'This is a must read!' Vince Cable, former leader of the Liberal Democrats 'Reads like a rip roaring tale of a corporate high wire act' John McDonnell, former Shadow Chancellor 'Should be sold with a bottle of blood-pressure pills' Edward Lucas, The Times The proud owner of a sprawling GBP14m estate in the Cotswolds, boasting a stable of eventing horses, a fleet of supercars and neighbouring the royal family, Neil Woodford was the most celebrated and successful British investor of his generation. He spent years beating the market; betting against the dot com bubble in the 1990s and the banks before the financial crash in 2008, making blockbuster returns for his investors and earning himself a reputation of 'the man who made Middle England rich'. But, in 2019, after a stream of poorly-judged investments, Woodford's asset management company collapsed, trapping hundreds of thousands of rainy-day savers in his flagship fund and hanging GBP3.6 billion in the balance. In Built on a Lie, Financial Times reporter Owen Walker reveals the disastrous failings of Woodford, the greed at the heart of his operation, the flaws of an industry in thrall to its star performers and the dangers of limited regulation. With exclusive access to Woodford's inner circle, Walker will reveal the full, jaw-dropping story of Europe's biggest investment scandal in a decade. 'Vital financial journalism with heart' Emma Barnett, broadcaster

Population ageing has fuelled interest in pensions and intergenerational equity, leading to privatization of pensions. Yet the gender implications of such policies and the connections between the gender contract and the generational contract remain unexplored. Women, Work and Pensions examines how women's paid and unpaid work, interacting with the gendered pension systems of six liberal welfare states - Britain, the US, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand - contributes to female poverty in later life. By comparing how these welfare states deal with women's employment, family roles and pension entitlement, the nature of the residual welfare model is better understood. Changes over the past three decades in the gender contract and in women's employment suggest that family caring may have less impact on women's pensions in the future. Yet pension reforms which diminish the effectiveness of women-friendly features in state pensions through cuts and privatization point in the opposite direction. This issue, and how the pension penalties of caring vary with women's class, ethnicity and birth cohort, are major themes of the book.

The ultimate reference on compensation for small business owners

Beyond 401(k)s for Small Business Owners presents strategies for reducing taxes, planning for your retirement, and rewarding high-performing employees. Expert advice from attorney and CPA Jean Sifleet will help small business owners maximize their own rewards and create an environment in which employees know that their hard work will mean a better future for themselves.

In clear, simple language this book helps you figure out what kind of plan you can afford, what your employees want, and what to do. Important tax and insurance issues are covered in detail and step-by-step guidance lets you design a compensation strategy that works for both you and your employees. Case studies, sample plans, and helpful references make this book your one-stop source for complete coverage of alternatives, from cash bonus programs to employee stock option plans (ESOPs) and everything in between. With Beyond 401(k)s for Small Business Owners you'll have all the tools you need to:

• Maximize owner benefits, reduce taxes, and enhance your retirement income
• Use creative compensation to motivate your employees
• Understand qualified and nonqualified plans
• Address the unique issues of family businesses
• Get the best deal on insurance and benefits for your company
• Avoid expensive pitfalls
• Measure your progress and keep your plan on track

Use the New Tax Law to Retire on Your Terms

Are you planning your retirement with the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 in mind? If not, you could be missing out on important changes that could help you build a larger nest egg or even retire early. Drawing on the experience of the nation’s premier tax and financial planners, Ernst & Young’s Retirement Planning Guide, Special Tax Edition shows you how to use the new tax law to plan for a secure future–whether you’re just getting started or on the verge of retirement.

This practical guide highlights key financial and personal issues you need to consider during your pre-retirement and retirement years, including essential information on how the new tax law will affect your retirement.

From guidance on portfolio diversification and Social Security to the new tax rules that will impact IRAs and 401(k) plans, Ernst & Young’s Retirement Planning Guide, Special Tax Edition provides the insight and assistance you need to take advantage of the new tax law and plan for a financially secure future.

