By John Wasik; Forbes ~ Oct 01, 2014

What you don’t know about your defined-benefit pension plan can come back to sting you.

Unlike 401(k)-type “defined contribution” plans, old-style defined-benefit plans are insured by a quasi-governmental agency called the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. (PBGC), which acts like the FDIC in covering benefits from failed or terminated pension plans.

But “insurance” is a relative term when it comes to covering pension plans. The PBGC may not fully cover the benefit due and it may run out of money in the future to cover all of the plans under their supervision.

President’s Message August, 2014

Your Board is busy. Really busy. Here summarized are some of the items filling our TelCo plate. A redo of our website. TelCo has joined Facebook to originate an opportunity to attract retirees who are resident on Facebook. This change is only relevant to those of us who live in the internet world. For the other 35% of our membership the US Mail still works. Thankfully. My mail is delivered to a mail box on our rural road by a fella driving the familiar small red white and blue postal service van. Our mail box stands next to our Montwood Kennnel sign. Importantly, that sign structure supports a flag pole whose only purpose is to proudly display our American flag, Old Glory. I salute her every time I walk out to retrieve US Mail. Ok, that’s the important stuff. Now for the more mundane issues. Your Board revised TelCo Bylaws to support our efforts to grow membership. Nothing dramatic, just some important words clarifying our desire to be inclusive. The revised Bylaws are on TelCo website. Any member may request a copy via US Mail. Also to facilitate payment of dues via the internet TelCo plans to join PAYPAL. More on this to come from our Web Master Dave Dodge and new Board Member Ken DeLong. No more from me about some exciting things to come. Other Board members will bring their work to your attention in this Newsletter. I will again join the NRLN folks in Washington DC this September to contact various members of Congress to promote the Retirees agenda having to do with benefits and pay. One more important item. TelCo is very much in need of a member who can serve as Treasurer. Also, a member who would enjoy helping develop new membership. We have a lot of new tools. We just need hands on the handles. Last but not least, if you have an American Flag….please fly it.

Chuck Gilbert, President, TelCo Retirees Association, Inc.