Retirement

2023 - 1 - 20

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Image courtesy of "BBC News"

France strikes: One million protest against Macron's rise in ... (BBC News)

Protesters take to the streets across France over plans to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

For example, in 2010, Nicolas Sarkozy raised the retirement age to 62, despite weeks of protests. It also says the brunt of the reform will be borne by the poorest. It says there are cost-saving alternatives to making people work longer, such as cutting pensions for the better-off. Because his Renaissance party does not have a majority in the Assembly, President Macron will be forced to rely on support from the 60 or so MPs of the conservative Republicans party. Under the French system, very few people have personal pension plans linked to capital investments. If that happened, it could mark the end of any serious reforms in this, his second term.

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Image courtesy of "Forbes"

Considering Retirement? Important Age-Related Rules To Know (Forbes)

Age 50: Plan participants and owners of individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can begin to make catch-up contributions, in addition to the contribution limits ...

· Age 50: Plan participants and owners of individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can begin to make catch-up contributions, in addition to the contribution limits that apply to those under the age of 50. From investing and saving, to future income and legacy planning, CIBC Private Wealth works with retirement savers of all ages and backgrounds. · Age 73: Required minimum distributions (RMDs) from retirement accounts begin. It is important to be aware of this to avoid late enrollment penalties and loss of healthcare coverage. As one gets closer to retirement, that focus often changes once again as actual retirement becomes more of a reality. Then the middle years bring an increased focus on minimizing expenses and growing retirement and nonretirement assets.

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Image courtesy of "Associated Press"

France: Over 1 million march against raising retirement age (Associated Press)

PARIS (AP) — At least 1.1 million people protested on the streets of Paris and other French cities Thursday amid nationwide strikes against plans to raise ...

But opponents of Macron’s reform note that, under the French system, people are already required to work more years overall than in some neighboring countries to receive a full pension. The official retirement age in the U.S. The French government is formally presenting the pension bill on Monday and it will head to Parliament next month. I’m scared of the future when I’ll be older and have to retire.” Under the planned changes, workers must have worked for at least 43 years to be entitled to a full pension. He eventually withdrew it after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Nathan Arsac, 19, a student and member of the UNEF union, said: “I’m afraid of what’s going to happen next. Do you want to retire sick, broken and even some dead? Emboldened by the mass show of resistance, French unions announced new strikes and protests Jan. Retirees and college students joined the diverse crowd, united in their fear and anger over the reform. “I am here to defend the youth and workers doing demanding jobs. “I am not here for myself,” he said.

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Image courtesy of "TIME"

What to Know About the Retirement Age Protests in France (TIME)

Macron introduced his plan to overhaul the pension system last week, which included a measure to raise the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64. The proposal is ...

Bieler notes that protests haven’t always been enough to move the needle against pension reforms in the past. “All of this is happening against the background of a cost of living crisis,” says Bieler. “A lot of people are in really emergency situations.” “When there’s a strike, they better focus on what the citizens taking action have to say,” said Phillippe Martinez, the Secretary General of the CNT trade union. “We have increasing levels of inflation, we haven’t seen since the 70s and of course, we’ve just come out of a pandemic which has already put downward pressure on wages and people’s income and savings.” “In France, those who are currently working pay into the fund that those in retirement are paid from,” explains Andreas Bieler, a Professor of Political Economy at University of Nottingham who focuses on labor movements. The government was forced to drop the measures amid the coronavirus pandemic. The unions have called for other ways to increase funds, like taxing the ultra-rich or increasing employer payroll contributions, Macron introduced his plan to overhaul the pension system last week, which included a measure to raise the minimum retirement age from 62 to 64. Germany’s retirement age is currently 67, but the country is Railways, schools, and refineries were amongst the industries that saw workers walk out in protest, calling the decision a “ On Thursday in Paris, trains were at a standstill.

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Image courtesy of "The Wall Street Journal"

Workers in France Strike Over Macron's Plan to Raise Retirement ... (The Wall Street Journal)

Paris ground to a halt and more than 10000 police officers were deployed across the country.

[20% off your next online order - Walmart coupon code](https://www.wsj.com/coupons/walmart) [Kohl's Coupon 30% off sitewide](https://www.wsj.com/coupons/kohls) Several museums, including the Louvre, said parts of their collections wouldn’t open.

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Image courtesy of "CNN"

Striking French workers lead 1 million people in protest over plans to ... (CNN)

Protesters demonstrate against the French government's proposed pension reforms in Saint-Nazaire on France's west coast, as part of a day of nationwide strikes ...

