Take the money and run [pension funds]

Previous columns on pensions and retirement planning stimulated plenty of feedback from readers. Two recurring themes were: "My situation is much worse than I realized," and "How can I become an effective manager of my pension fund?" Several readers had specific questions concerning the best time to start taking pensions from former employers. Some readers expressed an interest in learning about Canadian income funds. This column presents follow-up information on recent columns. The main article looks at factors that impact when and how to take defined benefit pensions from former employers. A sidebar contains recommendations for two recently published books that set out to help individuals to manage their own pension funds.