zlacker

> Although as an aside who these people are who think corporate pensions are a good idea is beyond me.

Ignore the practicalities and look at the story.

They're a promise that someone stronger than you will provide for you in your old age.

>>tbrown+(OP)
It probably looked like a good idea when companies presented themselves as immortal institutions. I've never worked for a company that big

>>tbrown+(OP)
The story also included for many years that the collective investment was stronger than the individual investments could be. A hedge fund with a bigger wallet could have more options, could have more bargaining power, could have access to investment deals that are out of reach of one individual's savings. That's a powerful story. We saw so many of the things that can go wrong, especially in 2008, but the raw idea of a larger pension fund is cheaper to run and has more financial leverage is still a good story with some truth behind it.

(As an individual investor, I do often wonder what sort of bargains and better investment options I miss out on that investing together with two or three friends with similar retirement goals could gain me by investing together as a team. I realize that's the point of hedge funds/mutual funds, but today's hedge funds/mutual funds themselves have tiered fee structure pools based in staked investment and it never feels like an even playing field if I'm trying to manage my own investments even with the competition between hedge funds/mutual funds today.)

>>WorldM+hd
Oil and Gas ventures. You have to be an accredited investor to buy in and boy oh boy is it a juicy deal. Income tax is capped and ALL invested capital can be written off immediately (you get it all back plus profits) and there are other benefits I'm forgetting.