Panelists discuss issues relating to single-employer plans and PBGC that companies may face. Speakers discuss recent developments and provide practical tips and best practices for working with PBGC. Topics include standard terminations, distress and involuntary terminations, the early-warning program, 4010 filings, reportable events, 4062(e) liability, coverage, recent guidance and developments, and the Advocate.

With SECURE 2.0 now law, what does that mean for designing DC plans? How do the SECURE 2.0 required provisions impact the rest of the design of the DC plan and what are the benefits of including the optional provisions provided under SECCURE 2.0? Panelists provide their thoughts on the answers to these questions. Features such as allowing employer contributions to be contributed as Roth, matching student loan payments, adding in-plan emerging savings accounts and more are addressed.

Does small plan design seem like Jason seeking the golden fleece? Do these testy waters give you fear and trepidation or do they excite you with a spirit of adventure? Learn how to remove the mythology out of small plan design and construct solutions your clients will treasure!

Come learn about trends in provider networks, negotiations and payments models, how the pandemic has impacted costs/utilization, and how inflation factors into reimbursements in both FFS and value-based arrangements. We'll also cover trends in network size and the potential for upcharging/payment innovation to make up for lost revenue during the pandemic.

As climate change continues to dominate the social and political landscape, we examine the possible implications from a healthcare cost point of view. How will employers' population risks shift as their environment shifts. What will we need to do to manage the increased costs due to an increase in tropical diseases? What, if anything, will reduce our costs as certain areas of the country experience less frigid winters? Join our experts and find out.

Words matter. This is more important than ever to manage, especially in the world of impersonal email communications and less frequent personal interactions. The speakers address the dos and don'ts of communicating with clients in a more distant work environment, and how to control your messaging to maintain a healthy working relationship.

In December 2021, the Actuarial Standards Board (ASB) adopted a revision to Actuarial Standard of Practice (ASOP) No. 4, Measuring Pension Obligations and Determining Pension Plan Costs or Contributions. The revised ASOP No. 4 is effective for any actuarial report that is issued on or after February 15, 2023 and the measurement date in the actuarial report is on after February 15, 2023. The revision to ASOP No. 4 that has received the most attention in the public plan actuarial community is the required calculation and disclosure of a liability referred to by the ASOP as the “Low-Default-Risk Obligation Measure” (LDROM). However, there are other very significant revisions included in the revision to ASOP No. 4 that are worthy of discussion and scrutiny, including the calculation and disclosure of a reasonable actuarially determined contribution “reasonable ADC” and additional guidance regarding amortization methods, funding policy and contribution allocation procedures. Please join us as the speakers discuss all of the revised requirements of ASOP No. 4 – not just the elephant in the room (LDROM requirement).

The incorporation of diversity, equity, and inclusion in corporate culture is a global movement. But how is diversity viewed globally? What approaches to increased diversity have global companies taken? What is the intersection of professionalism and DE&I? Speakers from consulting and corporate environments discuss these issues and how approaches to DE&I differ globally.

Now that ARPA has provided a lifeline to sinking plans, presenters examine various potential approaches to enhancing the stability of multiemployer plans, and try to predict how those approaches might influence future trends. Speakers discuss both hypothetical strategies, and real world examples that illustrate how plans are proactively working to address the risks and concerns of their stakeholders.

PBGC representatives discuss current topics and issues relevant to single and multiemployer retirement plans.

Have you ever received a client email saying, "Fabulous actuarial report you sent. I just couldn't stop reading it." Indeed, this may seem like actuarial fantasy or science fiction. While this session will remain reality based, why not attend and discover how your reports and communications can become at least a little more intriguing.

Small plan actuaries need to be aware of the SECURE 2.0 Act's provisions in order to help their clients comply with the new rules. Topics include closed plan rule changes, retroactive plan adoption, retroactive amendments as well as various defined benefit provision changes.

Many of us use SOA research in our work. Learn how the SOA approaches research from inception of ideas through peer review to release of the research. Research projects currently in process will be highlighted, and two of those projects will be reviewed by their researchers. First, research on high cost members, the 5% of the population that drives 50% of total healthcare cost will be presented. Second, digital health played a huge role in transforming healthcare during COVID. This research paper summarizes the massive amounts of literature review on digital health as well as actuarial analysis on digital health’s longitudinal impact across numerous areas of the healthcare system.

With technological advancements that make it easier to administer more complex and individualized healthcare programs, many employers are returning to models that leverage the best providers and carriers for their distinct geographic locations. Our speakers take you on a journey through the value of understanding regional issues with a stop in the land of regional carrier evaluations, and continuing on to what a program that pieces together the best aspects of each geography might look like. Join us for a great trip.

Demography is reshaping the economic and geopolitical landscape of the 21st century. The United States, along with the rest of the developed world, is entering an era of rapid population aging. Will it also be an era of rising fiscal burdens, chronically slow economic growth, and diminished geopolitical stature? China, the world’s “factory floor’ for the past twenty-five years, is now hitting its own demographic wall. Can a demographically graying and shrinking China still be an economically and geopolitically rising China? India, which just overtook China as the world’s most population country, has more favorable demographics. But can it overcome its many economic handicaps to replace China as the engine of global growth? And what about sub-Saharan Africa, which will account for two-thirds of the growth in the world’s working-age population between now and 2050? Speakers explore the implications of these and other global demographic developments for the world economy and world order.

This is an open forum on topics of interest to public sector actuaries. The topics are selected by session attendees and may include: funding to surplus; volatility management; impact of higher interest rates on plan design; economic assumptions including ASOP 27; and ASOP 4’s low-default-risk obligation measure (LDROM).

Speakers address some of the key aspects of mergers and acquisitions affected by the integration of environmental and social governance in decision making.

Financial economists have long advocated that retirement investing be done using fixed income, given that retirement commitments are generally fixed. This argument relies on a presumption that equity risk increases rather than decreases over time. But -- is this really true? Aren't economies and capital markets cyclical, with at least some reversion-to-mean tendencies? If so, how does that affect the stock vs. bond decision for funding long-term retirement commitments?