I'm down pretty good in our 401(k) year to date , ForcedToRetire , cause I didn't get out when you did . Congradulations .

Fortunately I don't have to take any distributions from our 401(k) for at least another year to live . Pulling money out of an old Schwab IRA that was in cash and will sell my old Xerox ESOP shares that I converted to common shares in my brokerage account and paid taxes on years ago when I retired in 2000 with a cost basis of $13.04 / $13.05 a share . I'll sell them hopefully at a profit later this calendar year to take advantage of the new zero percent capital gains IRS regulation change that is available in the 15% marginal income tax bracket . I doult the next administration will extend that loophole past this year .
There's a lot of discussion on the A.R.X.E. web site about the " quality " and safety of that Income Fund you mentioned . Remember the old " Guaranteed " Income plan that Xerox froze years ago cause those insurance companies could NOT pay on their anunity promises . Right now the main topic of discussion on the A.R.X.E. web site is the new Xerox retiree healthcare change just announced on " Today at Xerox " ( TAX ) starting next calendar year on January 1st , 2009 , where " Xerox will no longer provide an allowance to retirees who waive coverage ( " opt - out " ) under the plan . [ In addition , the CMS ( Medicare ) Subsidy allowance will no longer be provided to offset the post - 65 Retiree Flex premiums . It will still be provided to the pre - 65 Retiree Flex participants as a seperate allowance as it was for 2008 . ] "
And " Effective January 1st , 2010 , Xerox will no longer provide a benefit allowance for current and future Medicare - eligible Retiree Flex individuals and their Medicare - eligible spouses / domestic pardners . These individuals will continue to have access to supplemental coverage at the group rate through Xerox . "
" Letters explaning these changes were mailed to affected retirees earlier this week . "
The A.R.X.E. board is considering what action to take and has set up special discusion topics on their web site to deal with questions from their membership on these new Xerox retiree healthcare changes . The times they are - a - changing . Our A.R.X.E. membership will be more important in the future as they fight to maintain our retiree benefits . In spite of the fact there are tens of thousands of Xerox retirees , there are only a little more than a couple thousand A.R.X.E. members . For more information , go to :
http://www.arxe.org You can join on line and there is a special 10 year membership fee of only $60 bucks still offered I think . Best money a Xerox retiree ever spent .