• The effect the new tax law will have on your retirement plan–from pension withdrawals to IRA limits and new tax-deferred plans
• The latest financial instruments for retirement savings
• Worksheets, tips, and action items, as well as additional resources, including Web sites
• Strategies to overcome adverse financial events
• Wealth-building techniques to help you retire early
• Practical ideas and easy-to-understand charts and tables

This is the fourth in a Series of five manuals produced by the Social Security Department of the ILO to provide the reader with information on all the major elements of social security, including the principles, administration, financing, pension schemes and social health insurance. This manual takes a look at and makes comparisons between public and private pensions, methods of protection in public schemes, old age benefits, invalidity benefits, survivor's benefits. Of particular interest to certain countries will be a section dealing with transforming existing "provident fund schemes" into ones based on social insurance. Other manuals in this series: - Social security principles (Vol. I) - Administration of social security (Vol. II) - Social security financing (Vol. III) - Social health insurance (Vol. V)

Policymakers worldwide are struggling to adapt their pension systems to the reality of aging populations, globalization, and tightening budgets. The World Bank actively supports these policymakers by helping them to identify the economic and demographic challenges facing them to highlighting potential policy responses and providing implementation support. 'New Ideas about Old Age Security' is a selection of papers presented at a conference in September 1999 convened by the World Bank and attended by leading academics and policymakers from around the world. These papers, which have subsequently been revised, contain a sample of the most recent thinking in the global debate over pension reform. The papers in this volume explore a wide variety of pension reform issues. Some of the topics covered in this book include new approaches to multi-pillar pension reform, the relevance of index funds for pension investment in equities, and managing public pension reserves.

The tax treatment of pensions and pension schemes is undergoing a period of rapid development across the European Union. Following publication of the European Commission Green Paper on Supplementary Pensions in the Single Market in June 1997, the Council adopted a Directive on safeguarding the supplementary pension rights of employed and self-employed persons moving within the Community (Council Directive 98/49/EC of 29 June 1998). This work aims to stimulate the debate in this area, both on a national and a European level. The importance of the European dimension is apparent from an analysis of the application of EC competition rules to pension funds, particularly those funds which are granted exclusive rights to provide benefits to supplement state social security systems. It is argued that increased competition in this sector is likely to benefit pension provision in the long term. Against a background overview of the different types of pension schemes in EU Member States, the book goes on to consider the question of harmonization of certain tax rules with respect to pensions. Whereas important differences exist between the various schemes, nearly all grant some form of tax privileges aimed at encouraging supplementary provision. The need for uniform rules is most clearly shown in the application of assignment rules on tax, social security and pensions with regard to workers in cross-border situations, where various Member States apply significantly different rules. The papers collected here are the result of a seminar organized by the Foundation for European Fiscal Studies of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. This brochure is the seventh in a series initiated by the Foundation, which organizes postgraduate courses on European tax law, and aims to encourage research on the economic and legal aspects of tax harmonization and co-ordination in the European Union.

This guidebook addresses the three major financial centers in every ph ysician's life--the medical practice, the pension plan, and personal f inances. Listing cases and examples, the author addresses these three interrelated financial centers in a two-phase process: how to conduct practice management review and then how to use this process to establi sh an ongoing system for successful total financial management. Plus, the second edition has new material on capitation, integrated delivery systems, mergers & acquisitions and practice valuation, pensions, and dealing with managed care companies.

