Independent Actuaries Blog Category: Retirement Planning
IRS Announces Retirement Plan Limits for 2019
The IRS has announced the new retirement plan limits for 2019. Most limits increased from 2018 to 2019, and some stayed flat. Highlights include: The compensation limit used in determining benefits and contributions for both defined benefit and defined contribution … Continue reading
IAI Retirement Calculator
Have you noticed our online retirement calculator? The Independent Actuaries, Inc. retirement calculator has a chart that projects your personal savings and retirement account separately and another one showing your projected income and expenses as you move into retirement. You … Continue reading
The Magic School Bus Takes a Risk: A Book About Probability
The American Academy of Actuaries partnered with Scholastic to publish a picture book that features an actuary! Their purpose is to educate children about the actuarial profession. The Magic School Bus was among the highest-rated PBS TV series of the … Continue reading
It’s Bracket Time! How Did You Fill Yours Out?
Have you filled out your NCAA bracket yet? If so, how did you choose your winners? Did you go through each bracket game by game? Did you have a few brackets, each with a different winner? Did you make your … Continue reading
Access Social Security Statements Online
Did you know you can view your Social Security Statement online? In the past, the Social Security Administration (SSA) sent annual paper statements to update participants on their earnings record and estimated benefits. However, in an effort to reduce costs, … Continue reading
Tax Reform and Retirement Plans
We’re getting a lot of questions these days about how the proposed tax reform bills might impact retirement plans. For reference, this Forbes article provides a good summary and comparison of current law versus the House and Senate bills. Here … Continue reading
Simple, Easy Plan Hygiene
As a plan fiduciary, one of your duties is to follow the provisions of the plan. It seems simple. It should be easy. Practically speaking, it is a daunting task to read, understand, and follow all the terms of the … Continue reading
IRS Announces Retirement Plan Limits for 2018
The IRS has announced the new retirement plan limits for 2018. Some limits increased from 2017 to 2018, and some stayed flat. Highlights include: The compensation limit used to determine benefits and contributions for both defined benefit and defined contribution … Continue reading
What Does a Pension Actuary Do Anyway?
When I’m asked what I do for a living, I tell people I’m a pension actuary. I explain that I work on defined benefit pension plans for employers, calculating the employers’ contribution obligations and calculating benefits for plan participants. I … Continue reading
Death Benefits? That Depends.
“That depends” is often the answer I give when my clients ask seemingly simple questions. My statement is followed by a series of questions that help me answer their original question. Alternatively, I could talk for hours on the myriad … Continue reading
