Description: This article provides an update on various legislative and regulatory activities including, allowing individual variable annuities, federal standard for fiductiary responsibitlity with respect to pensions, policy loan interest rate and credit insurance issues.

Description: There is no silver bullet to improving retirement income outcomes for retirees. However, a combination of changes can be of significant value in addressing this overlooked issue. Although QLACs on the surface have potential value, they are not nearly as efficient as they could be. So far, employer plans have provided limited options for retirement income solutions. IRAs may not cost effectively serve the best interest of retirees. Employer plans should be encouraged to become retirement income providers and alternative approaches should be considered. The current prohibition on allowing plans to modify benefit payouts based on mortality experience should be reconsidered to allow for innovative plan income designs. Improvements to the deaccumulation stage of the retiree nest egg are challenging yet necessary.

Description: This discussion examines problems arising in complying with the provisions of the Federal Welfare and Pension Plans Disclosure Act and problems in connection with underwriting and administration of small groups. From Transactions of Society of Actuaries 1960, Vol. 12, No. 33.

Description: The traditional defined-benefit (DB) plan is a type of plan structured to provide the greatest degree of retirement income security, designed to pay out a guaranteed retirement income for the life of the retiree (and, when applicable, a beneficiary). However, over the last several decades, the number of private-sector employees covered under these traditional plans has decreased dramatically and been replaced by defined contribution (DC) plans. In contrast, public-sector retirement plans, which are exempt from ERISA, have seen a much smaller decline in DB plans. There are many differences in the private and public sector that likely contributed to this phenomenon, but ERISA and the many amendments to it has been a major factor.

Description: This article provides a basic introduction to the taxation of qualified annuities held in qualified retirement plans and IRAs. The article has been updated for the SECURE Act and the SECURE 2.0 Act. The article describes the basic types of employer-based plans, provides of overview of the taxation of contributions and benefits when annuities are held in connection with plans and IRAs, explains the required minimum distribution rules, and offers a brief introduction to recent legislation impacting qualified annuities.

Description: 1994 SOA Meeting, San Antonio. This session provided an update from representatives of the IRS and the Department of the Treasury on several topics including: 1. PBGC issues. 2. Social Security issues. 3. Health care issues. 4. Title I issues. 5. Broad principles underlying some remedial amendment period issues.

Description: Overview of SOA-sponsored seminars held in July 1978 in four cities to discuss current issues in the private sector relating to the new OASDI benefit formulas.