Negative aspects of Pension Plans

Can someone help me figure out the cons of pensions? They are extremely expensive to maintain, causes the “golden handcuff” effect which in turn forces some unmotivated workers to stay with the company, etc. What are some other cons of pensions?

7 Comments
 

Because you only get paid if there is any money left at the end. Pensions pay into a pension insurance pot, which pays out of your pension fund goes bust. Doesnt take a genius to work out that a massive industry that doesnt work for free using your money to give you more money back later sounds a bit too good to be true.

Case in point, my mother put aside about £20 or so every month for me, total £3k when i was younger. 12 years later or w.e it was, that amount was less than £3k, but they gave me £3k to feel good. Wasn't a pension i know but the same principle. Giving someone else your money to outperform you and paying them a premium to do so, when all they dois buy T bills or RDSA shares seems a bit stupid to me.

disclaimer: i am near violently anti pension.

 
Best Response
trazer985Because you only get paid if there is any money left at the end. Pensions pay into a pension insurance pot, which pays out of your pension fund goes bust. Doesnt take a genius to work out that a massive industry that doesnt work for free using your money to give you more money back later sounds a bit too good to be true.

Case in point, my mother put aside about £20 or so every month for me, total £3k when i was younger. 12 years later or w.e it was, that amount was less than £3k, but they gave me £3k to feel good. Wasn't a pension i know but the same principle. Giving someone else your money to outperform you and paying them a premium to do so, when all they dois buy T bills or RDSA shares seems a bit stupid to me.

disclaimer: i am near violently anti pension.

Totally agree. I personally prefer ir 401K contributions were made instead. There is one advantage to pensions, and you touched on it: it keeps people around that might otherwise leave. For jobs requiring lots of initiative (finance, advertising, etc etc etc etc) this is really bad. For other jobs, especially the likes of township maintainance, corrections officer, etc etc etc etc orgainizations don't need particularly high performing personelle, just warm bodies...but keeping them on hand saves money over hiring and training new people.
Get busy living
 

I don't see much wrong with defined contribution, but defined benefit is a complete disaster imho because A) the accounting relies on an absurd amount of assumptions which give ample room for the gaming of financial statements B) companies promise an absurd amount of $ to people and then under-fund the liability

 
FrankD'anconiaI don't see much wrong with defined contribution, but defined benefit is a complete disaster imho because A) the accounting relies on an absurd amount of assumptions which give ample room for the gaming of financial statements B) companies promise an absurd amount of $ to people and then under-fund the liability
C) proceed to loot the funds anyway, thereby completely screwing the folks who should have made better plans in the fist place :/
Get busy living
 
FrankD'anconiaI don't see much wrong with defined contribution, but defined benefit is a complete disaster imho because A) the accounting relies on an absurd amount of assumptions which give ample room for the gaming of financial statements B) companies promise an absurd amount of $ to people and then under-fund the liability

This is the biggest con to me. Need some extra money? Adjust the assumptions. By the time the bill comes due, you'll have been gone for years. There is a reason almost every pension is underfunded.

It doesn't directly tie to pensions, but historically pensions have been common in union jobs. And unions are hell to negotiate with. After a few decades, you find yourself in a situation like the auto-manufacturers. Or California.

 

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