News Archive

"[FASB] approved the recommendation of its Emerging Issues Task Force earlier this month that benefits for market-based cash balance plans, which are legally classified as defined benefit plans, be valued by setting the discount rate equal to the assumed interest crediting rate.... [T]he proposed new accounting calculation would make it simpler and more sensible for plan sponsors to estimate their market-based cash balance pension obligations."  MORE >>

"[T]he numerator of the EBAR ... is the benefit projected to retirement age divided by current year compensation. ... [T]he compensation amount in the denominator should logically be projected as well with a salary scale which would make sense mathematically but would also lower the EBARs for younger participants with more years to go to retirement thus requiring them to get larger contributions to raise their EBARs and pass testing, something the law writers and interpreters of 401(a)(4) did not seem to want."  MORE >>

"Projecting the growth of benefits based on one rate and discounting them based on another rate creates a wild fluctuation in the liability for those benefits ... The FASB Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) recommended that benefits that meet the strict definition of a Market-Based Cash Balance plan should be valued by setting the discount rate to be equal to the assumed interest crediting rate. This simple-sounding fix effectively eliminates the issue and allows benefits to be valued at the account balance with appropriate adjustments for specific, and usually minor, benefit provisions[.]"  MORE >>

"[FASB] will measure the benefit obligation for in-scope plans under the existing defined benefit accounting model by setting the discount rate equal to the assumed interest crediting rate. FASB also decided to clarify that an entity would be required to use the assumed interest crediting rate as the discount rate in all circumstances for in-scope plans.... FASB has decided to [1] direct the staff to draft a proposed accounting standards update for vote by written ballot and [2] grant a 60-day comment period concerning the proposed update."  MORE >>

"The plans impacted by this change are ... DB pension plans where participant benefits are communicated as an account balance, which include pay credits and interest credits based on one of the following investable market returns: [1] The return on plans' assets; [2] The return on a subset of the plans' assets that approximates the associated cash balance liabilities; [3] The return on a regulated investment company."  MORE >>

Jan. 14 meeting. "The Board will consider whether to add a project to its technical agenda to address the discount rate used to measure the projected benefit obligation under Topic 715, Compensation -- Retirement Benefits, for market-return cash balance plans. The Emerging Issues Task Force (EITF) discussed this issue and developed recommendations."  MORE >>

"Retroactive adoption of cash balance plans is a powerful tax planning tool for business owners aiming to reduce taxable income while accelerating retirement savings. CPAs play a crucial role in identifying potential candidates for this type of plan and coordinating with plan administrators."  MORE >>

74 pages. "This paper examines the roles of various designs of decumulation-only CDC plans, referred to as Dynamic Pension (DP) plans, in providing sustainable retirement income for retirees.... [T]he paper explores crucial design elements for DP plans, such as valuation interest rates, benefit- smoothing mechanisms, and pension annuity forms. [The] findings highlight the necessity of a comprehensive design strategy for DP plans, incorporating regular reviews and adjustments to ensure fairness, stability, and participant satisfaction."  MORE >>

"Companies with fewer than 10 employees own more than half of all cash balance plans, a group of retirement plans outpacing 401(k)s in growth."  MORE >>

"In this article, [the authors] break down Cash Balance plan contribution limits for 2025, explore the pros and cons of Cash Balance plans, and explore why businesses may want to combine Cash Balance plans with a traditional 401(k) to enable greater tax-deferred savings."  MORE >>

"[Variable Annuity Pension Plans (VAPPs)] accrue benefits based on a specified accrual rate (e.g., percent of salary, flat dollar amount, percent of contributions) and provide determinable benefits that guarantee monthly payments for the lifetimes of participants. What differentiates a VAPP from a traditional DB plan is the way annual accruals are adjusted each year based on how the plan's assets perform compared to a pre-defined benchmark return (referred to as the hurdle rate)."  MORE >>

"Eastman Kodak Company has terminated its pension plan that covered approximately 35,000 participants, and is offering a new cash balance retirement plan for its roughly 4,000 current employees ... [T]he company said it has been preparing for the pension plan termination for some time and expects to receive 'approximately $500 million of assets -- after meeting our obligations to all pension fund participants -- in December 2025 when the transaction closes.' "  MORE >>

