what does pension mean
Financial market participants. A pension is a fund into which a sum of money is added during an employee's employment years, and from which payments are drawn to support the person's retirement from work in the form of periodic payments. A pension may be a defined benefit plan where a fixed sum is paid regularly to a person, or a defined contribution plan under which a fixed sum is invested and then becomes available at retirement age. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is usually paid in regul