The nation's 100 largest defined benefit pension plans experienced a $30 billion improvement during January, resulting in a funding deficit of $434 billion, according to Milliman Inc.'s latest Pension Funding Index.  The strong month follows a year in which interest rates drove the pension funding deficit to historic levels.

"Interest rates actually cooperated this month – or at least they didn't go down," said John Ehrhardt, co-author of the Milliman Pension Funding Study. "The lack of interest rate movement allowed these pensions to take advantage of a 2.49 percent investment gain for the month and recoup some of the funding loss that characterized 2011. With the Fed committing to low rates through the end of 2014, we're going to need more months like this if we are going to fill the pension funding gap."

Cornerstone Financial Strategies LLC has moved from University Place to downtown Tacoma. The firm's new offices are at 505 Broadway, Suite 400.

Bill Pickles RFC and Brad Berger CFP, CLF, are Cornerstone's owners and managing partners.

For shareholders of Weyerhaeuser Co., the total dividend distributions made in 2011 per share of Common Stock Cusip 96216610 traded under the symbol WY are to be classified for income tax purposes as capital gain distribution.

The dividends, totaling 60 cents per share, were paid quarterly.

The nation's 100 largest defined benefit pension plans experienced a $59.7 billion decrease in funded status during December, according to Milliman Inc.'s latest Pension Funding Index. The bad month cemented a bad year, leaving the plans with a $236.4 billion increased deficit as corporate pensions faced record underfunding.

"This was an unusually dispiriting year for these 100 pensions," said John Ehrhardt, co-author of the Milliman Pension Funding Study. "Assets treaded water this year, producing an anemic $12.3 billion increase in value as record-low interest rates increased pension liabilities by $248.7 billion."

A proposed overhaul of the military retirement system has emerged as the No. 1 financial worry of  military families, easily surpassing the economy and related issues in a ranking of top money concerns, according to the First Command Financial Behaviors Index.

Seventy-one percent of middle-class military families (senior NCOs and commissioned officers in pay grades E-6 and above with household incomes of at least $50,000) said government cuts to military retirement benefits concerned them the most. The economy came in second at 54 percent, followed closely by the cost of gas at 51 percent.

The nation's 100 largest defined benefit pension plans experienced a $7 billion decline in market value and a $1 billion increase in pension liabilities during November, according to Milliman Inc.'s latest Pension Funding Index.

While declining assets drove the deficit growth, the 4.53 percent discount rate – the lowest in the 11-year history of this study – continues to be the big story.

Many financial advisers are telling their clients to expect continued market volatility in 2012, according to Russell Investments' latest Financial Professional Outlook. When asked what they plan to tell clients in preparation for next year, 40 percent of the comments focused on expectations for continued volatility, followed by slow economic growth (15 percent of comments).

In the latest survey, 63 percent of advisers say that market volatility has been a primary topic of client-initiated conversations during the past three months. Moreover, as a result of recent volatility, 78 percent of advisers reported increased outbound communications (phone calls), while 52 percent are having more client meetings and 49 percent say they are receiving more inbound calls from clients.

The long-term financial confidence of military families is beginning to unravel, reflecting concerns over the economy and a proposed overhaul of the military retirement system.

The First Command Financial Behaviors Index reveals that just 37 percent of middle-class military families (senior NCOs and commissioned officers in pay grades E-6 and above with household incomes of at least $50,000) are extremely or very confident  that their financial situation will improve over the next year, down from 41 percent in the first quarter.

Susan Warner has been named deputy director/curator of Museum of Glass. She joined the museum as director of education in February 2001.  In 2006, Warner was appointed director of public programs and in 2009 she was named deputy director.

Felix Peguero, an Edward Jones financial adviser in Lacey, has qualified for the firm's 2011 Leadership Diversity Forum. He is among 55 financial advisers of the firm's more than 12,000 who qualified.

Financial Finesse today released findings from its 2011 third quarter research report on employee financial issues.

The report reinforced a trend seen early in 2010 with employees continuing to put more emphasis on retirement and long-term planning as they continue to weather a tough economy and sluggish job and real estate markets.

