Here’s some financial juxtaposition to consider. As the stock market reached a new high which makes 401(k) participants happy, a survey released this week shows a speed-up in the decline of defined benefit pension plans. The survey (32 pages, PDF) by industry-supported Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Mercer Human Resources Consulting of 162 employers, some of which are the country’s largest, reveals that nearly two-thirds of employers that offer traditional pensions have closed their plans to new hires or frozen them for all employees — or plan to do so in the next two years.
The survey results brings the issue of whether the Boomers will have adequate retirement income to the forefront. Some analysts have said that Boomers with a combination of pensions, 401(k), home equity, and Social Security will be financially ready to retire. It’s time to run the numbers again.