Explore The Advantages and Disadvantages of a Defined-Benefit Plan

1. What is a defined-benefit plan?

Defined-benefit plans are employer-sponsored retirement plans that satisfy specific criteria. Like other qualified plans, tax advantages are offered to both employers and participants. Specifically, in most circumstances, you won’t have to pay taxes on those contributions until you begin receiving plan payments (usually during retirement).

The retirement benefit offered by a defined-benefit plan usually is based on a formulation that takes criteria such as your time, pay and age. This formula might depend on the average wage of an employee for the previous three years or the last five years at a firm. It may also be based upon the average wage of an employee for a company over his career.

As a result of “frozen” defined-benefit plans, many firms are phasing out their retirement plans until the registrants reach the requisite age. New workers are not authorized to join the plan during a “soft freeze,” but existing members continue to receive benefits. A “hard freeze” happens when a company closes the plan to new employees while also freezing benefits accrual.

2. Advantages of a defined-benefit plan

According to Fidelity, workers favor defined-benefit plans thanks to several advantages, as follows:

Automated return savings – When an employee opts for a defined-benefit plan, contributions will automatically be deducted on a regular basis from their paychecks. This automates retirement savings for plan participants.

Tax benefits – Whether you select a traditional one or not, you will receive a kind of tax break—and your assets grow free of tax until you start with your retirement fund.

Little effort is needed – Several defined-benefit plans allow employers to match certain figures of their employee contributions. It is unnecessary for beneficiaries to look after the solvency of the pension plan or keep track of how your pension account is invested. Everything included in the package serves as an additional incentive to stay loyal to one’s company over the long term.

Survivor benefits – It may include survivor benefits to your beneficiary based on the conditions of your DB pension. This means when you pass away before your spouse, a portion of your defined-benefit plan may be owed to your spouse or common-law partner.

Revenue division – At the age of 55, your spouse and/or common-law partner can divide your pensionable revenue. Income sharing, depending on both affairs’ tax position, might give a large tax advantage.

Risk-free – The company will bear the risk and the employer is in charge of covering the pension amount due to pensioners through a defined-benefit plan.

3. Disadvantages of a defined-benefit plan

However, Fidelity listed out certain disadvantages to a defined-benefit plan, as follows:

Lack of career flexibility – Employees with a defined-benefit plan have to stick with a single company for a long time, as they are fixed on their entire pension income.

Company’ administered fund – If the company is facing market volatility, the employee remains at risk. The employer must manage the fund properly; otherwise, no money may be paid out as pension payments. If the employer fails to manage the fund, the future pension income of the members of the plan may be also be affected.

High fees – Some defined benefit plans are subject to hefty charges. They may include plan management charges, investment charges and individual service charges.

Limited investment possibilities – Depending on the selection of funds offered by the employer, defined-benefit plans may restrict investing possibilities.

Make sure you grasp all of the definitions, advantages and disadvantages when considering a defined-benefit plan so you can get the most out of it. Dragon Capital Pensions is designed to provide practical benefits to both employer and employee with various benefits for both employer contributors, and individual contributors. Contact us now to prepare for your retirement early and efficiently.