Description: This paper evaluates a number of hybrid pension plans, including hybrid plans used to provide social security benefits in some countries. The paper provides an overview of types of hybrid plans provided around the world.

Description: This report presents the results of a survey conducted for the Society of Actuaries Pension Section Research Committee by Mathew Greenwald & Associates, Inc, March 2005. The purpose of the survey was to examine the prevalence of traditional and hybrid defined benefit pension plans in large organizations that have operations in the United States. The results of the study may prove useful to pension practitioners and policy makers wishing to gauge the effect of a recent US court ruling with potentially widespread implications for pension plans commonly referred to as cash balance plans.

Description: This paper examines the history, reasons, and impact of the shift from traditional defined benefit plans to hybrid plans. Also discussed are the need for good communication, and for further regulation. From Cash Balance Symposium Monograph, M-RS02-3.

Description: The Defined Benefit 'DB' underpin Defined Contribution hybrid pension plan offers an attractive combination of benefit security and upside potential for pension plan members, and offers cost containment for employers, whilst still ensuring the provision of adequate equitable benefits. The DB underpin guarantee is valued and hedged as a financial option within the traditional funding paradigms of actuarial science. However, the average monthly hedging costs are time dependent and can be unstable when employees are close to retirement. This is the abstract of a paper that proposes some cost control approaches to reduce the volatility of the hedging cost.

Description: This paper considers a defined contribution DC plan, a cash balance plan, and traditional defined benefit DB plan with equal expected value at the assumed retirement age. Using utility as a measure of risk and participant preferences, the designs are particularly well suited to minimize participant risk, particularly while employees are accumulating retirement assets. From Cash Balance Symposium Monograph, M-RS02-3.

Description: This paper discusses the development of the Cash Balance Pension Plan concept.

Description: This paper examines some of the issues threatening the current health of the Social Security System, and how all or part of the system could be replaced by a cash balance plan. From Cash Balance Symposium Monograph, M-RS02-3.

Description: This paper demonstrates that cash balance plans should invest all of their assets in taxable fixed-income securities and credit employee account balances with the total return on an equity index. From Cash Balance Symposium Monograph, M-RS02-3.

Description: This session discussion was a primer on hybird pension plans, in particular cash balance plans and age weighted profit sharing plans. Included nondiscrimination issues, IRS issues and communication about the plans to participants.

Description: This paper concentrates on who carries what risks if the national stocks-for-retirement cycle is fundamentally flawed and can fail a millions of baby-boomers grow older. From Cash Balance Symposium Monograph, M-RS02-3.