The IRS finalized new 401(a)(9) regulations in July 2024, reflecting the SECURE Act and certain SECURE 2.0 changes, and concurrently issued proposed regulations for other SECURE 2.0 RMD changes not addressed in the final regulations. Speakers review both the proposed and final rules affecting defined benefit and defined contribution plans.

Providers are taking contractual risk in many areas, including financial, risk adjustment, quality, patient satisfaction, among others. Which of these factors are they able to directly influence, and which factors are beyond their control? Join this CCA healthcare series webinar to learn more about these important incentives, typical parameters in contracts between payers and providers, and our role as actuaries in enabling sustainable relationships among the entities involved.

The SECURE Act allows plans to be adopted after year end and creates new avenues for incorporating post–year end amendments—offering new opportunities to sponsors but also adding complexity. Panelists discuss various approaches to post–year end amendments, highlighting when retroactive changes can be beneficial, how they can be implemented, and the regulatory and compliance challenges that must be considered.

Plans are continuing to experience problems with missing participants, many who may be past the Normal Retirement Date. Do you know what to do when you are trying to terminate the plan and can’t locate someone? What about when people appear after age 65 or age 70? Get some help with your questions as our panel reviews how to determine the benefits that should be provided when people reappear, and thoughts on what to do if they don’t.

The Corporate Pension Revitalization Council is a CCA-supported initiative charged with developing ideas for a new retirement plan model to bridge the gap between current DB and DC plans. The project has been underway for over a year, and in this session council members share some of the concepts that have come out of the deliberations. The panel will also review the council’s key objectives and priorities, and there will be ample time for comments and feedback from the audience.

Explore emerging alternatives to traditional healthcare benefits with industry leaders reshaping the marketplace. This session covers innovative funding models including ICHRAs, direct primary care, along with new approaches to quality measurement that prioritize provider performance over facility reputation.

This CCA cross discipline webinar will provide insights into identifying and assessing biases that can impact actuarial services, specifically in the use of data, assumptions, algorithms, and models. The speakers may cover topics such as statistical, cognitive, and social biases relevant to actuarial work. This content is designed to fulfill the USQS bias requirement.

The Actuarial Standards Board recently released an ASOP No. 6 exposure draft, which outlines proposed changes impacting Other Postemployment Benefits (OPEB) actuarial work. Speakers discuss the proposed revisions to ASOP No. 6, including new requirements as well as topics of particular interest to actuaries working with public plans.

The speakers review recent court decisions, ongoing litigation and complaints filed that could affect defined benefit plans or pension actuaries. This year's cases involve actuarial malpractice, actuarial equivalence, actuarial assumptions, erroneous benefit determinations, recent Supreme Court decisions, and many others.

Panelists review the uses of the Employee Plans Compliance Resolution System (EPCRS) and discuss ways to solve issues that commonly arise in small plans. Issue may include those involving cross-tested plans and failure to satisfy top-heavy requirements or gateway rules.

Following the Great Recession, many public pension systems implemented significant pension reforms – closing defined benefit (DB) plans to new hires, creating reduced benefit tiers, or suspending COLAs. In recent years, a surprisingly counter trend has emerged: A number of these reforms are being partially or fully reversed. This session will examine real-world case studies of DB plan re-openings, tier restorations, and COLA reinstatements. Speakers explore the workforce, fiscal, and political dynamics driving these reversals, and the lessons they offer for designing sustainable, resilient pensions. Attendees can expect to gain a deep insight into how workforce effects fiscal policy and stakeholder engagement can make or break pension reform.

How does bias creep into the assumptions and models pension actuaries use to providing actuarial services? What can you do to identify and avoid bias?

Plan Year 2027 (PY27) Maximum Fair Price (MFP) negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act unfolded against the backdrop of Trump-era Most Favored Nation (MFN) executive orders and a volatile Part D market. Final MFPs are set, and CMS has published the methodology behind them. This webinar decodes what those prices reveal about the current administration’s drug-pricing trajectory, manufacturer margin outlook and pipeline risk, and the stability of Part D premiums and formularies. We’ll connect therapeutic-class patterns and comparator choices to likely plan behavior—tiering, utilization management (UM), and benefit-channel steering—and near-term contracting dynamics. Walk away from this CCA healthcare series webinar with a concise playbook for how PY27 MFPs will shape 2026–2028 strategy for payers and manufacturers.

