Description: This article reviews the responsibilities undertaken by Enrolled Actuary and highlights compliance concerns. From Pension Section News, April 1998, Issue No. 36.

Description: There is no silver bullet to improving retirement income outcomes for retirees. However, a combination of changes can be of significant value in addressing this overlooked issue. Although QLACs on the surface have potential value, they are not nearly as efficient as they could be. So far, employer plans have provided limited options for retirement income solutions. IRAs may not cost effectively serve the best interest of retirees. Employer plans should be encouraged to become retirement income providers and alternative approaches should be considered. The current prohibition on allowing plans to modify benefit payouts based on mortality experience should be reconsidered to allow for innovative plan income designs. Improvements to the deaccumulation stage of the retiree nest egg are challenging yet necessary.

Description: This article is the presentation given by David Blitzstein at the Future of Pensions track at the 2005 CCA/SOA Employee Benefits Spring Meeting. It discusses the unraveling of the defined benefit pension system and what must be done to save it. From Pension Section News, September 2006, No. 62.

Description: Historical case study for a country Germany pursuing pension reform to address demographic problems with a desire to encourage private retirement savings.

Description: The traditional defined-benefit (DB) plan is a type of plan structured to provide the greatest degree of retirement income security, designed to pay out a guaranteed retirement income for the life of the retiree (and, when applicable, a beneficiary). However, over the last several decades, the number of private-sector employees covered under these traditional plans has decreased dramatically and been replaced by defined contribution (DC) plans. In contrast, public-sector retirement plans, which are exempt from ERISA, have seen a much smaller decline in DB plans. There are many differences in the private and public sector that likely contributed to this phenomenon, but ERISA and the many amendments to it has been a major factor.

Description: This article summarizes 2005 cost-of-living adjustments related to employee benefit plans, including: 1. IRS limits applicable to retirement plans, transportation fringe benefits, adoption assistance programs, medical savings accounts, health savings accounts, high-deductible health plans 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, January 2005, Issue No. 57.

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: Interview with Blaine Aiken to learn about recent developments in fiduciary responsibility and financial and retirement advice. New developments will extend the fiduciary requirements financial advisors are subject to. These developments are linked to changes in the code of ethics that apply to CFPs.

Description: In this article, the author talks about reforming the Canadian pension system.

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.