When IBM announced an overhaul of its pension plan for employees in America last week,it joined a parade of employers that are shifting more responsibility for saving for retirement on to workers. For many Americans,of course,this is nothing new:millions of them have been managing their retirement assets in individual accounts for years. Nevertheless,in both America and Britain the closure of paternalisticcorporate defined benefit programmes,in which pensions depend on earnings and years of service,is acceleratingeven at healthy companies such as IBM.
To the extent that this creates and encourages individual choice and responsibility,it is something to welcome rather than to fear. Many other countries,facing huge statepension obligations,would also like to see their citizens assume a bigger role in providing for their own retirement. Even so,the trend raises an important question: how much do people due to take on these new responsibilities know about basic financial concepts?
The answer seems to be;not much,and less than they think they do. Studies show that many people overestimate their knowledge of everything from inflation to risk diversification and compound interest. One survey in Australia found that 37% of people who owned investments did not know that they could fluctuate in value. In America 31% did not know that the finance charge on a credit-card-statement is what they pay to use credit. Britains Financial Services Authority will release the results of its own survey on financial literacy in the next month or two.
Even educated professionals may know the basics but see no need to keep up to datehaving no idea of the interest rates on their credit cards,the fees on their mutual funds or how their investments are doing. But in both America and Britain low personal saving rates and record numbers of personal bankruptcies do not bode well. If people are to take charge of their pensions,shouldnt they know a little more?
In the end,ignorance could rebound on governments:if people save too little for old age,the state may have to provide for them willy-nilly。Governments are taking this very seriously. says Barbara Smith of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development,which recently produced a report on global financial literacy.Just this week the British govern- ment launched an online debt calculator for overstretched consumers and a money-management course for teenagers that will be offered in schools across the country later this year. New Zealand is another country trying to catch its people young; one official financialinformation website there includes an online game on Money Island。
1. It is informed in the text that__________.
A. IBM cannot help but overhaul its pension plan
B. IBM takes much responsibility for saving for retirement
C. workers will assume more financial responsibility for their old age
D. most Americans have taken on responsibility for saving for retirement
2. Corporate defined benefit programmes will come to an end primarily because________.
A. most companies are not so healthy as IBM
B. it can help companies relieve their pension obligations
C. millions of Americans have opened their individual accounts for years
D. more factors should be taken into consideration for a healthy pension plan
3. If one is to assume more financial responsibility,he should have more knowledge about_____.
A. risk diversification
B. basic financial concepts
C. how much he pays to use credit
D. the fluctuation in value of his investment
4. It can be inferred from the text that________.
A. even professionals are short of financial information
B. personal saving rates will no doubt increase remarkably
C. professionals are usually better prepared for their retirement
D. there will be less personal bankruptcies in both America and Britain
5. The main idea of this text is that_________.
A. most people are very ignorant about investment
B. individuals should have more choices and responsibility
C. individuals should be better prepared for their retirement
D. government should provide official financial-information
参考答案:C B B A C
15条有趣的励志名言
国内英语资讯: Chinas power use expected to grow by 3 pct in 2017
体坛英语资讯:Atletico and Barca battle it out for Cup final place
美国参议院批准赵小兰任美国运输部长
魁北克清真寺发生枪击致6人死亡
国内英语资讯:Beijing receives over 2 bln cubic meters of water from Yangtze
这8句话让人更快乐
体坛英语资讯:Dutch top three unchanged after 20th match round
国内英语资讯:74 tourism websites closed for violations
国内英语资讯:China to expand environmental inspections
国内英语资讯:Road to reach last two towns in Tibet
前联合国秘书长潘基文不会竞选韩国总统
娱乐英语资讯:China rewrites single-day box office record
全球变暖会让人进化成啥样子?看到图我惊呆了
日本漫友“神烦”的五种动漫场景——全是套路
体坛英语资讯:Spanish football league plans to adopt video referees in 2018
美文赏析:不管未来怎样,我都要过得快乐
体坛英语资讯:Ajax in bid to sign Brazil under-20 playmaker
国内英语资讯: Feature: Greeks celebrate Chinese New Year in Athens
这才是应对欺凌的正确方法
国际英语资讯:Russia accuses Ukraine of undermining Minsk deals
体坛英语资讯:Mainz draw Dortmund 1-1, Freiburg upset Berlin 2-1 in Bundesliga
国内英语资讯:Beijing sees record high park visits over Spring Festival period
国际英语资讯:U.S. Senate confirms Tillerson as Secretary of State
国际英语资讯:U.S. Western allies reject Trumps travel ban
BBC:总有那么些英文词 连母语者都觉得懵逼
体坛英语资讯:Leverkusen sign Bailey from Genk
联合国安理会将就伊朗导弹试射召开会议
国际英语资讯:U.S. prison on lockdown after guards taken hostage by inmates
涨知识:处理批评的正确方法
不限 |
英语教案 |
英语课件 |
英语试题 |
不限 |
不限 |
上册 |
下册 |
不限 |