Some of the most significant findings from the report were:

The nation's 100 largest defined benefit pension plans experienced a $31 billion investment loss and a $93 billion increase in pension liabilities during September, according to Milliman Inc.'s latest Pension Funding Index.

The massive increase in the funding deficit closes out a rough quarter for these pensions. Since June 30, the funded status deficit has grown by $252 billion, making the third quarter of calendar year 2011 the second worst in the history of the study. The only previous quarter in which pensions have performed so poorly was the fourth quarter of calendar year 2008, which spanned the financial crisis.

More than three quarters (79 percent) of investment managers say that they do not believe the U.S. economy is entering a double-dip recession, according to the latest Investment Manager Outlook quarterly survey conducted by Russell Investments.

When this subset of managers was asked what economic indicators support their position, 78 percent cited strong corporate balance sheets and high corporate profit levels, and nearly half (49 percent) also pointed to the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to keep interest rates low until mid-2013.

For the fourth straight month, less than half of adults nationwide believe buying a home is the best possible investment for a family.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of American adults shows that just 48 percent believe buying a home is the best investment a family can make. Though that's up slightly from July's all-time low of 43 percent, it is well below findings dating back to 2008. Prior to June, this finding had ranged from a low of 51 percent to a high of 73 percent since September 2008. As recently as last September, 60 percent of respondents felt that way.

The overall state of U.S. employees' retirement preparedness remains low despite a positive trend in employees improving their finances and putting heavier emphasis on retirement planning, according to a report from Financial Finesse.

The report found that most employees have never run a retirement projection despite their income or age.

The nation's largest 100 defined benefit pension plans experienced a $29 billion investment loss and a $33 billion increase in pension liabilities during August, according to Milliman Inc.'s latest Pension Funding Index.

The increase in the pension funded deficit comes on the heels of an even larger increase in July. The combined $128 billion growth in the deficit between June 30 and Aug. 31 is the largest two-month increase since a $134 billion increase in May and June 2010.

Small business owners looking for major tax relief in 2011 have about four weeks to get set-up with a 401(k) plan, according to ShareBuilder 401k.
 
The most popular type of this retirement savings plan for small business owners with employees is called a Safe Harbor 401(k).  The Safe Harbor deadline represents the last chance each calendar year for small businesses to start a 401(k) plan that lets owners contribute the maximum allowed and automatically satisfies common IRS tests associated with these plans.

Interesting post on OlyBlog: "Blind allegiance is not leadership."

Stop by Exit 133 for a citizen review of "The Trip."

The nation's 100 largest defined benefit pension plans recorded a $6 billion loss and a $62 billion increase in liabilities during July, according to the latest Milliman Inc. Pension Funding Index. The resulting $68 billion increase in the pension funded status deficit is the largest decline so far in 2011.

"July was a brutal month for these pensions," said John Ehrhardt, co-author of the Milliman Pension Funding Study. "In fact it was the 10th worst month for pension status we've seen in the 11-year history of this study. Unfortunately it looks like we may be in for more bad news, with August off to a miserable start. Through Aug. 8, we estimate that the funded status deficit has grown by an additional $97 billion. The $351 billion deficit as of today is the worst we've seen all year, though — for now — it is still better than the record $446 billion deficit in August 2010."

The nation's 100 largest defined benefit pension plans experienced a $10 billion investment loss during June, but still saw overall improvement in funded status because of a $35 billion liability reduction, according to Milliman Inc.'s latest Pension Funding Index.

"Normally when assets decline we're in for a fall in pension funded status, but not this month," said John Ehrhardt, co-author of the Milliman Pension Funding Study. "In fact it's a rare combination: a funded status improvement driven by liabilities and in spite of a decline in assets. In the 11 years we have tracked this data, we have only seen this combination in a total of 10 months."

Check The Live Wire for details about a "Breakthrough on Korea Trade Agreement."

OlyBlog has an update on "South Sound Salmon Forecast and Squaxin Annual Fishing Regulations."