David Godofsky, Blake MacKay, Earl Pomeroy, and Fahad Saghir will speak at this event co-hosted by the Conference of Consulting Actuaries and American Academy of Actuaries.
David Godofsky will speak at the following sessions:
- “ERISA Litigation Affecting Defined Benefit Plans.” The speakers review recent court decisions affecting defined benefit plans and pension actuaries.
- “Ethics.” In this highly interactive session, panelists and audience members debate solutions to difficult ethical situations faced by actuaries in their day-to-day practices, including confidentiality, errors, conflicts of interest, difficult clients, and disagreements among actuaries.
- “Church Plans.” Your client has had a “church plan” for decades. Due to recent litigation, its status as a church plan is now in question. Panelists review the latest court decisions and settlements, and discuss practical solutions.
- “Overfunded Plans – Effective Use of Surplus.” With plans funding up to reduce PBGC premiums, a year or two of rising interest rates and good investment returns could produce significantly overfunded plans. How can sponsors put that surplus to good use? Panelists review innovative approaches as well as tried-and-true methods for both large and small plans.
Blake MacKay will speak during the session “Missing Participants and Post-65 Distributions.” Plans are continuing to experience problems with missing participants, many who may be past NRD. Get some help with your questions as our panel (including PBGC and IRS representatives) provides a good review of how to determine the benefits that should be provided when people reappear, and thoughts on what to do if they don’t.
Earl Pomeroy will speak during the session “Reading the Tea Leaves: Where Is Retirement Policy Headed?” Retirement-related legislation has not been a front-burner issue for quite some time, but we are seeing signs that retirement policy considerations are on the rise. At this session, panelists address the various retirement proposals that have been raised, what may be in the pipeline, and how, if passed, the new retirement policy could influence the programs employers offer, how individuals save, and the financial security of future retirees. This includes an overview of the most recent developments relating to the multiemployer plan system, which could affect other stakeholders outside the multiemployer system.
Fahad Saghir will speak at the following sessions:
- “Actuarial Equivalence.” In recent years, interest rates have declined, and stayed down, and new mortality studies have confirmed that life expectancies have increased. Many plans have actuarial equivalence definitions for optional form factors, early commencement reductions, and other purposes that were developed in a very different environment. The IRS’s release of updated mortality tables for funding and IRC §417(e) purposes presents a good opportunity for plan sponsors to review their plans’ actuarial equivalence assumptions. Speakers at this session explore the related issues and ERISA compliance, relative value demonstrations, developing annuity benefits at earlier commencement ages under bulk lump sum programs, and IRC §411(d)(6) protections that apply when actuarial assumptions are changed.
- “Multiple Employer Plans.” Multiple employer plans can arise in a number of situations, including joint ventures and changes in corporate structure. Panelists provide an overview of things to consider when dealing with multiple employer plans. Among the topics that may be covered are exclusive benefit rules, allocating funding requirements, nondiscrimination testing requirements, deduction issues, benefit restrictions, and withdrawing from multiple employer plans.
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