In 2012, McLaren Health Care froze its pension plan. Since then all employees had access to a 403(b) retirement savings plan but the pension plan remained frozen. Last year, McLaren made the decision to terminate the pension plan. The termination of the pension plan is unfolding now.
General Motors has announced they will be offering voluntary buyouts to a “majority” of its U.S. salaried employees. The buyout offer is part of GM’s effort to reach a total of $2 billion in structural cost savings over the next two years. Of which, they expect 30%-50% of that cost savings to occur in 2023
Ford and General Motors are among some of the largest employers here in Michigan. They also happen to be two of just a handful of employers that offer a pension. However, many employees may not understand that the interest rate hikes by the central bank are having a profound effect on how your pension fits into your retirement plan.
Business owners have a great deal of responsibilities to contend with on a day-to-day basis. As a business owner myself, I can understand and appreciate the sometimes overwhelming list of tasks that need to be done. Among that list, usually somewhere near the bottom, is the process of setting up a retirement plan for yourself and your employees. Although setting up a plan does involve some work on the part of business owners, it does not necessarily need to be a time-consuming or expensive proposition.
I grew up in a small town outside of Flint, Michigan called Swartz Creek. Many of the people in our community worked for one of the “Big Three” automakers, including my uncle, all three of my best friends’ dads, and many of my extended family. These companies were a classic example of a typical 20th-century employer. Right out of high school you could get a good job and make a very good living. It was certainly not easy work, but if you stuck with it for 30 years you would be well taken care of with an opportunity for early retirement, a good pension, and excellent health care benefits. Today, things are very different.
It is no secret that women traditionally had little to do with family finances or retirement planning. Over time, women have come a long way, especially as their presence in the workforce expanded and income increased.
A lot of investors are legacy-minded. This means leaving a monetary impact for family or friends is top priority to them. In this article, I’m going to focus on those situations where the transfer of assets is done after someone has passed away through a beneficiary designation.
Do- Diversify your portfolio. This may sound cliché but it is vitally important. Diversification acts as an insulator against the ups and downs of the market. Don't- Try to time the market! Market timing is making investment decisions based on the expectation that the market will go up or down in the short term.