The ICFP Personal Wealth Building Guides offer proven strategies and invaluable information for putting together the many pieces of a financial plan and reaching personal, long-term financial goals. Highly readable and interactive, these guides will help you establish clear-cut objectives and furnish you with the wherewithal for achieving them. How much money will I need for a comfortable retirement? How will early retirement affect my pension? Should I take a lump sum distribution or roll over my retirement benefits? Your Retirement Benefits delivers clear, down-to-earth answers to these and hundreds of other frequently asked questions about the retirement planning issues and decisions facing employees and business owners alike. It explains what you need to know about every major benefits plan in existence, how to choose the right plan and make it work for you, and how to insure the best deal at retirement. What's more, this valuable sourcebook helps you manage your benefits plan while you're still employed and guides you step-by-step as you make critical retirement decisions. It's chock full of anecdotes, worksheets, and personal action plans for organizing your financial information and putting your own retirement plan to work today. As in other ICFP Personal Wealth Building Guides, this important work features Action Items alerting you to the bases that must be covered before proceeding with a given plan...Wealth Building Profiles that add a lively, human dimension to the financial principles discussed...Questions and Answers on top-of-mind issues...Checklists at the end of each section reviewing key points...and Wealth Building Worksheets that lead you step-by-step throughimportant planning decisions.

Little public data are available to assess the extent to which sponsors of defined benefit plans are offering participants immediate lump sums to replace their lifetime annuities, but certain laws and regulations provide incentives for use of this practice. Although the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has primary responsibility for overseeing pension sponsors' reporting requirements, it does not require sponsors to report such lump sum offers, making oversight difficult. Pension experts generally agree that there has been a recent increase in these types of offers. Since 2012, a number of large pension plan sponsors have given selected participants a limited-time option of receiving their retirement benefits in the form of a lump sum. Although sponsors' decisions to make certain lump sum "window" offers may be permissible by law, questions have been raised about participants' understanding of the financial tradeoffs associated with their choice. This book focuses on the prevalence of lump sum offers and sponsors' incentives to use them; the implications for participants; and the extent to which selected lump sum materials provided to participants include key information.

Millions of employees change jobs each year and some leave their savings in their former employers' 401(k) plans. If their accounts are small enough and they do not instruct the plan to do otherwise, plans can transfer their savings into an IRA without their consent. The United States Government Accountability Office examined the implications for 401(k) plan participants of being forced out of plans and into these IRAs. This book examines what happens over time to the savings of participants forced out of their plans; the challenges 401(k) plan participants face keeping track of retirement savings in general; and how other countries address similar challenges of inactive accounts. This book also discusses the issues plan sponsors, fiduciaries, service providers, and other parties face in handling plan benefits payable to participants and beneficiaries who cannot be found or are nonresponsive.

The private sector pension system in the United States represents trillions of dollars in assets and is a key source of financial security for millions of Americans. To promote transparency and enhance retirement security, legislation and regulations require that plan sponsors provide numerous reports to Labor, IRS, and PBGC, and numerous disclosures to plan participants. This book examines the reports and disclosures pension plans are required to make to government agencies and plan participants; the ways, if any, reports to agencies may be inefficient or ineffective; and the ways, if any, disclosures to participants may be inefficient or ineffective. The book also discusses the extent to which law and regulations permit electronic disclosure to participants; explores the reported advantages and disadvantages associated with electronic delivery; and evaluates the weaknesses identified, if any, in the agencies' electronic delivery requirements

A pension is a voluntary benefit offered by employers to assist employees in providing for their financial security in retirement. Public and private sector defined benefit pension plans are subject to different rules and guidance regarding discount rates -- interest rates used to determine the current value of estimated future benefit payments. This book addresses the significance of differences in approaches used to determine discount rates among public and private plans; purposes for measuring the value of a plan's future benefits and key considerations for determining discount rate policy; and approaches selected countries have taken to choose discount rates.

In response to concerns over the adequacy of retirement savings, Congress has created incentives to encourage individuals to save more for retirement through a variety of retirement plans. Some retirement plans are employer-sponsored, such as 401(k) plans, and others are established by individual employees, such as Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs). This book describes the primary features of two common retirement savings accounts that are available to individuals. It also examines the evidence on the cost of conflicted investment advice and its effects on Americans' retirement savings; and describes circumstances where service providers may have conflicts of interest in providing assistance related to the selection of investment options for plan sponsors and plan participants, and steps the Department of Labor (Labor) has taken to address conflicts of interest related to the selection of investment options.

