If your employer goes out of business, any retirement plan your employer sponsored will be terminated. If the plan is a 401(k) or other defined contribution plan, your benefits are held in trust, apart from your employer’s assets, and you’ll generally be entitled to receive your full account balance in a lump sum. (You can take the cash, or roll your payout into an IRA or another employer’s plan.)
But if your employer sponsors a defined benefit plan, it gets a little more complicated. A defined benefit plan promises to pay you a specific monthly benefit at retirement. While defined benefit plan assets are also held in trust (or insurance contracts), apart from your employer’s assets, whether a particular plan has enough cash to pay promised benefits depends on your employer’s contributions and the plan’s investment earnings and actuarial experience.
When a defined benefit plan is about to terminate, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), a federal agency created specifically to protect employees covered by these plans, is notified. If the plan has enough money to cover all benefits that participants have accrued up to the plan termination date, then the PBGC will permit a “standard termination,” and your employer will either purchase an annuity from an insurance company (which will provide lifetime benefits when you retire) or, if your plan permits, let you choose a lump-sum equivalent.
However, if the plan doesn’t have enough money to pay all promised benefits earned up until plan termination (that is, the plan is “underfunded”), the PBGC will take over the plan as trustee in a “distress termination,” and assume the obligation to pay basic plan benefits up to legal limits. For plans ending in 2012, the maximum annual benefit (payable as a single life annuity) is $55,840 for a worker who retires at age 65. If you begin receiving payments before age 65, or if your pension includes benefits for a survivor or other beneficiary, or if your plan was adopted (or amended to increase benefits) within five years of the termination, the maximum amount is lower. According to the PBGC, only 16% of retirees in recent years have seen their benefit reduced because of the annual dollar limits.
If you have questions, contact the experts at Henssler Financial: 770-429-9166 or experts@henssler.com.
Disclosures:
The following information is reprinted with permission from Forefield, a division of Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. All material presented is compiled from sources believed to be reliable and current, but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. The contents are intended for general information purposes only. Information provided should not be the sole basis in making any decisions and is not intended to replace the advice of a qualified professional, such as a tax consultant, insurance adviser or attorney. Although this material is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information with respect to the subject matter, it may not apply in all situations. Readers are urged to consult with their adviser concerning specific situations and questions. This is not to be construed as an offer to buy or sell any financial instruments. It is not our intention to state, indicate or imply in any manner that current or past results are indicative of future profitability or expectations. As with all investments, there are associated inherent risks. Please obtain and review all financial material carefully before investing.
