The ASC Defined Benefit Valuation System offers users many cash balance design capabilities, such as the ability to use multiple cash balance formula designs for up to 50 different groups. Formula options include:
- Fixed dollar,
- Percent of compensation,
- Minimum or maximums of percent of compensation or fixed dollar amounts,
- Step formulas,
- Tiered formulas,
- Credit necessary for current account balance to equal a percent of the immediate 415 maximum lump sum,
- Unitized minimum benefit by person on annual or accrued to date basis to satisfy IRC 401(a)(26) minimum coverage,
- A+B design for plans converting from traditional to cash balance designs, and
- Override options at plan and participant level
In addition to the cash balance contribution credit formulas, ASC supports cash balance plans with the following features:
- Variable interest crediting rates,
- Optional setting to allow decreasing account balances,
- Option to use different projected interest crediting rates for funding assumptions and compliance testing,
For BOY valuations, recalculate the prior year’s expected contribution credits based on actual compensation and service, and simultaneously calculate the expected contribution credit for the upcoming year with estimated compensation
- Optional use of annuity substitution factors,
- Interest calculations for short plan years, and
- Basic and advanced methods for calculating at-risk loads
- Budget solver and proposal reporting for new Cash Balance/DC combo plans
ASC DGEM offers Cash Balance documents that are integrated with the Valuation system so that once you complete your plan document, over 130 plan provisions will be transferred to the plan on the valuation system.
Cash balance withdrawals can be entered in participant records and reflected in valuation calculations, reporting, and benefit statements.
Full and partial withdrawals are summarized in a summary of account balance report for ease of trust reconciliation.
We offer compliance testing reports, termination optional forms, benefit statements, as well as actuarial valuation reports that are tailored to cash balance plans. And for actuarial reviews, we offer a variety of checking resources.
Participant Reports include:
- Cash Balance Statements,
- DC/CB combined statement,
- Supporting Calculation Detail, and
- Termination Optional Forms at Calculation Date and Retirement Date
Cash Balance Plan Level Reports include:
- Summary of individual cash balance accounts,
- DC/CB Combined Plan Reporting,
- Compliance Tests, and
- Valuation reports based on a percent lump sum or annuity payment
- Budget solver and proposal reporting for new Cash Balance/DC combo plans
In addition to the built-in custom report writing feature, users can export any value stored in ASC for their own reporting needs.
As with many ASC products, the ASC Defined Benefit product is integrated with our plan documents, 5500s, and client and task tracking solutions! Users can generate their Schedule SB attachments, export plan specification values for client tracking, and transfer participant data for ongoing workflow management. ASC’s Gemini Plan & Participant Web Access System provide secure and efficient on-line resources such as annual census submission.
To maximize the use of all these features, we offer robust online help, DB reference manuals, FAQs, and webcasts focused on cash balance plans, in addition to ASC Support Actuaries, so that you can have your questions answered quickly.
Find out more information about ASC’s Defined Benefit System.
