Retirement Security Law Commons^™

One Fund Solution And The Pension Crisis, Gordon Butler

Cleveland State Law Review

The next forty years of economic life will be dominated by one underlying theme: dealing with the retirement income security of a growing, aging and longer-lived global population. This is a "can’t run, can’t hide" problem that will affect the lives of almost every human being on the planet . . . Whether you are light in your pension account, whether you have more money than Croesus, whether you live in the well-funded Netherlands, or whether you are a put-upon unambitious young male in Japan who sees no future for himself, you cannot escape this problem.

Before you read very …

The Aging Of The American Law Professoriate, David Barnhizer

David Barnhizer

A recent (rather tasteless) article argued: “Professors approaching 70 … have an ethical obligation to step back and think seriously about quitting. If they do remain on the job, they should at least openly acknowledge they’re doing it mostly for themselves.” In “The Forever Professors: Academics Who Don’t Retire Are Greedy, Selfish, and Bad For Students”, the insensitive author added: “the number of professors 65 and older more than doubled between 2000 and 2011.” The author’s most intellectually savage comments were that: “faculty who delay retirement harm students, who in most cases would benefit from being taught by someone younger …

A Primer On The Need To Continue Monitoring Closely The Transfer Of Social Welfare Risk And Liability Of Employee Benefit Plans, James E. Holloway

Cleveland State Law Review

This Article examines why federal legislative policy-makers and judicial decision-makers should ascertain the impact of the transfer of risk and liability on furthering welfare and security interests and preserving organizational discretion under ERISA and public policy. Part I explains why business organizations or employers transfer risk and liability to employees and retirees. This transfer occurs where global business outcomes cause social consequences that are driven directly by business decisions responding to new global competition and less American economic standing. Part II explains the need to assess the substantive issues and public policy concerns underlying legislative acts and judicial interpretations limiting …

The Future Of Americans' Pensions: Revamping Pension Plan Asset Allocation To Combat The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation's Deficit, Kathleen H. Czarney

Cleveland State Law Review

To protect the financial future of retirees, this Note advocates that Congress pass legislation mandating a certain percentage of retirement plan funds be allocated into a low-risk individual retirement account ("IRA") insured by the Federal Depository Insurance Corporation ("FDIC"). This plan will shift the massive financial burden off of the PBGC. Section II of this Note provides an overview of pension plans and the PBGC with reference to economic and demographic factors that affect pensions. Thereafter, Section III discusses the current economic circumstances and their affect on retirement savings and the future of the PBGC." Section IV analyzes pending federal …

Employer Sponsored Health Benefit Plans Under Erisa After Pegram V. Herdrich: The Fiduciary Duty Argument And Mixed Eligibility Versus Treatment Decisions, Jack E. Karns

Journal of Law and Health

Accordingly, this Article is a rebuttal to the Supreme Court's opinion in Pegram v. Herdrich on the strength of two primary arguments. First, the Seventh Circuit's rationale was on-point and extremely sound in concluding that HMOs do stand as trustees as envisioned by the ESBP and cannot offer kickback payments to physicians simply to increase shareholder wealth at the expense of patient health and welfare. This was a textbook example of breach of fiduciary duty given the medical trust relationship between physician and patient. Had the HMO offered a hedge fund option using securities from firms other than itself, there …

Cobra Continuation Coverage And The Plain Reading Of The Statute: Geissal V. Moore Medical Corporation , Judith C. Brostron

Journal of Law and Health

This Paper will discuss the relevant statutes, case law and the Supreme Court's opinion in Geissal v. Moore Medical Corp. It concludes that the Supreme Court correctly reversed the Eighth Circuit's opinion in Geissal by applying the plain meaning of the statute and rejecting the "significant gap" theory. James Geissal was entitled to COBRA continuation coverage even though his wife had preexisting group health insurance coverage. The Fifth, Eleventh and Eigth Circuits' significant gap theory is not supported by the plain meaning of the statute or Congress' intent. The employee should have the choice to elect COBRA or decide whether …

A Framework For Analysis Of Erisa Preemption In Suits Against Health Plans And A Call For Reform, Susan O. Scheutzow

Journal of Law and Health

This article provides a framework for an analysis of ERISA preemption of suits against health plans. The types of decisions made by health plans will be categorized and ERISA preemption concepts applied to this categorization to determine the points in inequity between ERISA regulated health plans and non-ERISA regulated health plans. This article will then review the problems inherent in relying upon the malpractice area as the primary remedy for beneficiaries seeking care under ERISA regulated and non-ERISA regulated plans and identify a number of key points for reform.

Retirement Plans For Self-Employed Individuals, Doris R. Hauth

Cleveland State Law Review

The self-employed individual has not yet gained the status of the corporate employee in his ability to defer income, but the Keogh Act, asamended in 1967, does afford him substantial tax savings. The benefits should be thoroughly considered by all who qualify.

Retirement Plans Limited To Salaried Employees: Tax Advantages And Qualification, Gerrit C. Kuechle

Cleveland State Law Review

Retirement plans are among the most effective tax saving devices available and can be extremely attractive, as will be shown, to the small corporation and the highly compensated employee, especially when it is considered that a properly designed plan can be integrated with Social Security so that larger benefits are provided on the salary in excess of that covered by Social Security than on the salary subject to Social Security.

Tax Of Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan, Lucius C. Gossick

Cleveland State Law Review

One of the primary reasons for the steady growth in the number of qualified deferred compensation plans described in Section 401 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 19541 is their usefulness as tax planning devices. An important tax consideration in adopting such a plan is that the taxation of plan benefits to employee-participants or their beneficiaries, provided by current employer contributions, will be deferred to some future time. Because of the rapid changes that occur in the income tax law this article will cover general tax considerations applicable to such benefits that exist presently. Consideration will be given the …

Tax Advantages Of Retirement Plans, Sheldon M. Young, Martin Silverman

Cleveland State Law Review

A great many factors have been responsible for the phenomenal growth of retirement plans in the United States since 1930 - not the least of them being the impetus given to the establishment of pension plans as a result of labor negotiations initiated by unions after the Inland Steel decision of1949, wherein the National Labor Relations Board ruled that pensions were a proper subject of collective bargaining. Most authorities, however, recognize that high corporate and personal income tax rates, and broad beneficial tax privileges accorded to recipients of benefits under such programs are largely responsible for the adoption of these …