A comprehensive discussion on stop loss insurance and captive alternatives. This session covers current stop loss market conditions, captive insurance market conditions, and practical implementation strategies for clients of varying sizes and risk appetites. 

Speakers provide a general overview of ASC 715 accounting for pension and other postretirement benefit plans. This session is meant for attendees that are newer to working under this standard or who need a refresher. Some examples of special events such as curtailments and settlements will also be discussed.

Bias testing and controlling has always been an important part of actuarial practices, but as machine learning and artificial intelligence become more prevalent in our work, the quest has evolved. With technology increasingly functioning as “black boxes,” bias could be harder to detect yet more critical to control. This session brings together perspectives from actuaries, technical experts and independent industry voice, and discusses practical approaches to bias detection, testing, and governance in AI-driven actuarial work.

Plan terminations have been on the rise over the last ten years and their prevalence is expected to continue into the near future. Plan terminations follow a very prescriptive process with timelines, notices, filings, and the eventual liability settlement. Speakers at this session review the plan termination process and discuss the considerations that need to be given as we work with clients to successfully navigate the process.

In this CCA healthcare series webinar, we will unpack how transparency data is reshaping the healthcare landscape. We’ll explore what healthcare transparency data entails, why it's important, and how organizations can use transparency data for their needs.

In this session, panelists will discuss current topics in the overall Medicare market.  Potential topics include:  Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and other recent CMS changes to Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, employer retiree plan topics including creditable coverage determinations, Retiree Drug Subsidy (RDS) calculations, and OPEB valuation, and other current topics impacting the Medicare market overall.

We all issue actuarial reports, but do we all know what should (and must) be in them? Many of the pension ASOPs have undergone review and update in recent years, and new ASOPs have been introduced. With these changes in the communication and disclosure rules in the ASOPs, it can be easy to miss a step. The presenters have planned a practical session to help you make sure your actuarial reports comply with professionalism standards and the various ASOP requirements. You can also learn about some of the common pitfalls to avoid when issuing an actuarial communication.

Panelists review the latest developments in church plan litigation and discuss practical actuarial and administrative issues for church plans in the current environment.

This session provides actuaries with a comprehensive overview of health care cost trends, examining both the retrospective drivers behind recent high trend levels and forward-looking predictions. As the industry faces unprecedented cost increases, understanding the underlying factors is critical for evaluating and implementing effective solutions and strategies. Attendees will gain insights into key cost drivers, emerging trends, and actionable approaches to manage and anticipate future health care expenditures.

Your client’s plan has been frozen for a number of years. You’ve spent meeting after meeting prepping them for plan termination. But now… they’re suddenly interested in… re-opening the plan? What do you – and they – need to know? What are the hidden tricks and traps – the rules and regulations you’ve never thought about but are suddenly very meaningful? Is it different between re-opening an existing plan or starting a new defined benefit plan from scratch? Speakers cover these issues, so you’re ready to address this rapidly trending topic.

In this CCA retirement series webinar, presenters walk through the end-to-end process of establishing new defined benefit plans (including cash balance and hybrid designs), as well as re-opening previously frozen plans. We’ll focus on sponsor objectives, design trade-offs, qualification and documentation touchpoints, initial funding and AFTAP mechanics, PBGC applicability, nondiscrimination/testing coordination with existing DC plans, and early governance decisions that prevent headaches later.

Speakers discuss the latest developments in the private pension plan sector. Topics that may be covered include recently enacted and pending legislation; proposed and final regulatory guidance and other regulatory activity; recent litigation; and pending and adopted revisions to the Actuarial Standards of Practice.

In today's dynamic and data-driven professional environment, consulting actuaries are often tasked with navigating complex internal and external relationships, managing pressure under tight deadlines, and translating insights into meaningful action. Emotional intelligence – recognizing and managing emotions in ourselves and others – can elevate professional effectiveness, resilience, and leadership impact. This CCA cross discipline webinar will blend theory with real-world applications tailored to the consulting actuary's role.

