Benefits Think How advisers can rescue an underfunded DB plan
They can help clients benefit from reduced risk and longer bond durations if the employers prepare for shifts in market direction.
By
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
Consulting Actuary
Benefits Think Why it is time to rethink DB retirement plans
‘Obsolete and overly restrictive limitations’ are holding back pension plan design, says Principal’s Mike Clark.
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think It’s time to rethink DB retirement plans
‘Obsolete and overly restrictive limitations’ are holding back pension plan design, says Principal’s Mike Clark.
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think Why defined benefit sponsors should diminish return expectations
Expected investment returns in DB plans aren’t what they used to be, says The Principal’s Mike Clark.
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think Liability-driven investing déjà vu
Sponsors and investment advisers tasked with managing interest rate risk in DB plans may be experiencing a familiar replay when it comes to their funding ratios, writes Mike Clark
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think Late retirement windfall lays trap for plan sponsors
Potential cost increases within DB plans attributable to late retirement should be fully understood, says Principal’s Mike Clark.
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think Late retirement windfall lays trap for plan sponsors
Potential cost increases within DB plans attributable to late retirement should be fully understood, says Principal’s Mike Clark.
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think Tweak to retirement plan rule will have more employers filing 4010 reports
The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation is now using non-stabilized rates to determine qualification for under $15-million exemption
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think Growing bond spreads put defined benefit plans at risk
Intended to hedge pension liabilities, seemingly safe bond investments have turned risky.
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think Growing bond spreads put defined benefit plans at risk
Intended to hedge pension liabilities, seemingly safe bond investments have turned risky.
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think 7 best practices for defined benefit plan sponsors
From the effect of interest rates on plan liabilities to lump-sum windows and more, here are seven ways employers can get the most out of their DB plans.
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think Helping defined benefit plan sponsors be more successful
Advisers should understand the impact of interest rates and other investment principles to help make these plans more effective, says Mike Clark of Principal Financial Group.
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think Third defined benefit relief law less charming to plan sponsors
Commentary: Potentially lower contributions are always conjoined with significant offsetting increases in PBGC premiums.
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think Mortality meets volatility in pension market
Commentary: The consequences of moving away from simpler, less sophisticated mortality improvement scales that change infrequently in favor of scales that depend heavily on recent data.
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think Pension accounting: A return to the Wild West?
Commentary: New statements and interpretations are about to shatter three decades of serenity in pensions like a chair flying through a saloon window, says The Principals Mike Clark.
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think Avoiding a pension risk management apocalypse
Commentary: Complacency can be a dangerous strategy when it comes to defined benefit plans, says The Principals Mike Clark.
By
Mike Clark
Benefits Think Lost in translation: Annual funding notices confound readers
Commentary: Bloviating terms have no meaning to plan participants, who simply want to know if their pensions will be delivered as promised.
By
Mike Clark