Defined benefit pension plans have existed in many countries for hundreds of years. In the United States, employer-based plan popularity surged after World War II, and ERISA reshaped them in 1974, as did PPA in 2006. In small businesses where we concentrate, defined benefit plans are still hugely popular.
Our practice is unusually rare by incorporating both plan administration and prior experience in product development associated with such plans. Our personal experience with defined benefit plans dates back to 1976.
In the last ten years, we have proposed in excess of 4,000 plan designs in the areas of defined benefit and 412(e)(3) plans. Many of those employers have become our clients. If you would like to submit confidential data to us for a plan design, please refer to our Request for Proposal.
- Design the plan, and create of the volume-submitter document and related compliance material
- Annual funding calculations, compliance testing, participant certificates, and distributions from the plan
- Annual Enrolled Actuary certifications
- Communication with various stakeholders
- Preparation of the plan’s tax return and related government filings. Also, prepare GAAP balance sheet values when needed.
- Discussions with the IRS, DOL, and PBGC when needed
- Client representations during audits as an Enrolled Actuary
- Ultimate termination of the plan
Our clients’ defined benefit plans tend to fall into the following categories:
- Stand-alone plans:
- Straight defined benefit plan
- Split funded defined benefit plan (including life insurance)
- Plans designed in combination with a 401(k) or profit sharing plan:
- Straight defined benefit plan
- Split funded defined benefit plan (including life insurance)
Over the years we have actively developed a wide variety of client case designs through numerous financial institutions and broker dealers, including the following:
- A.G. Edwards
- American Funds
- Capitas Financial
- Charles Schwab
- Fifth Third Investments
- Foster Klima & Co.
- HD Vest
- JP Morgan Chase
- LPL Financial Services
- Merrill Lynch
- Morgan Stanley
- Piper Jaffray
- Raymond James
- RBC Capital Markets
- Scottrade
- Smith Barney / Citigroup
- Time Financial
- UBS Financial
- Wachovia Securities
- Wells Fargo Investments
- Woodbury Financial Services