

Description: This report contains a table that lists the number of retired Members of Congress and the average amount of congressional pension they receive in retirement.
Date: January 13, 2004
Creator: Purcell, Patrick J.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Budget Reconciliation and the PBGC

Description: The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) posted a deficit of $23.5 billion as of the latest reporting period, and the deficit is expected to grow further. Major bills introduced in the 109th Congress to reform funding rules for the defined benefit pension system and to raise PBGC premiums include H.R. 2830 and S. 1783. Neither has yet passed the full House or Senate. PBGC premiums are an important source of revenue for meeting the budget reconciliation targets. The House Budget Committee… more
Date: November 10, 2005
Creator: Renade, Neela K
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Can the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation Be Restored to Financial Health?

Description: In 2003, the Bush administration made a proposal for reform to strengthen pension plan funding and the financial condition of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). Various bills with the goal of reforming the PBGC were proposed in the 108th Congress but none were enacted into law. The doubling of the PBGC deficit from fiscal 2003 to fiscal 2004, has heightened awareness about the PBGC deficit situation. Congressional leaders from both parties have announced their intention to move ag… more
Date: December 16, 2004
Creator: Ranade, Neela K.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cash Balance Pension Plans and Claims of Age Discrimination

Description: This report describes cash balance plans, discusses the claims that cash balance plans do and do not violate the pre-Act age discrimination provisions, and provides an overview of P.L. 109-280, as it applies to this issue.
Date: January 30, 2008
Creator: Staman, Jennifer & Lunder, Erika
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cash Balance Pension Plans and Claims of Age Discrimination

Description: This report describes cash balance plans, discusses the arguments that cash balance plans do and do not violate the age discrimination prohibitions, provides an overview of the court cases, and addresses the activity by the Treasury Department and Congress.
Date: October 6, 2005
Creator: Staman, Jennifer & Lunder, Erika
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cash Balance Pension Plans and Claims of Age Discrimination

Description: This report describes cash balance plans, discusses the claims that cash balance plans do and do not violate the pre-Act age discrimination provisions, and provides an overview of the pension protection act, as it applies to this issue.
Date: March 9, 2009
Creator: Staman, Jennifer & Lunder, Erika
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cash Balance Pension Plans and Claims of Age Discrimination

Description: This report describes cash balance plans, discusses the arguments that cash balance plans do and do not violate the age discrimination prohibitions, provides an overview of the court cases, and addresses the activity by the Treasury Department and Congress.
Date: December 5, 2005
Creator: Staman, Jennifer & Lunder, Erika
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Cash Balance Pension Plans: Selected Legal Issues

Description: This report provides an overview of these issues and a discussion of how the pension protection act (P.L. 109-280), as well as IRS guidance, affect them.
Date: May 16, 2008
Creator: Staman, Jennifer & Lunder, Erika
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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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
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the sustainment and modernization of the Coast Guard's polar icebreaker fleet. Congress's decisions on this issue could affect Coast Guard funding requirements, the Coast Guard's ability to perform its polar missions, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.
Date: April 4, 2016
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report provides background information and issues for Congress on the sustainment and modernization of the Coast Guard's polar icebreaker fleet. Congressional decisions on this issue could affect Coast Guard funding requirements, the Coast Guard's ability to perform its polar missions, and the U.S. shipbuilding industrial base.
Date: November 20, 2015
Creator: O'Rourke, Ronald
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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COLAs for Military Retirees: Summary of Congressional and Executive Branch Action, 1982-2001 (FY1983-FY2002)

Description: The Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1982 (which applied to FY1983 budget issues) suspended previously existing permanent law pertaining to cost-of-living adjustments(COLAs) for federal civilian and military retirees, and changed the COLA calculation formulas to postpone and/or reduce future COLAs for military retirees during 1983-1985 (FY1984-FY1986).This report examines executive and congressional COLA-related initiatives associated with each of the fiscal year budgeting processes from calendar … more
Date: January 2, 2002
Creator: Goldich, Robert L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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COLAs for Military Retirees: Summary of Congressional and Executive Branch Action, 1982-2002 (FY1983-FY2003)

Description: The Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1982 (which applied to FY1983 budget issues) suspended previously existing permanent law pertaining to cost-of-living adjustments(COLAs) for federal civilian and military retirees, and changed the COLA calculation formulas to postpone and/or reduce future COLAs for military retirees during 1983-1985 (FY1984-FY1986).This report examines executive and congressional COLA-related initiatives associated with each of the fiscal year budgeting processes from calendar … more
Date: November 29, 2002
Creator: Goldich, Robert L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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COLAs for Military Retirees: Summary of Congressional and Executive Branch Action, 1982-2003 (FY1983-FY2004)

Description: The Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1982 (which applied to FY1983 budget issues) suspended previously existing permanent law pertaining to cost-of-living adjustments(COLAs) for federal civilian and military retirees, and changed the COLA calculation formulas to postpone and/or reduce future COLAs for military retirees during 1983-1985 (FY1984-FY1986).This report examines executive and congressional COLA-related initiatives associated with each of the fiscal year budgeting processes from calendar … more
Date: January 2, 2004
Creator: Goldich, Robert L.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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Concurrent Receipt: Background and Issues for Congress

Description: This report addresses the issue of concurrent receipt, which is when a person receives both military retirement pay and Veterans Administration (VA) disability pay in the full amounts due to them. It discusses the two primary components of the concurrent receipt program: Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) and Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payments (CRDP), and also reviews the possible legislative expansion of the program to additional populations with several potential options fo… more
Date: November 30, 2017
Creator: Kamarck, Kristy N.
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department
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