Week ending August 25th, 2017

Happy Friday, PLANSPONSOR readers! This week our editor’s choice articles focus on defined benefit pension plans. Strong returns for the second quarter of 2017 gave public pensions a slight uptick in funding status, according to Milliman. An NIRS study found that given the option, public sector employees overwhelmingly prefer a DB plan over a defined contribution one. The IRS released amendments for bifurcated DB distribution, and we highlight cost concerns regarding pension risk transfer and freezing a DB plan. All this and more in this edition of PLANSPONSOR Weekend!

Editor's choice

Data And Research

Public Pension Plan Funded Status Slowly Improves

As of the end of the second quarter of 2017, four more of the 100 biggest public pension plans crossed the 90% funded status mark.Read more >

Data And Research

Given a Choice, Public Sector Employees Choose DB Over DC

Among the eight states studied that offer employees such a choice, the take-up rate of DB plans was 80% or higher in six of those states.Read more >

Compliance

IRS Issues Amendments for Bifurcated DB Distribution

The amendment suggests language a defined benefit sponsor might want to use.Read more >

Administration

Cost Concerns Driving Pension Risk Transfer Decisions

Even the plan sponsors that have not implemented a pension risk transfer say costs from changing mortality assumptions and rising PBGC premiums would make them more likely to do so.Read more >

Administration

Cost Considerations When Freezing Your DB Plan

Just because a plan is frozen, doesn’t mean fees will go away altogether.

Read more >

MOST POPULAR STORIES

Democrats Take Control of the Senate: What Does That Mean for Your Retirement Plan?

Syed Nishat, with Wall Street Alliance Group, discusses potential effects on retirement plans if President Joe Biden is able to move forward his legislative agenda.

2020 Recordkeeping Survey

Takeda Pharmaceuticals Faces ERISA Lawsuit Over TDF Suite in 401(k) Plan

The lawsuit says the target-date funds were selected for the plan despite having no performance history and, when they continued to underperform, they were not replaced with better options.

Pandemic Puts More Households at Risk in Retirement

The Center for Retirement Research says half of American households are at risk of not being able to live at pre-retirement standards of living in retirement.

Trustee Sued Over Retirement Plan Account Fraud

The lawsuit claims the trustee allowed an unauthorized person to take a distribution from a participant’s account and that the trustee is refusing to provide information to help remedy the situation.

Editorial: Alison Cooke Mintzer alison.mintzer@strategic-i.com

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