Description: Summary of defined contribution research reports, including research category and target audience.

Description: The Successful Employee Retirement Income Outcomes in the United States (SERIOUS) is a comprehensive model for the delivery of employment-based retirement income.

Description: Many factors contribute to one’s ability to save and prepare for retirement. This essay examines the influence family structure has on retirement preparedness.

Description: This article offers insights about the United Technologies Corporation lifetime income approach and information on the design, administration and acceptance.

Description: Article presents a potential role for pension actuaries to help assess the effectiveness of defined contribution plans.

Description: The standard for measuring retirement income adequacy has been the final earnings replacement rate (usually targeted at 70%). But - does it work?

Description: This essay explores the role that the emerging defined contribution retirement system may be playing in the growth of wealth inequality in the United States. The current system leaves many Americans with little or no retirement savings. Those with higher accumulation levels appear to invest proportionally more in equities, which may have an exponential effect of balances over long time periods. The author hypothesizes that willingness to take investment risk involves the relationship between the amount an investor has accumulated and what she/he needs in order to cover basic costs of living. This is one reason that investors with greater accumulation levels may be able to earn higher rates of return. The essay concludes by suggesting that the U.S. defined contribution system should include all workers and provide additional fiduciary guidance. Examples reforms, both in the U.S. and other countries, are provided.

Description: A DC plan design information that could align with organizational goals allowing for benefits for both higher and lower paid employees. It works amazingly easy for 403(b) plans but can also work well with 401(k) plans. You can model the design to see what works best for your organization to ensure passage of nondiscrimination tests and alignment with budget.

Description: The project goals are: • Illustrate an analytical framework using stochastic forecasts and efficient frontiers for hypothetical retirees, for determining retirement income generators (RIGs) that could be offered in a DC retirement plan. • Determine the RIGS or combination of RIGs that could be considered optimal according to specified criteria. • Encourage plan participants, plan sponsors, and advisors to adopt a portfolio approach to developing retirement income strategies.

Description: This article discusses the guidance provided in IRS Notice 2022-6 and prior guidance on whether distributions from an individual account under a qualified retirement plan satisfy the exception to the 10 percent additional tax in Internal Revenue Code section 72(t) for certain substantially equal periodic payments.