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When do you value pension benefit vs pay?

Posted on 1/13/24 at 11:55 pm
Posted by HailToTheChiz
Back in Auburn
Member since Aug 2010
49151 posts
Posted on 1/13/24 at 11:55 pm
Meaning how much do you value a pension plan? If it meant dropping salary and changing jobs for one, would you do it just for the sake of having that benefit
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
20590 posts
Posted on 1/14/24 at 6:27 am to
Never, personally. Does the other option not have a company retirement plan?

A pension plan is simply a company contribution to a retirement plan that is owned by the company. It is a liability for the employer they contribute to but own the assets inside of the plan.

Personal retirement plans are owned by the employee. The contribution from the employee can be the same, less, or more. But it’s an owned by the employee at death.

Both plans can be calculated as a percentage of salary/ value. So that’s the best way to ‘e-value-ate”
Posted by PetroBabich
Donetsk Oblast
Member since Apr 2017
4650 posts
Posted on 1/14/24 at 6:57 am to
Pension plans are typically earned by working for the same company for a long time so I would assume once you're past mid career it would be better to hold what you got either way.
This post was edited on 1/14/24 at 7:05 am
Posted by LSUtigerME
Walker, LA
Member since Oct 2012
3811 posts
Posted on 1/14/24 at 10:07 am to
As mentioned, a Pension is simply a defined benefit plan vs a defined contribution plan.

Many have long vesting periods or other restrictions to access.

When considering them against jobs, I simply make some assumptions around salary/etc and determine what the Pension projection may look like.

The bigger benefit in many Pension plans is the ability to continue health insurance after retirement. This is a little harder to evaluate, but most of those plans require extensive years of service to receive that benefit.
Posted by Drizzt
Cimmeria
Member since Aug 2013
12969 posts
Posted on 1/14/24 at 10:35 am to
I have a state pension in my current state where I’ll get half my salary for perpetuity after 25 years. I was 10 years in and had a job offer in Louisiana that had a 401k. I turned it down based on my pension being a better retirement plan and Louisiana having a higher income tax. I would make more money on paper but not worth the hassle of moving when everything was considered, especially the pension.
Posted by Bard
Definitely NOT an admin
Member since Oct 2008
51899 posts
Posted on 1/14/24 at 10:48 am to
quote:

Meaning how much do you value a pension plan? If it meant dropping salary and changing jobs for one, would you do it just for the sake of having that benefit


There's a vast amount of other things you should be taking into account as well (change in travel time/cost, change in potential future earnings, etc). The balance of that determines your opportunity risk.

The short version is that I think it comes down to how risk averse someone is, combined with how content they are with the job and their employer.

For the longer version...

401s can have a greater return but pensions may be more secure. For example, if you work for the state of La. the formula** is (after being in the system for 10 years) you get 2.5% per year of employment of the average of your highest 36 months of earnings (years of service * 2.5%(average of monthly pay over the last 36 months)).

So if your average pay over the last 3 years comes out to $100k/yr and you worked for 30 years, your estimated retirement will be .025*30*$100k, thus $75k/year until you die. If you start early enough you can retire with your pension being 100%. This is something you know the day you start (unless your HR is slacking).

** = there are a couple of different formulas, depending on which part of the state government you work in.

As a final point in all of this, in a pension situation you can also fund your own 401k (you just won't be getting matching from your employer).
Posted by RoyalWe
Prairieville, LA
Member since Mar 2018
3152 posts
Posted on 1/15/24 at 4:44 pm to
quote:

Meaning how much do you value a pension plan?
I valued it so much I cashed it out as soon as I had the option.
Posted by AUCE05
Member since Dec 2009
42582 posts
Posted on 1/15/24 at 9:04 pm to
Its huge. Basically takes the place of bonds in most portfolios. You would need to run the numbers vs a new job.
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