Description: This paper examines how the cash balance plan design is related to the normal cost and accrued liability in the various actuarial cost methods, as well as the interaction of the economic assumptions in the valuation. The analysis will show that the traditional cost methods may understate the actual liability. The paper also presents an alternative cost method, along with its advantages and disadvantages. From Cash Balance Symposium Monograph, M-RS02-3.

Description: This paper suggests that two opposing pressures are at work in the United States. One is the limit to the number of retired adults that the nation can support. The other is the growing diversity of needs and desires of older people and employers. These two opposing pressures will frame the issues of the future.

Description: This paper suggests a number of legislative changes, educational efforts, and changes in annuity products and asset allocation software that could assist workers and retirees to better prepare for and respond to declining mortality rates and future increases in income needs. From Retirement Needs Framework, M-RS00-1.

Description: This paper provides some background about demography, health and retirement summarizes how current pension laws influence the design of pension plans and the timing of retirement and looks at the optimal retirement age from the perspective of employers, government and workers.

Description: This paper takes the position that the U.K. actuarial profession has still not come to a single view on financial economics, and the major divisions that remain continue to hamstring its policy development. From Current Pension Actuarial Practice in Light of Financial Economics Symposium, M-RS04-1.

Description: Argues that defined benefit plans do a much better job than 401ks in providing lifetime retirement income and points out other drawbacks of corporations switching plan types.

Description: This session discussion is about the Financial Accounting Standard FAS 87 and FAS 88 for pension accounting and mergers and acquisitions, including requirements for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 1988. From Record of the Society of Actuaries Vol. 15, No. 3A.

Description: In defined-benefit plans, a portability problem arises, especially in an inflationary economy. Final salary plans were designed to cope with inflation. However, transfer of employment during a career can result in long service at a prior employer with outdated final compensation and short service at a current employer with appropriate final compensation. Thus the problem. This presentation discusses possible solutions. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries Vol. 17, No. 3A.

Description: This presentation is about recent developments in federal regulation of pension investments including, the Department of Labor Enforcement Program, legislative initiatives to tax pension funds, social initiatives for pension assets and other late developments. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries Vol. 19, No. 1A.

Description: 1993 SOA Spring Meeting, San Diego. This session is about nonqualified plan issues including funding, Secular Trusts, Rabbi Trusts, trends in plan design, and ERISA excess plans.