Equity and fixed income markets have faced volatility and uncertainty recently. How can plan sponsors and actuaries navigate this economic environment? Speakers review recent developments in capital markets, explore how those developments affect the management of retirement plans and discuss how actuaries should approach the assumption setting process.

Panelists detail issues related to takeover cases including difficulties in replicating prior valuation results, missing data and documents, and an uncooperative prior actuary. Additionally, they discuss warning signs that give hints about sticky takeover cases.

Building Influence, Clarity, and Leadership Presence in Technical Decision Environments

In today’s complex, data-driven workplace, analytical rigor alone does not create influence. As actuaries work across cross-functional teams, guide high-stakes decisions, and present insights to non-technical leaders, executive presence has become a strategic leadership capability. It shapes how messages are received, how expertise is valued, and how decisions move forward.

This CCA cross discipline webinar helps participants strengthen the presence, clarity, and advisory impact required to lead in environments where precision must pair with persuasion. Designed for actuaries and technical professionals, the session explores how perception, mindset, and communication behaviors influence trust and credibility.

Through interactive polls, reflection prompts, and real-world scenarios, participants will learn how to elevate their leadership presence, frame insights more strategically, and strengthen their ability to influence diverse stakeholders. They will leave with practical approaches to communicate with confidence, adapt in high-pressure conversations, and contribute more effectively at senior levels.

Learning Objectives

• Define executive presence in an actuarial context.
• Recognize how perception, clarity, and confidence influence stakeholder trust.
• Shift from technical expert to strategic advisor through intentional communication.
• Strengthen presence in high-stakes meetings, presentations, and cross-functional discussions.
• Apply interpersonal awareness to improve collaboration and leadership impact.

Pension and other retirement benefit valuations require actuaries to set many different assumptions. For medium‐sized plans this often involves reviewing experience data that is too small to be credible but too large to ignore. Panelists explore the art and science of fitting appropriate rates to small experience sets, leveraging information from other similar sources, and validating proposed rates as better than the prior assumption when applicable. Panelists also discuss actuarial judgement and adjusting rates to better predict the future as opposed to replicating the past.

Sole proprietors and partners face unique restrictions on funding their retirement plans. The speakers focus on the determination of compensation for self-employed persons, special rules on self-employed contributions and how to allocate contributions among partners and between self-employed persons and other employes.

Providers are taking contractual risk in many areas, including financial, risk adjustment, quality, patient satisfaction, among others. Which of these factors are they able to directly influence, and which factors are beyond their control? Join this CCA healthcare series webinar to learn more about these important incentives, typical parameters in contracts between payers and providers, and our role as actuaries in enabling sustainable relationships among the entities involved.

So your client wants to settle their pension liabilities. The speakers on this panel examine the decision considerations between using lump sum cash outs or annuities. They discuss anti‐selection, legal and compliance issues. Also the panel looks at lump sum cash out implementation steps, communications strategies, and recent plan sponsor experience.

Executive orders, legislation, regulations, and judicial actions continue to dynamically influence US health policy. This session will provide the latest understanding of these developments, as well as plan sponsor and health plan impacts – and how they are strategizing go-forward responses.

Panelists provide an overview of the Social Security program’s current financial position along with near‐ and long‐term projections, and identify the most critical economic and demographic drivers of the program’s financial well‐being. Key assumptions relied on in making these projections are identified, along with the methodology used in selecting them.

Our experts also discuss the kinds of changes to current taxes and benefits are projected to be required to achieve long-term sustainability, and look at legislative proposals (past and potential in the future) to bolster the long‐term financial status of the program.

When actuaries are asked to opine on innovative products or solutions, how far are we to stretch beyond our direct experiences? As new healthcare data sources appear at unprecedented rate, are we truly experts or still beginners learning the domain? Join this session for a candid discussion on how to navigate actuarial professionalism in a new era of data, technology, and innovation.

This CCA cross discipline webinar will focus on the critical role of professionalism in actuarial practice. The discussion will explore the fundamental principles that guide actuaries in maintaining high standards, delivering objective advice, and upholding public trust.

