You Must Save for Yourself, Because No One Else Will

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In 1991, 35% of employees were participating in defined benefit pension plans. By 2005 that number had fallen to 21%. In March of 2018 only 17% of American employees had access to some sort of defined benefit pension plan. Companies are getting rid of their defined benefit pension plans, fast. If you rely on your company to save for you, it’s time for a dose of reality, you must save for yourself, because no one else will.

Pensioners from legacy companies Sears and Xerox are watching as their benefits are being stripped away. Around 100,000 pensioners from Sears are hoping the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., run by the U.S. government, will pick up the tab on their pensions. Steven Strahler writes in Crain’s Chicago Business:

Should Sears Holdings file for bankruptcy protection, its 100,000 remaining pensioners would look to an independently funded government agency known as the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. to cover most of what’s owed them.

The PBGC, created by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, has already been looking out for Sears’ pension obligations, which quickly could become its own.

Two years ago, Sears and the agency struck a five-year deal to wall off various assets and earmark revenue streams for pension funding, giving the PBGC veto authority over deals like last year’s sale of Sears’ Craftsman line of tools.

After amending the agreement last year, Sears was able to contribute about $407 million more to its pension fund, which was 63 percent funded as of February—the second-lowest ratio among the 100 largest corporate pension plans tracked by Crain’s sister publication Pensions & Investments.

Anyone relying on a Sears pension is undoubtedly worried about their future today. Meanwhile, over at Xerox, employees are being stripped of medical benefits they were told they could rely on only three years ago. Sarah Taddeo reports in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle:

Xerox Corp. will end some company-sponsored health benefits for non-union retirees by the end of the year, according to several letters received by former workers at the document technology company.

Maria Leonardo, 61, of Perinton voluntarily retired from a three-decade stint in management at Xerox in 2015, after the company told employees that it was ending its corporate “Benefits Allowance” subsidy program for employees who retired after Dec. 31 of that year. Leonardo said she “jumped at the opportunity” to quit before December, so she would be guaranteed her subsidized health insurance.

But now, Xerox is reneging on that program. Leonardo received a letter on Oct. 3, alerting her that Xerox will end Benefits Allowance, which covers a little over half of her yearly health insurance premiums, she said.

“You entice me with a carrot, I take it, and now you’re telling me you’re taking it away,” she said.

Relying on your company to save for you is a mistake. You need to save for yourself. You need to make savings urgent, or you could unfortunately end up as one of the many “retirees” who will keep working. Don’t let that happen.

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E.J. Smith - Your Survival Guy

E.J. Smith is Founder of YourSurvivalGuy.com, Managing Director at Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd., a Managing Editor of Richardcyoung.com, and Editor-in-Chief of Youngresearch.com. His focus at all times is on preparing clients and readers for “Times Like These.” E.J. graduated from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, with a B.S. in finance and investments. In 1995, E.J. began his investment career at Fidelity Investments in Boston before joining Richard C. Young & Co., Ltd. in 1998. E.J. has trained at Sig Sauer Academy in Epping, NH. His first drum set was a 5-piece Slingerland with Zildjians. He grew-up worshiping Neil Peart (RIP) of the band Rush, and loves the song Tom Sawyer—the name of his family’s boat, a Grady-White Canyon 306. He grew up in Mattapoisett, MA, an idyllic small town on the water near Cape Cod. He spends time in Newport, RI and Bartlett, NH—both as far away from Wall Street as one could mentally get. The Newport office is on a quiet, tree lined street not far from the harbor and the log cabin in Bartlett, NH, the “Live Free or Die” state, sits on the edge of the White Mountain National Forest. He enjoys spending time in Key West (RIP JB) and Paris. Please get in touch with E.J. at ejsmith@yoursurvivalguy.com To sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive letter, click here.

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