Independent Actuaries Blog Category: Plan Design

Why Restatements?

Qualified retirement plans are required to maintain written plan documents which spell out how the plan operates – including important plan provisions. How benefits are calculated, when they are payable, how the plan can be amended or terminated are a … Continue reading

Related Employers and Retirement Plans

The IRS requires that certain sets of employers be treated as a single employer for retirement plan purposes. When establishing a new retirement plan, there are questions that help determine the feasibility of a plan and what provisions to include. … Continue reading

Investing Plan Assets in Cryptocurrencies

At IAI (Independent Actuaries Inc.) we do not give investment advice, nor are we qualified to do so. However, when setting up a new plan, a common question is “What can I invest my plan assets in?” The simplest response … Continue reading

IRS Announces Retirement Plan Limits for 2022

The IRS has announced the new retirement plan limits for 2022. A few limits stayed flat, but most increased from 2021 to 2022. Highlights include: The compensation limit used in determining benefits and contributions for both defined benefit and defined … Continue reading

Pension Funding Relief Funds Coronavirus Relief

There is a lot of spending in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), which was signed into law on March 11, 2021. To offset that spending there are also revenue raising provisions, with a major one coming in … Continue reading

IRS Announces Retirement Plan Limits for 2021

The IRS has announced the new retirement plan limits for 2021. Most limits stayed flat, but a few increased from 2020 to 2021. Highlights include: The compensation limit used in determining benefits and contributions for both defined benefit and defined … Continue reading

Ripple Effect of Delaying DB Contributions

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The most prominent pension funding relief provision is an automatic extension for cash contributions due during 2020. All defined benefit plan contributions originally … Continue reading

DB Plans – Close vs. Freeze vs. Termination

In a recent blog we discussed concerns that defined benefit (DB) plan sponsors may have in the face of the COVID-19 outbreak. One of those concerns regards near-term contribution requirements that may be overly burdensome when coupled with severely reduced … Continue reading

You Get What You Pay For

We are not alone at IAI in having competitors who undercut us in price; it comes with being a part of a well-functioning democracy. One particular challenge we face, though, is a general misunderstanding of what it is we do, … Continue reading

Tax Season is Over! Could Your Business Use a Deduction?

Now that the extended tax season is over, it’s a great time to consider if a qualified retirement plan is right for your business. Since contributions to these plans are deductible, setting up a qualified retirement plan is an effective … Continue reading