401(k) plan participants separating from their employers must decide what to do with their plan savings. Many roll over their plan savings to IRAs. As GAO previously reported, there is concern that participants may be encouraged to choose rollovers to IRAs in lieu of options that could be more in their interests. This book identifies challenges separating plan participants may face in implementing rollovers; obtaining clear information about which option to choose; and understanding distribution options.

This book investigates the urban and rural public pension systems in China with overlapping-generations (OLG) models. This book is composed of three parts. Part one analyses the urban public pension system, part two explores the rural public pension system, and part three discusses some possible public pension systems. It is difficult to find a book to study the Chinese public pension systems with the OLG model. This book can fill the gap in the market. It has the following distinctive features. Firstly, instead of pay-as-you-go or fully funded public pension systems, this book studies the Chinese partially funded pension systems that combines the social pool account with individual accounts. Each chapter includes the author's original work. Secondly, it investigates the public pension systems in a way of following proper sequence and making steady progress. This is convenient for readers to deepen their understanding of the Chinese public pension systems with OLG models. This book is fit for scholars outside China who are interested in the Chinese public pension systems, researchers in China who want to investigate the Chinese public pension systems with the OLG model, doctoral students, master degree students and senior undergraduate students. This book can help scholars outside China to promote their research on the Chinese public pension systems. Secondly, economists in developed countries studied public pension systems by employing OLG model since 1970s; but the model is still strange for most Chinese scholars. This book can help them to utilise the model, describe their research in English and express it in a comparative normal presentation. Thirdly, this book can provide references for doctoral students, master degree students and senior undergraduate students to learn how to use OLG models to study Chinese public pensions. Finally, it can open a door to the world outside China, show the state of research on public pension systems with OLG mode in China, and promote exchange and talk for the Chinese and foreign academic circles.

In 2014, the federal government will forgo an estimated $17.45 billion in tax revenue from IRAs, which Congress created to ensure equitable tax treatment for those not covered by employer-sponsored retirement plans. Congress limited annual contributions to IRAs to prevent the tax-favored accumulation of unduly large balances. But concerns have been raised about whether the tax incentives encourage new or additional saving. Congress is reexamining retirement tax incentives as part of tax reform. This book describes IRA balances in terms of reported FMV aggregated by taxpayers; examines how IRA balances can become large; and assesses how IRS ensures that taxpayers comply with IRA tax laws.

Pension advances and pension investments are products that, while based on or related to pension benefits, are generally distinct from the pensions themselves. A pension advance is an up-front lump sum provided to a consumer in exchange for a certain number and dollar amount of the consumer's future pension payments plus various fees. Pension investments, the related product, provide investors a future income stream when they make an up-front lump-sum investment in one or more pensioners' incomes. There have been recent concerns about companies attempting to take advantage of retirees using pension advances. This book describes the number and characteristics of pension advance companies and marketing practices; evaluates how pension advance terms compare with those of other products; and evaluates the extent to which there is related federal oversight.

Multiemployer pension plans, created by collective bargaining agreements including more than one employer, cover more than 10 million workers and retirees, and are insured by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC). In recent years, as a result of investment market declines, employers withdrawing from plans, and demographic challenges, many multiemployer plans have had large funding shortfalls and face an uncertain future. This book examines the actions that multiemployer plans in the weakest condition have taken to improve their funding levels and the options available to address PFBC's impending funding crisis and enhance the multiemployer insurance program's future financial stability.

Over the past 25 years, defined contribution plans, including 401(k) plans, have become the most prevalent form of employer-sponsored retirement plan in the United States. The majority of assets held in these plans are invested in stocks and stock mutual funds, and the decline in the major stock market indices in 2008 greatly reduced the value of many families' retirement savings. The effect of stock market volatility on families' retirement savings is just one issue of concern to Congress with respect to defined contribution retirement plans. This book examines fee considerations and country comparisons relating to defined contribution plans for retirement with a focus on increasing access to employer-sponsored plans, raising participation and contribution rates, helping participants make better investment choices, requiring clearer disclosure of fees charged to plan participants, preserving retirement savings when workers face economic hardship or change jobs, and promoting life annuities as a source of retirement income.

