Employee benefits continued with limited employer risk.
Employers want to meet their pension plan obligation but doing so can be challenging. For some, the administrative expenses, unpredictable rates, and changing business structures can make it too risky or too costly. Explore how and when a pension risk transfer may help.
Learn how our patent-pending Principal® Pension Risk Transfer Strike Pricing can result in significant savings.
The traditional pension risk transfer process lacks flexibility and control, which in turn potentially causes significant risk and volatility in costs. See how we can help address these challenges.
A pension risk transfer (PRT) is the process of transferring a defined benefit plan’s risk away from an employer who sponsors a pension plan. The two most common types of PRT are employers offering participants a lump sum payout and employers purchasing a group annuity from an insurance company.
Pension risk transfers can benefit organizations looking to reduce the financial risk associated with their defined benefit pension plan. At the same time, this can help organizations keep their commitment to provide pension benefits to applicable current and past employees. With a pension risk transfer solution, plan sponsors replace their current defined benefit plan for a single premium group annuity.
Here are some of the many reasons an organization might consider a pension risk transfer:
- Termination of a defined benefit pension plan. The plan sponsor purchases a group annuity contract from us, then we provide benefits to plan participants and their beneficiaries.
- A merger, acquisition, or sale of an organization. If the acquiring organization decides to discontinue a defined benefit plan, they can purchase a group annuity to continue benefits earned by participants of the acquired organization.
- Lift-out. An employer can purchase a group annuity for retired and/or terminated vested participants.
- It helps if an employer understands any post-placement impacts to the plan and avoid late surprises in the process.
When choosing to transfer the risk of a pension plan to Principal, we’ll work to help implement and manage a pension risk transfer solution. As a leader in this market, we bring over 80 years of experience in the pension risk transfer business.
- Daily real-time annuity pricing with Principal® Pension Risk Transfer Strike Pricing1
- Underwriting and actuarial services
- Ongoing administrative services
Timely benefit payment services
- Installation and contract writing services
- Ongoing administrative services
- Multiple payment dates
- Stop payment and reissuance of checks usually within 48 business hours
- Electronic funds transfer (EFT)
- State, federal, and foreign tax reporting and withholding
- Customized deductions
Dedicated internet and phone services
- Hearing impaired and non-English phone services
- Documented tracking services of calls
- 24/7 online payment viewing and account service
- Online access to tax forms
Proprietary technology
- Records management and storage
- Adaptive authentication for our secure website
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To get started, contact your local Principal® representative or support team:
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