Description: This article summarizes 2004 cost-of-living adjustments related to employee benefit plans, including: 1. IRS limits applicable to qualified retirement plans, transportation fringe benefits, adoption assistance programs, medical savings accounts and long-term care plans, 2. PBGC guaranteed benefits, 3. Federal income tax factors, 4. Social Security and Supplemental Security Income, 5. Medicare, and 6. Covered Compensation. From Pension Section News, March 2004, Issue No. 54.

Description: Excerpts from the PBGC Actuarial Valuation Report—2002 which provides greater detail concerning the valuation of future benefits than is contained on the PBGC's Annual Report.

Description: A response to the comments on the paper.

Description: The author presents the perspective that employers use of PBGC guarantees may cost taxpayers in the long run and suggests that Congress should address this issue.

Description: The article discusses the Texas Pension Review Board's Guidelines for Actuarial Soundness applicable to Texas state public retirement systems (including the system's amortization period), and how these guidelines are consistent with and complementary to both the current GASB 27 ARC disclosure, and the imminent GASB 67 & 68 disclosures. The GASB requirements will change from a de facto funding standard to strictly disclosure requirements, with a focus on plans whose funding trajectory is the poorest.

Description: This article provides an excerpt from the PBGC Actuarial Valuation Report with greater detail concerning the valuation of future benefits than is presented in the PBGC's Annual Report for 2000.

Description: This article provides a review of the single-employer funding rules under the Pension Protection Act of 2006 'PPA,' reflecting regulatory guidance through December 2007. The discussion does not cover special issues for hybrid plans and does not consider at-risk calculations or benefit restriction rules.

Description: This article provides information on the valuation of liabilities, in particular, lump sums, under the Pension protection Act. From the Pension Section News, September 2008, Issue No. 68.

Description: The article endorses broader use of lifetime income in DC plans. It explains why the use of DB plans will continue to decline. The article points out that plans sponsors will not willingly take on additional ERISA fiduciary exposure. The article endorses three regulatory reforms that would increase the use of lifetime income in DC plans. 1. A robust annuity issuer safe harbor that would free employers from fiduciary exposure for putting an annuity provider on the DC platform. 2. A requirement that a plan offer a lifetime income option to qualify for the 404(c) safe harbor. 3. A revision to 404(c) to allow plan sponsors to allocate part or all of the employer match to lifetime income.

Description: An article summarizing the testimony of Ron Gebhardtsbauer of the American Academy of Actuaries to the Department of Labor regarding disclosure rules to employees for pension plan changes. From Pension Section News, June 1999, Issue No. 40.