Description: This panel discussion, which occurred at the May 1982 Society of Actuaries meeting in Colorado Springs, presented a discussion on retirement age issues, trends, and assumptions related to pension plans. Also a discussion of factors that affect early retirement elections. Includes discussion of: I. Trends in experience, especially as they may be influenced by: a. Changes in Social Security b. Government regulation, such as Age Discrimination in Employment Act c. Early retirement incentives, such as bonuses or subsidized early retirement factors and d. Cost-of-living supplements to retirees. 2. Plan design for early and postponed retirement. 3. Effects of deferred retirement on actuarial costs. 4. Trends in actuarial assumptions Detailed historical data on UAW, teachers, and Bell company employees' retirement trends is presented.

Description: Many retirement actuaries have experience developing, implementing, and monitoring Liability Driven Investing (LDI) strategies for plan sponsors. These strategies typically involve modifying a plan’s investment strategy to remove a significant portion of the investment and interest rate risk now or at some point in the future when specific triggers are met. The tactics often involve the use of fixed income assets to cash flow and/or duration match the liabilities. In the spirit of helping actuaries expand their roles in an evolving defined contribution world, this article explores the application of LDI and derisking strategies within defined contribution and individual retirement accounts. The economic theory behind this approach is called the lifecycle hypothesis, or lifecycle finance. The benefits of the lifecycle finance method are that it provides a safe approach to save for retirement and a secure source of floor income during retirement. Similar to pension plans, each individual has his or her own idiosyncratic needs, wants, and risks that should be considered. Actuaries are uniquely situated to help defined contribution plan sponsors, individuals, and even themselves implement the lifecycle finance approach by developing and distributing tools and methods that focus on income (rather than wealth), LDI strategies, and personalization.

Description: The SOA Research Institute tasked the Workforce Science Institute to investigate how retirement benefit plans can affect a plan sponsor’s workforce and business results. The following is an interview with Rick Guzzo and Haig Nalbantian co-founders of the Workforce Science Institute who are the researchers on this project. The interview gives a helicopter view of the project as well as provides some “food for thought” on how retirement plans can be designed to produce an effective workforce.