The idea of this book is to provide insight into the composition and structure of public pension and early retirement schemes in seven European countries, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Great Britain, Germany, the Netherlands and Italy. The component and structural analyses are based on micro simulation models, which, after validation of the models, makes it possible to perform a great number of precise calculations in a very short time and to present the results in graphical form, close to 'blue prints', this is the 'engineering' dimension of the study. It is also the aim to study the income protection these schemes provide when the working person retires, which is the social dimension of the study.

This book provides an analysis of the current problems of pension provision in the UK and a radical plan for reform. The authors believe that the system of retirement income provision in the UK is so mired in complexity that nothing less than wholesale change is necessary. The authors believe that state pensions should only be offered on a contributory basis - there should be no automatic right to a 'citizen's pension', as has been proposed by many commentators. Attention should also be paid to the social security system to remove the perverse incentives of means testing. Anomalies and special treatment of favoured groups in the tax system should also be removed. The Way Out of the Pensions Quagmire proposes a holistic approach to pension reform that takes proper account of the interaction between pensions, tax, social security and financial regulation.

The discovery of mistakes in pension scheme documents is as common as it is potentially serious for the administration of the scheme and for the sponsoring employer. The large sums invested in pension schemes mean that such mistakes are often very costly indeed. This book provides a practical guide to the different methods available to correct commonly-occurring mistakes in the governing provisions of pension schemes. It combines a detailed review of the law with (where relevant) practical tips, including analysis of the appropriate practice and procedure involved in the key methods of correction. With a significant body of case law enabling more authoritative answers to be given to the legal issues affecting the correction of pension scheme mistakes, and more and more mistakes being discovered because of the move to secure pension scheme liabilities with insurance companies, trustees and employers need swift and accurate legal advice on what they can do to correct such mistakes. This book provides them and their legal advisers with that advice ensuring they do not make the same costly mistakes that others have made. This book will help the reader to: * To select the most appropriate method of correcting the mistake * Consider including provisions in the terms of the pension scheme which may make the correction of the mistake easier and cheaper * Select the most tax-efficient way of correcting the mistake * Understand the processes involved in correcting the mistake * Better advise their clients as to how to deal with the mistake

The buy-out market, whereby pension liabilities are transferred to a third-party specialist, has changed dramatically in recent years. Many new market entrants have sought to provide opportunities to employers to reduce or eliminate their exposure to defined benefit pension scheme liabilities in a cost-effective fashion. Increases in anticipated longevity, combined with historically low interest rates and poor equity returns, have resulted in substantially increased costs for employers. Together with the credit crunch, the collapse of high-profile banking institutions and a deteriorating economy, they provide yet further reasons for employers and trustees to seek to protect defined benefit liabilities. Buy-outs (and their alternative, buy-ins) have represented an attractive opportunity for trustees and employers alike in seeking to eliminate such exposure. The number of new market entrants and the new 'non-insured' buy-out model have generated considerable competition and a significant reduction in buy-out and buy-in cost. Featuring contributions by leading experts in the field, including the Pension Corporation, Lucida, Hewitt Associates and Pitmans Trustees Limited, this timely title covers topics such as the attractions of the current buy-out market, the non-insured buy-out option, the Financial Services Authority regulated market and the elimination of pension scheme liabilities, as well as an overview of the buy-out market in selected countries. This book is aimed at a broad cross-section of the pension market and is intended to be of practical use to trustees, employers, advisers, administrators and other pension stakeholders in providing a comprehensive guide to how best to tackle the thorny issue of eliminating defined benefit scheme liabilities.