Pension Planning Solutions

The firm provides third-party administration and actuarial consulting for tax-qualified retirement plans. Core services include plan design, annual nondiscrimination testing, Form 5500 filing, required minimum distribution calculations, and ongoing IRS compliance support. It does not manage investment assets — its work ensures plans remain qualified under ERISA and the Internal Revenue Code.

No. The firm functions as a plan administrator and actuary, not an investment manager. It advises on plan design features — such as contribution allocation formulas and benefit structures — but ultimate investment selection and ongoing portfolio management are handled by plan fiduciaries, financial advisors, or recordkeepers retained by the employer.

A TPA handles compliance: drafting plan documents, performing coverage and nondiscrimination tests, allocating employer contributions, and preparing government filings. An investment advisor recommends the fund menu and may provide ongoing fiduciary oversight. The TPA's liability centers on plan qualification — keeping the IRS from disqualifying the plan — while the advisor's liability centers on investment suitability under ERISA fiduciary standards.

Pension Planning Solutions administers 401(k) profit-sharing plans, traditional defined benefit pension plans, and cash balance plans — the last being a hybrid that has gained popularity among professional-service firms seeking larger tax-deferred contributions for partners. Plan design often targets owner-favored outcomes through cross-tested or age-weighted allocation formulas.

The operational calendar is shaped by IRS and Department of Labor deadlines: Form 5500 filings due seven months after plan year-end, PBGC premium filings for defined benefit plans, required minimum distributions by April 1 for participants turning 72, and periodic plan restatements under the IRS pre-approved plan cycle. Each SECURE Act legislative change — most recently SECURE 2.0 in 2022 — triggers plan amendments and compliance updates across the client base.