Description: As part of its ongoing effort to provide useful information on COVID-19, the Society of Actuaries (SOA) recently launched a series of reports exploring the impact of COVID-19 on retirement risks.This report is based on a follow-up conversation among actuaries from the SOA Retirement Section Council and the Retirement Section Defined Contribution Initiative Project Oversight Group. The actuaries that participated are currently working with plan sponsors of defined contribution plans in the United States and Canada. This report summarizes observations raised during the conversation about the current issues being discussed with clients to deal with immediate concerns as well as broader considerations about defined contribution plans, emergency funds and financial wellness.

Description: Discusses SOA research report evaluating pension de-risking strategies.

Description: Interview with Karen Lockridge, FSA, FCIA and Francisca Quinn regarding fiduciary concerns with and future outlook for Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing.

Description: Read the chairperson's annual newsletter to learn more about the Retirement Section Council's (RSC) activities and new members of the leadership team, including the 2024 chairperson.

Description: Focusing on closed and open pools, hurdle rate policy, and delayed recognition of gains and losses, the report contributes to ongoing discussions and paves the way for informed decision-making in the implementation of lifetime pension pools.

Description: The Society of Actuaries is committed to fostering a more inclusive and diverse environment in the U.S. and elsewhere around the world for members, candidates and customers wherever they live. An important aspect of this commitment is dedicated research that the Society of Actuaries has sponsored to further advance this effort. Explore diversity, equity and inclusion issues from the aspect of retirement preparedness and other aging issues. Results from a recently released research report and author's views from an invitation to write essays on these issues will be presented with an opportunity for audience suggestions for future work.

Description: The Society of Actuaries and the Retirement Income Institute, a project of the Alliance for Lifetime Income, are partnering to explore ideas and thoughts on identifying current and alternative means of achieving and measuring retirement income adequacy. In issuing this call for essays, the organizations aim to gather perspectives, opinions and data on how to advance the state of effective retirement planning to assist individuals, actuaries, financial advisors, employers and other stakeholders.

Description: Required Minimum Distributions are the minimum amounts that a retiree must withdraw from their qualified pensions. The Secure Act made major changes to the rules surrounding RMDs, updating the Life Expectancy and Distribution Period Tables. In this joint-sponsored session of the Retirement and Taxation sections, the changes in these rules will be discussed. Focus on their impact to the retirees, the amount and timing of their distributions, and the retiree's potential tax ramifications.

Description: The Society of Actuaries, in conjunction with the Canadian Institute of Actuaries, recently commissioned a research project on Benefits at Risk and Jean-Francois Begin is conducting the research. Prepare to review Professor Begin's findings and review other work related to determining capital adequacy for benefits payable in non-insured pension payout schemes. This session will be of interest to actuaries working with non-insured defined contribution solutions and to actuaries working in trusteed defined benefit pension plans.