“Even after the reforms, we will retire in France better off and earlier than in almost all eurozone countries,” he added. It’s coming at the worst moment, in fact,” CFE-CGC union chief François Hommeril told CNN on Tuesday, pointing to TotalEnergies [(TOT)](https://money.cnn.com/quote/quote.html?symb=TOT&source=story_quote_link) said that fuel supplies at its network of gas stations would not be affected. Macron’s proposed pension reforms come as workers in France, as elsewhere, are being squeezed by rising food and energy bills. Eight of the biggest unions had called for a “first day of strikes and protests” against pension reforms unveiled by President Emmanuel Macron’s government. [nationwide strikes in 2019](https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/04/europe/france-pension-reform-strike-intl/index.html) before being abandoned because of the Covid-19 pandemic. [successive governments facing stiff resistance](https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/04/europe/france-pension-reform-strike-intl/index.html) to changes that eventually passed in 2004, 2008 and 2010. Charles de Gaulle airport reported “a few delays” due to striking air traffic controllers, but no cancellations. [the inflation that has wracked Europe this year](https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/04/europe/france-pension-reform-strike-intl/index.html) following the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Teachers and transport workers were among those who did not report for work. [mass demonstrations](https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/17/business/france-crisis-fuel-shortages/index.html) on the streets of Paris last year protesting the cost of living, and strikes by workers demanding higher pay caused [fuel pumps to run dry](https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/17/business/france-crisis-fuel-shortages/index.html) across the country a few months ago. CGT, one of France’s major confederation of trade unions, estimated that two million people took part in more than 200 protest events across the country, and said that the majority of refinery workers at TotalEnergies

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Image courtesy of "Forbes"

Cyber Thieves Are Going After Retirement Accounts (Forbes)

I know of one retiree at a large employer who recently realized his monthly pension check hadn't been deposited by the usual date. He contacted the retirement ...

Does it send a first-class letter to the individual confirming the request? Does it call the individual to verify the request? What does it do to verify the identity of the user? The thieves then downloaded the appropriate form from the retirement plan’s web site, printed it, completed it by hand, and mailed it to the administrator. The payment quickly was stopped, and the retiree’s financial account was re-designated as the place for the deposits to be made. If the email recipient isn’t alert, sensitive information is sent to the criminals.

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Image courtesy of "Human Resources Online"

The impact of high inflation on retirement choices in Singapore: 3 ... (Human Resources Online)

Younger survey respondents are more likely than their older counterparts to hustle for higher income (87% for Gen Zs and Millennials, vs 81% for all ...

[explained](https://endowus.com/retirement-report-2022-2023/cio-foreword): "A sustained increase in the long-term trend inflation from 1% to 3% will lead to a 45.8% decrease in retirement savings over 30 years. But they are also less likely to cut down on non-essential spends (85%, 83% for Gen Zs and Millennials respectively, vs 89% for all correspondents). Gen X and Baby Boomers are not too far behind, with 65% and 62% of respondents respectively saying that they have looked at personal financial plans over and above CPF payouts. CPF top-ups in the first nine months of 2022 hit a record of more than $3.5bn. Single-income households with a monthly income of $15,000 can save up to $4,095 by leveraging CPF and SRS top-up tax savings. According to the report, this could be because a lot of the support schemes from Budget 2022 were rolled out to especially help low to middle-income families.

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Image courtesy of "Los Angeles Times"

Mass marches in France against plan to raise retirement age (Los Angeles Times)

French unions have announced more nationwide strikes and protests Jan. 31 against President Emmanuel Macron's plan to raise the retirement age.

But opponents of Macron’s proposal note that, under the French system, people are already required to work more years overall than in some neighboring countries to receive a full pension. The official retirement age in the U.S. The French government is formally presenting the pension bill on Monday and it will head to Parliament next month. Under the proposal, workers must have been employed for at least 43 years to be entitled to a full pension. I’m scared of the future when I’ll be older and have to retire.” Macron’s centrist alliance lost its parliamentary majority last year, yet still has the biggest group at the National Assembly, where it hopes to ally with the Republicans, a conservative party, to approve the pension changes. He withdrew it after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Polls suggest most French people oppose Macron’s plan, and Thursday was the first public reaction to it. Emboldened by the mass show of resistance, French unions announced new strikes and protests Jan. Retirees and college students joined the diverse crowd, united in their fear and anger over the proposal. Do you want to retire sick, broken and even [in some cases] dead? “I am here to defend the youth and workers doing demanding jobs.

