讀後心得

As of the end of February, the evaluated returns of the Labor Fund this year reached 107.5 billion yuan, with a yield of approximately 1.58%. Affected by Trump's reciprocal tariff policy and inflationary pressures in the United States, the Taiwan stock market faces uncertainty, leading to higher volatility. The distribution of returns from the Labor Fund is also affected, and it is recommended that workers defer their claims when the yield is negative until it turns positive. In addition, according to regulations, the returns on labor retirement funds must not be lower than the bank deposit interest rate, and the treasury will cover any shortfall. The Labor Insurance Bureau stated that the best time to claim is when the yield is positive and higher.

As of the end of February this year, the total post-evaluation return of the labor fund amounted to NT$107.5 billion, with a yield of approximately 1.58%. However, due to Trump's reciprocal tariff policy and the rising inflationary pressures in the United States, the Taiwanese stock market has been affected, and the uncertainty in the financial market may increase. It is expected that the volatility in the market this year will be significant, and this situation may last for a while.

The Secretary-General of the Taiwan Labor Front stated that if the stock market situation is poor, the amount of profit distribution from the labor retirement fund will be affected. When the yield is negative, it is recommended to delay the withdrawal until the yield turns positive. According to current regulations, the new labor retirement fund will be based on the individual laborers' exclusive accounts, distributing the profits and losses from the previous year in March each year and rolling them into the respective accounts. Laborers can withdraw this amount when they reach the age of sixty. When the yield of the new labor retirement fund is positive, and the returns are higher, it is the best time to withdraw from the new labor retirement fund.

For example, if a laborer's exclusive account has accumulated about NT$1 million from several years of profit distribution and they apply for withdrawal in April this year after turning sixty, since the profits from January to April have not yet been distributed, the Labor Insurance Bureau will calculate the profits for that period based on the latest yield of 1.58% as of the end of February, along with the accumulated amount in the account. This laborer will receive an additional amount due to the retrospective higher yield. Conversely, if the laborer chooses to retire in June, the yield in April may turn negative due to global stock market fluctuations, resulting in a decrease in the retirement funds. However, if the accumulated profits during the contribution period do not reach the guaranteed yield, the shortfall will be made up by the treasury.

The Secretary-General mentioned that in the previous years, the yields of major labor funds have remained positive, and workers naturally hope that this will continue so that the final distribution amount will be higher. However, stock market fluctuations are difficult to predict, and it is uncertain whether a financial crisis will occur in the future. Even if the labor fund achieves significant returns over a period, what it actually reflects is only superficial data rather than the final distributive yield.

According to Article 23 of the "Labor Pension Act," the returns on labor retirement funds must not be lower than the interest from a two-year fixed deposit rate in local banks; if they fall below this, the treasury will make up the difference. Therefore, the impact of the stock market on the new labor retirement fund will not be significant. The Labor Insurance Bureau stated that the profit distribution of the new labor retirement fund will incorporate the profits and losses from the previous year into individual accounts in March each year. When the announced yield is positive, it is the best time to withdraw. If the yield is negative, a slight wait is acceptable. Regarding how the positive and negative differences in yield will impact withdrawals, the Labor Insurance Bureau said that the accumulated principal and returns in the accounts will be considered during the settlement. If the announced yield for the month is positive, but the returns for the month of withdrawal are negative, there will be a calculation of negative returns. However, since the principal amounts in each laborer’s account differ, and each claimant has varying negative yield rates, this situation is difficult to calculate precisely.