GATT Tracking at 4.62% So Far This Month...

...with a few more trading days left in February. Nothing has changed regarding our projection that 2nd Quarter lump sums will be lower than 1st Quarter lump sums. We'll have to wait until the end of the month to get a better idea. If you would like to speak with us about your retirement, please call Harris Financial at (800) 281-3980.

GATT at 4.75% Today

It's now obvious that the GATT Rate is going to be substantially higher for the 2nd Quarter 2010. We still have a few more weeks to go until we know how much higher it will be, but it is starting to look like the PBGC calculations will produce the highest lump sum amounts. As we posted on Tuesday, the PBGC Rate has also gone up. If you have questions about how your lump sum might project in the 2nd Quarter of this year, please call Harris Financial Group at (800) 281-3980.

We're sure you are hearing lots of rumors in the mid-Atlantic about enhanced ISP offers, but so far we have not received any official confirmation. Please remember, we are in no way affiliated with Verizon, but we are happy to discuss your retirement with you if you have any questions.

Please call Harris Financial Group at (800) 281-3980. We would respectfully ask that other financial advisers refrain from calling us for information, as we would prefer to focus on helping our own clients and prospective clients.

PBGC Also Rises...

...and this is bad news. The PBGC Rate has gone from 2.50% to 2.75% this month. Between this increase in the PBGC Rate and what appears to be a pretty healthy increase in the GATT Rate, it looks very much like lump sum amounts for the 2nd Quarter of 2010 will be lower. How much lower remains to be seen, but if you have questions about your own retirement, please call Harris Financial Group at (800) 281-3980.

GATT Rate Rises Again

The GATT is now hovering around 4.68% today. This is a pretty big one-day move, and it's going in the wrong direction as far as your lump sum pensions are concerned! We'll continue to watch the GATT Rate and provide updates on the PBGC rate as soon as it is available.

GATT Rate Still Pretty High

Nothing good to report on the GATT Rate yet this month. It is looking more and more like the next quarter's GATT will NOT help lump sum amounts. We'll know in about a week what the PBGC rate looks like, and it may be that the PBGC will be the winning rate for the next quarter.

If you are a current employee of the phone company, please call Harris Financial Group to discuss your retirement, (800) 281-3980.

Thursday's GATT Watch

After closing at 4.63% yesterday, the GATT Rate is close to 4.55% today. Although this is an improvement, it's still a lot higher than we'd like it to be for purposes of calculating your lump sums. We'll continue to keep an eye on the rates throughout the next few weeks...

February is Here!

We're watching the GATT Rate closely again, as the all-important month of February is here for VZ associates. The February GATT Rate will be used in calculations for April-May-June 2010, and so far, we're off to a bad start with yesterday's GATT at 4.57%. So far, the first day represents a big jump from the previous quarter's rate of 4.31%, but remember, it's the monthly average that we're interested in. We'll need to watch the PBGC Rate as well, as it could provide the higher lump sum.

Please continue to monitor our website, and if you are a retiree in need of assistance, please feel free to call Harris Financial Group at (800) 281-3980.