Staring down stagflation: A pension tale gives pause - and possibility

Many economists think we may be entering a time of rising inflation. If this turns out to be the case, the combination of rising inflation, high unemployment, and slow economic growth harkens back to a bleak period for the US economy — the stagflation of the 1970s. In fact, recent empirical data suggests that the current mixture of economic indicators reflects the very definition of the term. Stagflation is back, along with platform shoes. And it's not very pretty.

Still, savvy employers can apply lessons learned from the days of disco to protect employee retirement savings and the business' balance sheet. Read on for insights into the economic factors behind today's challenges and the retirement plan changes that can give plan sponsors a better way forward for the organization and its human capital.