Retirement Plans Research Reports
If you’re looking for research projects and reports on pensions, you’ve come to the right place. The SOA offers research, authored by an individual or a team of authors, for download in just a few clicks. Most reports are in PDF format.
Highlights of SOA Pension Research Projects (September 2018)
2019
- Background Document: Quantitative Evaluation Framework for Retirement Benefit Systems
June
The Society of Actuaries’ Retirement Section Research Committee is pleased to make available material summarizing work done to date to develop a model for a quantitative evaluation framework for retirement benefit systems. - A Low-Growth World: Implications for the Insurance Industry and Pension Plans
June
The Society of Actuaries is pleased to make available a research report that introduces actuaries and risk managers in the insurance and pension industries to current literature discussing growth rates in the past and future expectations. - Liability-Driven Investment – Benchmark Model
April
The Society of Actuaries’ Retirement Section Research Committee and Committee on Finance Research are pleased to make available research material that developed a Liability-Driven Investment (LDI) benchmark framework. - Contribution Analysis: U.S. Single Employer Pension Plan
April
Updated study of US corporate pension plan contributions: have they paid down unfunded liabilities? - NBA Players Pension Plan Stats, 2017
April
Pension stats sheet for the National Basketball Association Players’ Pension Plan for 2017. - Annuity Market Pricing Approaches
March
The Society of Actuaries’ Retirement Section Research Committee is pleased to make available a research report comparing the CIA pricing method for estimating group annuity closeout pricing to methods used in the U.S. - Contribution Analysis for U.S. Multiemployer Pension Plans
March
Updated study of metrics for measuring whether US multiemployer pension plan contributions paid down unfunded liabilities or met regulatory benchmarks. - PBC and PBCR: Two Stress Metrics for U.S. Multiemployer Pension Plans
March
Updated study of metrics for measuring the financial stress imposed on multiemployer pension plans by the combination of unfunded liabilities and declining numbers of active participants. - Employer Withdrawal Activity Overview: U.S. Multiemployer Pension Plans
March
Updated study of the frequency employer withdrawal and the numbers of plans and participants affected. - Patterns of Going Concern Discount Rates
March
This research, based on data from regulatory filings in Ontario, with supplementary information from British Columbia and the United States, examines funding valuation discount rates. - NHL Pension Stats
March
Pension stats sheet for the National Hockey League players retirement plan for the plan year ended April 30, 2018. - U.S. Public Pension Plan Contribution Analysis
February
Update to a longitudinal study of contribution adequacy at paying down unfunded liabilities in state and large city pension plans in the U.S. - Drivers of U.S. Mortality Improvement Expert Panel Forum Report
January
This report summarizes a daylong Expert Panel Forum discussion, which included experts from inside and outside the insurance/retirement industry, who were invited to participate in a discussion to provide input about drivers of U.S. mortality improvement for the short and long term. - Entertainment Pension Stats Comparison
January
Comparison of pension funding stats for selected entertainment industry pension plans. - MLB Pension Stats
January
Pension stats sheet for the Major League Baseball players pension plan. - AFM Pension Stats
January
Pension stats sheet for the American Federation of Musicians pension plan. - NFL Pension Stats
January
Pension stats sheet for the National Football League players pension plan for 2017.
2018
- Pension Investment and Withdrawal: What Concerns are Influencing Participant Preferences?