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Image courtesy of "People's World"

France: Over 1 million march against raising retirement age (People's World)

PARIS (AP) — At least 1.1 million people protested on the streets of Paris and other French cities Thursday amid nationwide strikes against plans to raise ...

admits to running Ukraine biolabs](https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/after-months-of-denial-u-s-admits-to-running-ukraine-biolabs/) [Requiem for a dream: 100 years after the founding of the USSR](https://www.peoplesworld.org/article/requiem-for-a-dream-100-years-after-the-founding-of-the-ussr/) But opponents of Macron’s reform note that, under the French system, people are already required to work more years overall than in some neighboring countries to receive a full pension. The French government is formally presenting the pension bill on Monday and it will head to Parliament next month. The official retirement age in the U.S. Under the planned changes, workers must have worked for at least 43 years to be entitled to a full pension. I’m scared of the future when I’ll be older and have to retire.” He eventually withdrew it after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Nathan Arsac, 19, a student and member of the UNEF union, said: “I’m afraid of what’s going to happen next. Emboldened by the mass show of resistance, French unions announced new strikes and protests Jan. Do you want to retire sick, broken and even some dead? Retirees and college students joined the diverse crowd, united in their fear and anger over the reform. “I am here to defend the youth and workers doing demanding jobs.

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Image courtesy of "Motley Fool"

3 Retirement Moves Everyone Should Make to Start 2023 Off Right (Motley Fool)

Key Points · Review your retirement-savings strategy annually. · Look at how much you're saving and what you're investing in. · Make plans for where you'll put ...

If you go with an IRA, you'll have a lot of freedom to invest how you want and even choose whether to pay taxes on your funds now or in retirement. You can take your money out whenever you want, as well, unlike retirement accounts, which generally impose a 10% early withdrawal penalty if you're under age 59 1/2. Once you've claimed the full match, you can decide whether to continue saving in that account or switch to a different type. [health savings accounts (HSAs)](https://www.fool.com/retirement/plans/hsa/), or taxable brokerage accounts. Also, take a look at how much you were able to save for retirement during the last year and your current account balances. But as you age, consider moving more of your savings into fixed-income investments, like bonds, to protect your nest egg. It's important to weigh all your options and come up with a plan that will maximize your money's growth. These types of funds automatically adjust their assets over time to become more conservative as your chosen retirement year approaches. No matter your age, you want to [diversify your funds](https://www.fool.com/investing/how-to-invest/portfolio-diversification/) among many investments so no single one weighs too heavily on your portfolio. Make whatever changes you feel are necessary to keep yourself moving toward the future you want. Ask yourself if any of your plans for retirement have changed during the last year.

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Image courtesy of "Fox Business"

Over 1 million French workers strike against effort to raise retirement ... (Fox Business)

French President Emmanuel Macron plans to increase the age of retirement from 62 to 64 in a bid he claims will add 17.7 billion euros per year in annual ...

The aging population and growing life expectancy in France, along with its commitment that everyone receives a state pension, has pushed the government to ensure the system remains solvent. But the public strongly opposes the reform, with polls suggesting most people reject the proposal. "This problem can be solved in a different way, through taxation. [for a French-Spanish summit](https://www.foxbusiness.com/category/europe), acknowledged public discontent but said the reform remains necessary to "save" French pensions. [French trade unions](https://www.foxbusiness.com/category/unions) said in a joint statement. [one million French workers](https://www.foxbusiness.com/category/fox-news-french) took to the streets to protest a government plan to reform the nation’s pension plans, including a bump for the age of retirement.

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Image courtesy of "Forbes"

How New Rules On Your Retirement Money Can Help You (Forbes)

You might not know why you should care, but as of last summer, financial advisors and their firms faced more stringent rules as it relates to retirement ...

Ideally, your advisor should either already have a financial plan in place that they can fit this analysis into or gather information from you so they can review and then use that information to provide written recommendations. Basically, a financial advisor needs to review all your options and show you why moving your money would be in your best interest. Rolling this money over or moving it into a different retirement investment vehicle may be in your best interest or it may not. Specifically, advisors need to show you the differences and create an analysis that includes alternatives to the rollover, fees and expenses associated with the employer plan and the IRA, whether the employer pays any share of administrative expenses, and the various levels of services and investments available through the plan and the IRA. A standard we adhere to every day. Meissner: Under this rule, financial advisors just like us must provide their clients in writing specific reasons why a retirement plan rollover is in the participants’ best interests.

Letter: Why so many NHS consultants retire early (Financial Times)

From Dr Tom Tidswell, Consultant Neurophysiologist, London NW5, UK.

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