The author provides nine suggestions for TPAs and Financial Advisors who have chosen CB plans as their go-to Defined Benefit (DB) plan of choice in a 401(k) world.  MORE >>

"Perhaps the biggest advantage of a cash balance plan is the ability to allocate significantly more than what's allowed in a traditional 401(k) or profit-sharing plan -- often more than $250,000 per year for older, high-earning participants.... The tax savings typically far outweigh the administrative cost of running the plan.... They're particularly efficient when layered on top of existing retirement programs such as profit-sharing contributions of 3% or more."  MORE >>

"Coming on the heels of contribution rate changes enacted by the legislature in 2024, the move will add another critical guardrail in officials' attempt to put PERS -- only 56% funded with $26.5 billion in unfunded pension liabilities -- on a path to solvency."  MORE >>

"Cash Balance plans designed to maximize benefits for older, higher-paid participants combined with Defined Contribution plans that provide enough in contributions to the staff so that the plans can pass arcane nondiscrimination tests have become popular ... The problem is that IRC 401(a)(26) requires Defined Benefit plans (which Cash Balance plans are) to cover a minimum number of eligible participants so some rank-and-file employees may need to be in the Cash Balance plan AND get a ‘meaningful benefit’.... [W]ho now gets to decide what words like ‘reasonable’, ‘fair’, and ‘meaningful’ written in a law really mean now that the Chevron’s default preference for regulators has been overturned?"  MORE >>

"The hybrid approach to retirement savings blends the options and strengths of the DC model with a CB-defined benefits strategy.... [T]oday's robust risk management tools, higher interest rates, and improved funded status have created ideal conditions for plan sponsors to explore this new, balanced solution."  MORE >>

"[D]efined benefit plans are making a comeback in a hybrid format known as “cash balance,” which mimics the look and feel of a 401(k) plan but comes with special features that can appeal to employers and employees alike. [This article outlines] ten questions that most frequently come up when employers are deciding whether to sponsor a cash balance plan."  MORE >>

"The IRS does not consider a cash balance plan as a successor plan for a terminated 401(k) plan. Therefore, a business owner could establish a cash balance plan immediately following a 401(k) plan's termination. Before terminating a 401(k) plan, however, the sponsor may want to consider the benefits of maintaining both a 401(k) and cash balance plan."  MORE >>

15 pages; rev. Sep. 2024. "Although hybrid plans have been in place in the public sector for decades, they have received increased attention in recent years as more states established hybrid plans on either an optional or mandatory basis. The growing attention to hybrids has occurred amid the many adjustments states have made to public pension benefits and financing arrangements. "  MORE >>

"Cash balance pension plans offer the best of defined benefit and defined contribution plans. They provide the guaranteed retirement benefits that traditional pension plans are known for along with the transparency and flexibility more commonly associated with 401(k) plans. Cash balance plans offer significant tax benefits and predictable costs for employers/owners, as well as the opportunity for participants to accelerate retirement savings."  MORE >>

"[M]arket return cash balance plans ... create guaranteed lifetime income for employees while maintaining a stable and cost-efficient path for employers to invest in employee retirement.... At the core of a market return cash balance plan are the four pillars of modern retirement program design: increased efficiency, better employee appreciation, improved workforce management and financial risk management."  MORE >>

"Employers who have adopted a pre-approved Pension Plan -- either traditional Defined Benefit or Cash Balance -- must restate their plans by March 31, 2025 ... It is the responsibility of the Plan fiduciary to ensure that the Plan is updated and signed by the March 31, 2025 deadline. Because the Restatement process can be time consuming, it is important to begin Planning to ensure the Restatement deadline is met. And as mentioned above, it's now a compliance question on Form 5500."

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"[C]ash balance plans are most popular among smaller, well-established firms that have significant and consistent cash flow ... Generally, they also work well for older small business owners who are no longer making heavy investments in their businesses, and have significant amounts of pass-through income, resulting in high tax bills."

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"Cash balance plans made up 42% of all defined benefit plans in 2018, up from 2.9% in 2001, and this market continues to see double digit annual growth each year, primarily for small to mid-size companies (defined as those with less than 100 employees) compared to relatively flat growth in other qualified plans."  MORE >>