December
This project aims to understand pension participants’ investment and withdrawal behaviors and provide guidance in pension plan design, using data from China. We carried out a survey of employees' preferences on occupational pension investment and withdrawal in China. - Entertainment Industry Pension Funded Status Comparison
October
Comparison of funded status trends through 2017 for various entertainment industry pension plans. - Directors Guild Pension Stats
October
Pension stats sheet for the Directors Guild of America–Producer Pension Plan for 2017. - Motion Picture Industry Pension Stats
October
Pension stats sheet for the Motion Picture Industry Pension Plan for 2017. - Screen Actors Guild Pension Stats
October
Pension stats sheet for the Screen Actors Guild–Producers Pension Plan for 2017. - Writers Guild Pension Stats
October
Pension stats sheet for the Producers–Writers Guild of America Pension Plan for 2017. - AFTRA Pension Stats
October
Pension stats sheet for the AFTRA Retirement Plan. - U.S. Public Pension Plan Mortality Assumptions Compared to Pub-2010 Mortality Tables
August
A comparison of recently used mortality assumptions among state-based and large-city public pension plans with the Pub-2010 Mortality Tables. - U.S. Multiemployer Pension Plan Withdrawal Liability Basics and Collectibility
August
A plain-language, high-level explanation of employer withdrawal liability issues, including how they grew to be large and barriers to their collection. - U.S. Public Pension Plan Mortality Assumptions
June
A comparison of recently used mortality assumptions among state-based and large-city public pension plans. - New CPP Enhancements: What do they mean for Canadian workers and seniors?
June
The Society of Actuaries and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries are pleased to make available a research report assessing the impact of Canadian Pension Plan (CPP) enhancements on Canadian workers and retirees. - U.S. Multiemployer Pension Plan Pending Insolvencies
May
Analysis of the impact of projected multiemployer pension plan insolvencies over 20 years on affected participants and participating employers. - Retirement Adequacy in the United States: Should We Be Concerned?
March
This research report summarizes current research on retirement adequacy and compares different measures. - Annuities Versus Tontines in the 21st Century
March
This research report investigates the mechanics and practicalities of introducing retirement investment income tontines (RITs) in today’s market place. - NHL Players Pension Stats
February
Pension stats sheet for the National Hockey League for the plan year ended April 30, 2017. - Value of Longevity Pooling
February
The Society of Actuaries’ Pension Section has completed a research effort exploring the value of longevity pooling and its implications. - Settlement Cost Compared to Going Concern Funding Targets
February
This research report, based on Ontario pension plan data, examines differences between going concern and solvency valuations. - U.S. Multiemployer Pension Plan Contribution Indices
January
Updated study of metrics for measuring whether US multiemployer pension plan contributions paid down unfunded liabilities or met regulatory benchmarks. - U.S. Multiemployer Pension Plan Withdrawal Overview
January
Updated overview of the frequency and impact of employer withdrawals among multiemployer pension plans. - U.S. Multiemployer Pension Plan Stress Metrics: PBC and PBCR
January
Updated study of metrics for measuring stress imposed on multiemployer pension plans by unfunded liabilities and declining numbers of active participants. - U.S. Single Employer Pension Plan Contribution Indices
January
Updated study of metrics for measuring whether US corporate pension plan contributions paid down unfunded liabilities or met regulatory benchmarks. - American Federation of Musicians Pension Plan Stats
January
Pension stats sheet for the American Federation of Musicians pension plan for 2016. - Entertainment Industry Pension Plan Funded Status Comparison
January
Updated comparison of pension funded status among entertainment industry multiemployer pension plans for 2016. This update supersedes previous comparisons for 2016. - MLB Players Pension Plan Stats
January
Pension stats sheet for the Major League Baseball players’ pension plan for 2016. - NFL Players Pension Plan Stats
January
Pension stats sheet for the National Football League players’ pension plan for 2016.
