Current Pension Topics: Don't Give Up Flexibility
By JOEL L. FRANK
      Q.: My friend Ralph will be retiring on June 1 and needs to make a decision. He is age 60 and has a choice of a taking a partial lump-sum settlement of $176,922 from his former employer's pension plan. If he takes the lump sum, his annual pension will be reduced to $81,192.
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YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY
By DAVID BROWN
      Will you be applying this year for the extra assistance available to help pay premiums, deductibles and co-pays under the Medicare Prescription Drug Program? If you are a Medicare beneficiary with limited income and resources, you should consider it - you may be able to get extra help paying for prescription drugs.
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Ask the City Ethicist: Beware Lobbyists Bearing Gifts
By SUNG MO KIM
      Question: I am a public servant, and I received a $100 gift card from a lobbyist with matters before the city. May I accept it? - Anonymous Public Servant Answer: Before I give you an answer, let's go over the two applicable rules about gifts. First, there is the Conflicts of Interest Board's "Valuable Gift Rule.
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