In this highly interactive session, panelists and audience members discuss solutions to difficult ethical situations faced by actuaries in their day‐to‐day practices, including dealing with the IRS, correcting errors, billing clients, and clarity of communications. We also discuss how ethical determinations may be affected by professional rules, and the differences between Joint Board regulations and rules of the US actuarial organizations (AAA, SOA, CCA, ASEA).

In this CCA healthcare series webinar, presenters review developments in the MA-PD market. We will consider notable events from the 2027 bid season, impacts on employer and group markets, and anticipated challenges in the 2028 bid season.

The Corporate Pension Revitalization (CPR) Council is a group of professionals seeking to offer a new alternative approach to retirement in the U.S. By taking the best parts of traditional DB and DC plans, along with learnings from other countries, the CPR Council has developed a new alternative that addresses the shortcoming of traditional approaches. This CCA retirement series webinar will offer an overview of the new approach, along with an update on their progress with lawmakers and key stakeholder groups.

Special financial assistance (SFA) is a lifeline for eligible multiemployer pension plans, but navigating both the application process and ongoing compliance requirements can be complex. Speakers briefly review recent developments in SFA applications, highlighting key trends with a focus on post‐SFA requirements, including the annual statement of compliance, funding rules, and applicable conditions and restrictions. Come and gain a better understanding of how to maximize the chances of a successful SFA application and ensure plans remain compliant after receiving SFA.

The Defined Contribution (DC) plan landscape continues to evolve amid significant legislative and regulatory change. Panelists addresses key issues that plan sponsors and consultants should consider as they navigate this shifting environment. Speakers examine emerging issues in DC plans, including recent trends in DC plan design, administrative challenges stemming from SECURE 2.0 implementation, and the evolving regulatory landscape.

How will today’s economics shape tomorrow’s future? Speakers in this CCA retirement series webinar will provide a summary of what is driving economic forecasts and current trends. Speakers will discuss how to combine today’s economic forecasts with past results and into economic assumptions for pension valuations.

Speakers address recent accounting issues and considerations from the perspective of both actuaries and auditors under ASC 715, 960 and 965 as well as IAS 19.

ChatGPT and other advanced AI and analytic technologies are becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s workplace. Learn about what these technologies do, how they are being used, and how they will shape the future of work in actuarial consulting.

A panel of representatives from the IRS, PBGC, and Treasury Department provide updates and field your questions on a number of challenging issues. This is your chance to ask what you've always wanted to know about guidance. This session is not intended to address specific client issues.

Cyberattacks threaten not only financial assets but also the sensitive personal data of pension plan participants. As ransomware, phishing, and vendor vulnerabilities grow more sophisticated, retirement systems must strengthen cyber defenses while maintaining compliance with privacy laws and actuarial standards. This CCA retirement series webinar highlights governance strategies, vendor oversight, and privacy safeguards to protect pension data. The discussion will also integrate actuarial perspectives, including how ASOP 23 informs documentation and disclosure when data integrity may be compromised.

Small plan design and nondiscrimination testing go hand in hand. Our panelists share practical tips for designing DB/DC small plans, from testing basics to less common strategies such as designing plans that are primarily DB in nature and staggering rate groups to improve testing results. Come and see case studies exploring various plan design options.

This session is an opportunity for multiemployer pension actuaries to hear directly from PBGC on the SFA program and other key topics of interest in regard to PBGC’s multiemployer insurance program. Representatives discuss updated statistics about plans that have already received SFA, observations on the current stage of the application process, PBGC guidance, “lessons learned” from applications received to‐date, updates on the census data review process in the last year, and information on filings to demonstrate compliance with conditions after receiving SFA; review PBGC’s most recent financial position and projected funding position of the multiemployer insurance program; discuss new developments in withdrawal liability; and cover other recent and upcoming PBGC activities – including changes to Form 5500 reporting requirements, and newly available resources (i.e., the most recent pension insurance data tables).

Representatives of the Joint Board for the Enrollment of Actuaries discuss current developments and other information relevant to Enrolled Actuaries and the profession at large. In addition, the panelists provide an overview of the requirements that the Joint Board regulations impose on Enrolled Actuaries. Attendee questions are encouraged.

