Oct. 14, 2002 article. Excerpt: Advisors will be disappointed to find that the guidance ignores some very helpful features that have been permitted in earlier private letter rulings. One variation on the amortization method that was approved in a 2001 private ruling involved a taxpayer redetermining his distribution each year based on his account balance. In other rulings, the Service has permitted cost of living adjustments, provided they were set up at the time the payout began.