Retirement: 3 Fundamentals of Defined Contribution Plans Flashcards
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
Annual Contribution Limit
Amount necessary to fund a benefit of no more than $210,000 per year in 2016
a. Defined Benefit
b. Defined Contribution
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a. Defined Benefit
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
Annual Contribution Limit
25% of covered compensation
a. Defined Benefit
b. Defined Contribution
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b. Defined Contribution
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
How are forfeitures handled?
Must be used to reduce the employer’s contribution
a. Defined Benefit
b. Defined Contribution
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a. Defined Benefit
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
How are forfeitures handled?
Typically reallocated to other participants, or can be used to reduce the employer’s contribution
a. Defined Benefit
b. Defined Contribution
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b. Defined Contribution
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
Who assumes the risk?
The employer
a. Defined Benefit
b. Defined Contribution
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a. Defined Benefit
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
Who assumes the risk?
The employee
a. Defined Benefit
b. Defined Contribution
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b. Defined Contribution
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
Covered by PBGC?
Yes (except professional firms with less than 25 employees)
a. Defined Benefit
b. Defined Contribution
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a. Defined Benefit
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
Covered by PBGC?
No
a. Defined Benefit
b. Defined Contribution
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b. Defined Contribution
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
Separate accounts?
No, commingled
a. Defined Benefit
b. Defined Contribution
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a. Defined Benefit
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
Separate accounts?
Yes
a. Defined Benefit
b. Defined Contribution
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b. Defined Contribution
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
Employer’s contribution to the plan
a. Specified by formula in plan documents; typically a percentage of compensation
b. Not Specified by formula in plan documents; typically a percentage of compensation
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a. Specified by formula in plan documents; typically a percentage of compensation
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
Amount of retirement benefit
a. Certain
b. Uncertain
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b. Uncertain: depends on factors such as investment earnings or losses, expenses, amounts contributed, and forfeitures
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
Annual additions: Employer and employee contributions and forfeitures applied to a participant’s account may not exceed the lesser of 100% of plan compensation or $___ in 2016.
a. $53,000
b. $210,000
c. $265,000
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a. $53,000
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
The percentage of any contribution allocated to a particular employee is also limited by the requirement of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) that no morethan $265,000 in annual compensation (in 2016, indexed) can be considered in formulating the allocation. Thus, if a plan calls for each participant to receive a contribution equal to 10% of annual compensation, the $300,000-per-year CEO
could receive only
a. $26,000
b. $26,500
c. $30,000
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a. $26,000
10% of $265,000
Retirement 3-1: Basic characteristics of defined contribution plans
The limitation on annual additions to a participant’s account is the lesser of $53,000 (2016, indexed) or 100% of the participant’s compensation. The annual addition for any year is the sum of all EXCEPT
a. employer contributions
b. employee contributions
c. forfeitures
d. earnings
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d. earnings
An annual addition is when “new” money is added to the account. Earnings are not “new” money; so earnings are not considered to be an annual addition.
Retirement 3-2: Basic characteristics of money purchase plans
Pension plans can hold no more than __% of the employer’s stock
a. 2%
b. 5%
c. 10%
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c. 10%
Retirement 3-2: Basic characteristics of money purchase plans
Although the money purchase plan is a pension plan that requires the employer to contribute a fixed percentage of each participant’s annual compensation to individual participants’ accounts, they are, by definition:
a. defined contribution plans
b. defined benefit plans
a. defined contribution plans
Retirement 3-2: Basic characteristics of money purchase plans
EGTRRA (Economic Growth and Tax Reconciliation Act of 2001) equalized the contribution limits for employers and now all defined contribution plans have a __% limit
a. 15%
b. 25%
c. 35%
b. 25%
Retirement 3-2: Target benefit plans
Target benefit plan is one of three types of plans that skew employer contributions in favor of ____ plan participants—the other two plans that do the same are the defined benefit and age-weighted profit sharing plan
a. younger
b. older
b. older
Retirement 3-2: Target benefit plans
Mandatory funding?
Yes
a. Pension Plans
b. Profit Sharing Plans
a. Pension Plans
Retirement 3-2: Target benefit plans
Mandatory funding?
No (but “substantial and recurring”)
a. Pension Plans
b. Profit Sharing Plans
b. Profit Sharing Plans
Retirement 3-2: Target benefit plans
Employer stock limitation?
Yes, no more than 10%
a. Pension Plans
b. Profit Sharing Plans
a. Pension Plans
Retirement 3-2: Target benefit plans
Joint and survivor annuity, and pre-retirement annuity required?
Yes
a. Pension Plans
b. Profit Sharing Plans
a. Pension Plans
Retirement 3-2: Target benefit plans
Joint and survivor annuity, and pre-retirement annuity required?
No
a. Pension Plans
b. Profit Sharing Plans
b. Profit Sharing Plans