Going beyond LLMs, AI Agents can automate a complete workflows. This session will present the power of agents and demonstrate some simple agents that can be expanded into extensive workflows.

This CCA retirement series webinar will provide an overview of ASOPs that guide the measurement of pension obligations. Potential ASOPs covered may be ASOP 4, 23, 27, 41, 44 and 51. How do these ASOPs continue to help retirement actuaries in 2026?

A key lesson from the past 15 years is that multiemployer pension plans become increasingly vulnerable to market declines as they mature. There are number of derisking strategies that plans have implemented. These include purchasing annuities for a segment of the population, lump sum windows, changes in asset allocation and resulting interest rate assumption, as well as forward-looking target funding metrics. Panelists discuss their experiences assisting trustees in understanding, analyzing, and implementing various strategies to reduce risks in their pension plans.

Panelists discuss the concepts behind a pair of papers due to be released shortly by the American Academy of Actuaries. The first paper explores the collaboration necessary between actuaries and investment consultants to appropriately manage public pension plan assets and liabilities. The second paper discusses techniques and approaches to select discount rates for public pension valuations when capital market assumptions change materially from year to year.

Panelists at this session review the mechanics of 415 and special rules for public sector plans. Section 415 calculations in the public sector have different treatment for certain public safety employees, issues surrounding COLAs and may have hidden surprises in early retirement incentives for plans that otherwise may not have 415 concerns.

Join your public plan colleagues in a candid, open discussion of current issues. Session topics may include ASOP 4, plan design, impact of inflation, and practical discussions of issues raised in other sessions.

Recent favorable asset returns and the full payment of certain legacy amortization bases have resulted in many public sector retirement plans anticipating the possibility of full funding in the near future or at least seeing some future contribution rate drops. This situation can result in significant expected near-term contribution volatility and opportunity for risk management strategies. How are plans dealing with this “good problem to have?” A panel of experts discuss recent developments in funding policy and related considerations to reflect this changing environment.

Court decisions that affect the assessment, calculation, and collection of withdrawal liability continue apace. Speakers discuss these developments, with particular emphasis on actuarial assumption challenges, the treatment of partial withdrawal liability credits, statute of limitations, and issues particular to plans that have or hope to receive Special Financial Assistance.

As Social Security approaches its 91st anniversary, the program faces critical questions about long-term solvency and potential policy reforms. This CCA retirement series webinar provides an update on the financial status of Social Security. Speakers will review the latest projections for the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) trust funds, explain key assumptions driving long-term solvency, and discuss potential policy reforms.

In recent years there has been a gradual but steady trend of multiemployer plan sponsors moving toward variable benefit plans. In this session, speakers discuss the forces behind this trend. Topics include the issues and challenges these designs address, and how variable benefit plans have the potential to benefit both participant and employer stakeholders. In addition to the actuarial perspective, the panel will include speakers from both labor and management who have hands-on experience with these plan designs.

Qualified single employer plans must meet minimum funding requirements including in some cases quarterly deposits and potentially even liquidity shortfall contributions. Panelists cover the key elements of minimum required contributions, such as annual amounts, quarterly deposits, voluntary/mandatory/automatic credit balance elections, and liquidity shortfall contributions. In the process, speakers present strategies to mitigate these challenges, as well as discuss opportunities to accelerate or characterize contributions to reduce plan costs like PBGC premiums or to minimize other administrative burdens such as benefit restrictions.

In the coming decades, America’s demographic and economic landscape is poised for significant transformation, influenced by a variety of dynamic forces. Evolving patterns of work and retirement as well as the shifting age‐dependency ratios both in the US and globally, are set to reshape our society. While some experts are optimistic about the potential advances to enhance our longevity, it is important to acknowledge challenges such as public health, future pandemics, fiscal sustainability, and lifestyle choices. Additionally, the roles of artificial intelligence, climate change, retirement readiness, stability of financial markets and other global trends present uncertainty and risk for the future.

This session explores ideas, data trends, and analysis of these megatrends and macro factors while considering how these factors may influence the long‐term sustainability of single‐employer, multiemployer, public retirement systems and other financial security programs.