Author: Ed Snyder

As administrators, we see all kinds of investments in the plans we handle – from CDs to mutual funds to individual securities to what I call alternative investments – non-publicly traded REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), viatical settlements (life insurance policies sold to an unrelated third party), direct holdings of real estate, and the like. […]

We don’t know the details on this proposal but from what I understand, the basic idea is to limit future contributions once the total accumulations in an individual’s plans, IRAs, etc. exceeds the amount needed to generate an annual income of $205,000 per year at age 62.  That’s equivalent to about $3,400,000. I’m not positive, […]

Predictions about changes in taxes are coming out now; here are my thoughts and reactions to some articles I’ve read: “Tax expenditures” for retirement plans are huge; the second-largest after the employer deduction for health insurance.  But I wouldn’t look for a major overhaul in the system; maybe a reduction in limits as part of […]

We see sales pitches for fully insured pension plans (aka 412(e)(3) plans – named after the Code Section, and formerly known as and still often referred to as 412(i) plans) quite often.  They generally have much higher deductible contributions than more common plan designs, so they seem very attractive for anyone looking to maximize tax […]