I would like to find out if anyone knows a way to force my former employer to settle my vested pension benefit in a lump sum cash payment. I am 41 years old, have a vested pension with Southwestern Bell Telephone after 18 years of service that I can start drawing on only at age 65. I would like a cash payment option so that I may take control of my pension and invest as I choose.

RMc:
There's a lot of us out here in the same boat. Not a thing you can do that I know of, especially if your money is in a defined benefit pension plan, which it sounds like yours is.

These plans have the option of doing lump-sum distributions, but don't have to. Most I've seen don't, because it increases the actuarial cost of the plan.

Do you have a booklet (the "summary plan description") that describes your distributions, and does it include a single-sum payment option?