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Ellen E. Schultz

Enron Executives' Benefits Kept on Growing As Retirement Plans of Employees Were Cut

Original publication date: 
Wednesday, January 23, 2002 - 00:00

 

At a time when Enron Corp. was cutting back on its employee retirement plans to save money, executive benefits at the energy company kept getting richer.

Enron Executives Protected Pensions With Partnerships

Original publication date: 
Thursday, February 7, 2002 - 00:00

Enron's bankruptcy may have wiped out most of the retirement savings of most of its workers. But one thing it didn't take away were the pensions of its most senior executives. Financial filings disclose that former Enron Chairman Kenneth Lay, for one, used a private partnership to protect millions of dollars worth of executive pension benefits.

Companies Cash In on Tax Breaks From Employee Retirement Plans

Original publication date: 
Thursday, January 31, 2002 - 00:00

 

Rosel Patton, a 49-year-old switch engineer in Marlboro, Mass., doesn't realize it, but when she saves for retirement by contributing to her 401(k), she's also helping her company save money.

Deferred-Pay-Plan Proposal Still Leaves Some Loopholes

Original publication date: 
Friday, October 11, 2002 - 00:00

Until recently, executive deferred-compensation plans largely escaped scrutiny by regulators. That changed after Enron Corp. filed for bankruptcy late last year, and court documents showed that some Enron executives had withdrawn millions of dollars from their accounts just before the Chapter 11 filing.

Companies Tap Pension Plans To Fund Executive Benefits

Little-Known Move Uses Tax Break Meant for Rank and File
Original publication date: 
Monday, August 4, 2008 - 00:00

At a time when scores of companies are freezing pensions for their workers, some are quietly converting their pension plans into resources to finance their executives' retirement benefits and pay.

The CEO Health Plan

In Era of Givebacks, Some Executives Get Free Coverage After They Retire
Original publication date: 
Thursday, April 13, 2006 - 00:00

At a time when companies are scaling back health benefits for other retirees, former top executives at many corporations are receiving partial or full lifetime medical coverage on top of pensions valued at millions of dollars, a Wall Street Journal analysis of dozens of recent securities filings indicates.

How Lucent's Retiree Programs Cost It Zero, Even Yielded Profit

Trusts Paid the Tab -- Till Now; Facing Need to Use Cash, Company Imposes Cuts A Handy Tool for Downsizing
Original publication date: 
Monday, March 29, 2004 - 00:00

Henry Schacht, Lucent Technologies Inc.'s former chief executive and still a director, met with retirees in 10 states last fall to explain why Lucent was cutting their medical and life-insurance benefits.

How Cuts in Retiree Benefits Fatten Companies' Bottom Lines

Trimming a Health-Care Plan Creates Accounting Gains, Under Some Arcane RulesA Shield Against Rising Costs
Original publication date: 
Tuesday, March 16, 2004 - 00:00

The loud message comes from one company after another: Surging health-care costs for retired workers are creating a giant burden. So companies have been cutting health benefits for their retirees or requiring them to contribute more of the cost.

Well-Hidden Perk Adds Up To Big Money for Executives

Deferred-Compensation Plans Give Tax Benefits, But Are Poorly Disclosed and Add to Liability
Original publication date: 
Friday, October 11, 2002 - 00:00

Last year, John R. Stafford, chairman of pharmaceutical giant Wyeth, earned $1.8 million in salary. He also was awarded a $1.97 million bonus, restricted stock valued at $724,283 and 630,000 stock options.

That much shareholders can learn from glancing at the company's proxy.

Large Banks Quietly Pile Up 'Janitors' Insurance Policies

Original publication date: 
Thursday, May 2, 2002 - 00:00

Some of America's biggest banks -- including Bank of America Corp., J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., and Bank One Corp. -- hold billions of dollars in so-called janitors insurance on their present and former employees. But investors may have a hard time finding much information in their Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

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