2017
- Modeling and Management of Longevity Risk
November
The Society of Actuaries (SOA), in a joint project with the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries (IFoA) and the Canadian Institute of Actuaries (CIA), is creating research projects and education materials on Modeling and Management of Longevity Risk. - NBA Pension Stats
November
Pension stats sheet for the National Basketball Association Players’ Pension Plan for 2016. - Entertainment Industry Pension Plan Funded Status Comparison
October
Pension funded status comparison of entertainment industry multiemployer pension plans for 2016. - Screen Actors Guild–Producers Pension Stats
October
Pension stats sheet for the Screen Actors Guild–Producers Pension Plan for 2016. - Directors Guild of America-Producer Pension Stats
October
Pension stats sheet for the Directors Guild of America-Producer Pension Plan for 2016. - Producers-Writers Guild of America Pension Stats
October
Pension stats sheet for the Producers-Writers Guild of America Pension Plan for 2016. - Motion Picture Industry Pension Stats
October
Pension stats sheet for the Motion Picture Industry Pension Plan for 2016. - AFTRA Retirement Plan Stats for 2015
September
Pension stat sheet for the AFTRA Retirement Plan for 2015. - The Financial Impact of Student Debt on Working and Retired Americans
August
The Society of Actuaries’ Pension Section is pleased to make available a research report addressing the potential consequences of accumulating education debt for retirement security. - U.S. Public Pension Plan Contribution Indices
June
Longitudinal study of metrics for measuring contribution adequacy at paying down unfunded liabilities in state and large city DB pension plans. - U.S. Single Employer Pension Plan Contribution Indices
May
Updated longitudinal study of metrics for measuring contribution adequacy at paying down unfunded liabilities in corporate DB pension plans in the U.S. - American Federation of Musicians Pension Plan Stats - 2015
May
Pension stat sheet for the American Federation of Musicians and Subsidiary Pension Fund for 2015 - Impact of Mortality Change on U.S. Single Employer Pension Plan Funding
April
This study looks at the impact on the U.S. single employer pension system as a whole of proposed mortality table changes for funding purposes, including liabilities, contributions and PBGC premiums. - Provisions for Adverse Deviations in Going Concern Actuarial Valuations
March
This research paper expands on the 2013 results of a Canadian Institute of Actuaries’ paper on Provisions for Adverse Deviations in Going Concern Actuarial Valuations of Defined Benefit Pension Plans, by including information on variations in hypothetical wind-up funding levels and by examining differences in required PfADs attributable to differences in plan design. - Discount Rate Sensitivities in Pension Plans
March - Directors Guild Pension Plan Stats - 2015
February - Writers Guild Pension Plan Stats - 2015
February - Motion Picture Industry Pension Plan Stats - 2015
February - NHL Players Pension Plan Stats - 2016
February - Multiemployer Plan PBC and PBCR Update
January - Multiemployer Plan Contribution Indices Update
January - Multiemployer Plan Withdrawal Overview Update
January - Multiemployer Plan Metrics Report
January - NFL Players Pension Plan Stats - 2015
January - MLB Players Pension Plan Stats - 2015
January - Determining Discount Rates Required to Fund Defined Benefit Plans
January
2016
- NBA Players Pension Plan Stats - 2015
November - SAG Pension Plan Stats – 2015
November - U.S. Pension Plan Discount Rate Comparison 2009-2014
September - Enhancing the Security of Defined Contribution Plans
September - A System to Evaluate and Compare Defined Contribution Plans
September - AFTRA Retirement Plan Stats – 2014
September - Modeling Long Term Healthcare Cost Trends - 2016 Update
September - Contribution Indices U.S. Single Employer Pension Plans
June - Multiemployer Pension Plan Stress Metrics Update
May - Multiemployer Pension Plan Contribution Analysis
March - NHL Players Pension Stats – 2015
March - Tax-Deferred Retirement Saving in Canada
March - MLB Players Pension Plan Stats - 2014
February - NFL Players Pension Plan Stats - 2014
February - AFTRA Retirement Plan Stats - 2013
February - Analysis of Target Benefit Plan Design Options
February - Screen Actors Guild — Producers Pension Plan Stats - 2014
January - NBA Players Pension Plan Stats - 2014
January - NHL Players Pension Plan Stats - 2014
January
2015
- Challenges and Strategies for Financing an Increasingly Long Life
December - Multiemployer Plan Withdrawal Overview
December - Variable Payout Annuities
December - NFL Players Pension Plan Stats - 2013
December - MLB Players Pension Plan Stats - 2013
October - Multiemployer Plan Stress Metrics
August - Corporate Pension Risk Management and Corporate Finance: Bridging the Gap between Theory and Practice in Pension Risk Management
August - Pension Valuation Methods and Assumptions – Second Edition
May - The Rising Tide of Pension Contributions Post-2013: How Much and When?
