Let’s face it; defined benefit plans are complicated to begin with. I personally like to keep the day-to-day administrative tasks as easy as possible for my clients. I am finding that more difficult as we drive into the fourth … Continue reading
Independent Actuaries Blog
To Keep or Not to Keep Plan Records
Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer, plan sponsors find themselves asking “how long should I keep retirement plan records?”. The short (and not very helpful) answer is: “it depends”. As you may be painfully aware, there can … Continue reading
A (Long) Fade into the Sunset
In our profession, we often talk about the ideal of “phased retirement”. From a lifestyle standpoint, it can be a challenge to work full time up to a certain age, abruptly retire, work zero time thereafter, and be happy and … Continue reading
Oregon HB 3605: Good Intentions, Bad Consequences
Generational inequity has been and will continue to be an issue tied to public retirement benefit plans (as it is with Social Security, Medicare, and other tax funded programs). It’s not fair for one generation of workers to promise themselves … Continue reading
401(k) Plan Benchmarking
Want to know how your 401(k) plan design and operation compare to industry norms? We track benchmarking surveys done by several different companies and organizations. Here is the link to a recent benchmarking survey: http://www.401khelpcenter.com/benchmarking.html
Putting a Price Tag on Risk
I struggle when asked what I do for a living. Sometimes I outright fib when asked the question. It’s not because I don’t like what I do, it just sounds technical and boring. Recently, I’ve worked up an explanation of … Continue reading
Cash Balance Plans in a Healthcare Reform Environment
Cash balance plans can be a great fit for successful, small- to mid-sized businesses in which some or all of the owners/partners would like to tax defer a lot more of their income than they can with their 401(k) plan … Continue reading
What’s the Right Retirement Plan?
At IAI, we take pride in avoiding the “one-size-fits-all” mentality that we see with other retirement plan consultants. When a prospective client comes to us looking to set up a new retirement plan, we have the experience and expertise to … Continue reading
Outliving Retirement Savings
Outliving your assets in retirement is a significant concern for most retirees. Here’s a good, basic article that discusses the problems associated with estimating your retirement savings needs based on your life expectancy. In the coming months, watch for a … Continue reading
Not Just Tax Deferral, Tax Avoidance
Here’s a tax-related retirement plan dynamic that often gets overlooked. When considering whether to set up a retirement plan, most business owners tend to focus on the economic impact of deferring income. However, there is a very real immediate tax … Continue reading