Description: 1993 SOA Spring Meeting, San Diego. This session was about the effectiveness of the 1987 minimum funding changes and the tools that PBGC used in the legislative development process.

Description: Appendix B presents several life samples comparing the benefits and funding before versus after the addition of the DROP feature. From Design and Actuarial Aspects of Deferred Retirement Option Programs, M-RS03-2.

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: This article describes the Joint and Survivor Factor. In defined benefit plans, ERISA requires that the normal form of the pension must be on a qualified joint and survivor basis. If the plan defines the pension in terms of a lifetime pension to the participant only, the lifetime pension must be multiplied by the joint and survivor factor. This article shows what happens to the factor as the interest rate increases.

Description: This is a panel discussion about how frequently actuarial valuations should be made of trusteed pension plans and deposit administration plans. Also discussed is what government regulations require as to reports on such plans. From Transaction of Society of Actuaries 1959, Vol. 11, No. 29 AB.

Description: This paper advocates asset/liability management for pension plans. It identifies the economic factors that influence the economic value of liabilities and discusses the typical asset portfolio that results.

Description: This paper demonstrates how, under the projected benefit cost methods whereby the gains are reflected in the normal cost rate, gains determined at a given valuation date are amortized over the future working lifetime of the active employees included in the valuation as of that date.

Description: Article, written by the Economist and Director of the Research Department of the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, discusses the nature and quality of the CPI and the use of it to adjust pension benefits.

Description: The purpose of this research is to analyze recent court cases that focused on excessive contributions to small defined benefit plans. The implications of the cases is important because it provides insight into appropriate paradigms for the funding of private retirement plans. From the Actuarial Research Clearing House 1994, Vol. 1 .

Description: This article explores the findings of a survey which indicates that employers who offer both a pension and a savings plan have plans that are more generous, use more channels for employee communication, and are more attentive to plan management activities. From Pension Section News, February 2002, Issue No. 48.