Every time you turn on the news it seems we are bombarded with information on pension reform or the scaling back of retirement benefits. In 2012 Ford and General Motors began offloading their pension liabilities and based upon a recent AON Hewitt survey many other business are considering following suit.

What will that mean for the retiree who counted on that lifetime income? What options will they face? Is it doom and gloom or perhaps a new opportunity to take better control of their own retirement?
Watch as Dick and Eric examine this changing trend in retirement funding, what opportunities it creates for individuals and how annuities may play a role in creating a pension styled lifetime income.

**Guarantees, including optional benefits, are backed by the claims-paying ability of the issuer, and may contain limitations, including surrender charges, which may affect policy values. During this segment, Dick and Eric are referring to Fixed Annuities unless otherwise specified.

Over the last 12 months we have reviewed lump sum buyout opportunities with many individuals and discussed whether or not an annuity might work for their situation. When we ran the numbers – some individuals were better off with their company options when it came to **guaranteed levels of income… but until you run the numbers based on each individuals situation you can never be sure.
See the report from insurancenewnet.com that led to this weeks entry below.

Survey: More Employers To Offer Lump-Sum Payouts In 2013

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill., Feb. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ –Last year marked a watershed moment in retirement benefits as numerous companies decreased their pension risk exposure by offering participants a one-time lump-sum pension payout. A new survey by Aon Hewitt, the global human resources solutions business of Aon plc (NYSE: AON), reveals more employers plan to follow suit in 2013.

Aon Hewitt surveyed 230 U.S. employers with defined benefit plans, representing nearly five million employees, to determine their current and future retirement benefits strategies. According to the findings, more than one-third (39 percent) of defined benefit (DB) plan sponsors are somewhat or very likely to offer terminated vested participants and/or retirees a lump-sum payout during a specified period, also known as a window approach, in 2013. By contrast, just 7 percent of DB plan sponsors added a lump-sum window for terminated vested participants and/or retirees in 2012.

“There is no question, employers are looking for new ways to aggressively manage their pension volatility,” explained Rob Austin, senior retirement consultant at Aon Hewitt. “In 2012, many DB plan sponsors were exploring options and planning their strategies—we think 2013 will be the year when many more actually implement large-scale actions such as offering lump-sum windows. Pension Benefit Guarantee Corporation (PBGC) premiums will begin to increase in 2013 and 2014, which will increase the carrying cost of pension liabilities and give plan sponsors an economic incentive to transfer those liabilities off their balance sheet.” [Read More…]