February
2014
- Pension Risk Transfer – Evaluating Impact and Barriers for De-Risking Strategies
December - Stretching the Corridor: The Effects of Extended Rate Stabilization on Defined Benefit Plan Funding Requirements
September - Communicating the Financial Health of Public Pension Plans
June - Utilization of MAP-21 Pension Funding Stabilization in 2012
April - Behavioral Decision-Making in Retirement
March - Hybrid Pensions: Risk Sharing Arrangements for Pension Plan Sponsors and Participants
February - Embedded Options in Pension Plans
January
2013
- Market Consistent Valuation and Funding of Cash Balance Pensions
November - Improving Retirement Outcomes: Timing, Phasing and Benefit Claiming Choices
October - The Decision to Retire and Post-Retirement Financial Strategies: A Report on Eight Focus Groups
September - Pension Plan Embedded Option Valuation
June - Back Testing of Investment Performance by Asset Class
January - Measures of Retirement Benefit Adequacy: Which, Why, for Whom, and How Much?
January - Observations on Input and Output Smoothing: How do they affect the funding of defined benefit plans?
January
2012
- The Effect of Changes in Retirement Plans on Employee Savings and Retirement Age and the Financial Impact on Employers of Delayed Retirement
December - Volatility Management Monograph
October - Estimating Equity Risk Premiums
October - Proposed Pension Funding Stabilization: How Does It Affect the Single-Employer Defined Benefit System?
June - Considerations in the Evaluation of Gain Sharing Designs
March - Pension Valuation Methods and Assumptions
January
2011
- Mortality Comparisons and Risk Exposures in the Older Age U.S. Financial Services Market
December - The Rising Tide of Pension Contributions Post-2008: How much and when?
October - Moving Beyond the Limitations of Traditional Replacement Rates
September - Estimation of Employee Stock Option Exercise Rates and Firm Cost
July - Research and Reality–A Literature Review on Drawing Down Retirement Financial Savings
July
2010
- SOA Pension Section Research Summary
September - Post-Retirement Financial Strategies from the Perspective of an Individual Who Is Approaching Retirement Age
August - Psychological Adjustment to Widowhood: The Role of Income, Wealth and Time
April
2009
- Adequacy of Bond Supply and Cost of Pension Benefits: A Financial Economics Perspective
July - Public Pension Finance Symposium
May
2008
- Selecting Mortality Tables: A Credibility Approach
December - Pension Risk Management: Derivatives, Fiduciary Duty and Process
September - The Nature of the Pension "Promise"
May - The Total Career Benchmark Process–A First Step in Redefining Canadian Pension Plans
May
2007
- Autopilot: Self–Adjusting Systems for Sustainable Retirement Systems
April - The Impact of Reversion Taxes on Pension Plan Funding
January
2006
- Variation of Employee Benefit Costs by Age
August - Spending and Investing in Retirement–Is There a Strategy?
August - 2006 Re-Envisioning Retirement in the 21st Century Symposium
May - 30–Year Treasury Rates and Defined Benefit Pension
February
2005
- Retirement Literature: An Interdisciplinary Review of Pre–retirement Influences on Attitudes and Decisions Regarding Retirement
November - The Future Of Pension Plan Funding And Disclosure
July - Survey on the Prevalence of Traditional and Hybrid Defined Benefit Pension Plans
March - Retirement Planning Software Report
January
2004
- Impact of Mortality Projection Scales on Defined Benefit Pension Plan Valuations
November - Factors Affecting Retirement Mortality (FARM)
June - 2003 SOA Pension Plan Turnover Study
April - The Great Controversy: Current Pension Actuarial Practice in Light of Financial Economics Symposium
March - Actuarial Aspects of Cash Balance Plans
January - Survey of Asset Valuation Methods for Defined Benefit Pension Plans
January - Pension Plan Turnover Rate Table Construction
January
2003
- Single Life vs. Joint and Survivor Pension Payout Options: How Do Married Retirees Choose?
November - Design and Actuarial Aspects of Deferred Retirement Option Programs
June - Models for Retirement Policy Analysis
January - Retrospective and Prospective Analysis of the Privatized Mandatory Pension System in Mexico
January