Description: The military retirement system is a funded, noncontributory, defined-benefit plan that includes nondisability retired pay, disability retired pay, and survivor annuity programs. This article discusses the additional benefits created by the Military Retirement Reform Act of 1986.

Description: 1992 SOA Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C. This session on mergers and acquisitions discussed the impact of pensions, post-retirement costs and fringe benefits on acquisitions as well as the special problems that arise when the parties in a transaction are globally diverse.

Description: The panel presents the technical details of calculating the deficit reduction contribution as changed by the Retirement Protection Act RPA of 1994. Additionally addressed is the new solvency maintenance requirement and changes to the full-funding limitation. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 21, No. 3b.

Description: The panel presents the technical details of calculating the deficit reduction contribution as changed by the Retirement Protection Act of 1994. Also covered are the new solvency maintenance requirements and changes to the full-funding limitation. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 21, No. 4a.

Description: The Actuary Vol. 22, No. 1. This article discusses the impact of a change in procedure in the financing of the US Military Retirement System. The change requires amortizing the past service liability. The impact will depend upon whether the amortization is achieved by increasing current taxes and decreasing the current deficit, or by merely increasing the national debt and leaving the current deficit unchanged. The author asserts that the new financing method will not weaken the financial condition of the military retirement system, and that it has the potential to strengthen its financial condition if the funding of the past service liability is handled appropriately.

Description: 1993 SOA Annual Meeting, New York. This session debated the merits of the PBGC concept. Topics discussed: 1. The administration's proposal to reform the PBGC and how the PBGC plans to go about it. 2. Is the PBGC in trouble?

Description: This article provides a basic introduction to the taxation of qualified annuities held in qualified retirement plans and IRAs. The article has been updated for the SECURE Act and the SECURE 2.0 Act. The article describes the basic types of employer-based plans, provides of overview of the taxation of contributions and benefits when annuities are held in connection with plans and IRAs, explains the required minimum distribution rules, and offers a brief introduction to recent legislation impacting qualified annuities.

Description: The author reflects on the development and evolution of pension law since ERISA became effective in 1974. From: The Actuary, September 1999 – volume 33 - Issue 7.

Description: This article, another in the popular series devoted to tax basics, provides an overview of how the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the law governing employment-based retirement and health plans, impacts the use of annuities in pension and 401(k) plans. The article explains which types of plans are subject to ERISA, and which are not; why the concept of "plan assets" is critical; what duties an insurance company or distributor might take on when an annuity is placed with a retirement plan; and finally what disclosures may be required. The article also includes a brief introduction to terminal funding annuities. This article is intended for those with no prior experience in ERISA. Because the vast majority of retirement assets are saved originally in employment based plans like pension and 401(k) plans, understanding the basics of ERISA is important for anyone who will have a career in annuities and life insurance.

Description: Discussed are some of the major effects of the Retirement Protection Act of 1994 in areas other than funding. Topics included are calculation of lump sums, 415 limits, creation of the missing participants program, elimination of the excise tax for some non deductible contributions, and changes in the variable rate program. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 21, No. 4a.