What is a Cash Balance Plan?
A cash balance plan is a “hybrid” retirement plan that combines features of both defined benefit and defined contribution plans. While a traditional defined benefit plan provides for a specific benefit at retirement, a cash balance plan provides the benefit at retirement as an account balance. Plan sponsors contribute a flat dollar amount or percentage of compensation (“pay credit”) and credit a specific interest rate each plan year. And while a cash balance plan may have higher administrative costs than a 401(k) plan, largely because its funding must be certified by an actuary each year, its tax benefits can offset this additional administrative cost.
Potential benefits of a Cash Balance Plan:
Tax Benefits Now: Contributions to the Plan are tax deductible and investment return is tax deferred, which could significantly reduce your current income tax burden.
Tax Benefits Later: Can be designed with Cash Value Life Insurance providing a tax free death benefit and tax free retirement income.
401(k) Example Contribution Limit Comparison:
You have an existing 401(k) with three relationships: Record Keeper, TPA and Advisor. What if you don't want to change one, or all, of these existing relationships? No problem. Cash Balance plans work with existing or new 401(k) Plans, and typically can work in tandem with existing 401(k) Profit Sharing Plans without any significant changes.
Click below to view a Cash Balance presentation:
Cash Balance - Defined Benefit Presentation
Check out the Gulf Coast Financial Advisor's Podcast Network for a convenient way to listen to a Cash Balance discussion and other business owner related concepts:
How Cash Balance Plans work
How small business owners can use Cash Balance plans as a Defined Benefit retirement option and potentially increase the ceiling of tax deferred contributions above typical 401(k) limits.
Buy / Sell Agreement Funding
Having a written Buy/Sell Agreement is the first step. The next step is properly funding it - an unfunded Buy / Sell Agreement is nothing more than a promise.
Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation
How business owners can use "Golden Handcuffs" to incentivize their key employees to stay loyal to the organization, particularly in competitive industries.
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Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs)
A Succession Plan option for business owners that desire to transition the company to the employees that help build it, while incentivizing those same employees to act like owners of the business, because they are.
Take a deeper dive in our Article Library:
What you need to know about controlled & Affiliated groups:
executive / business owner planning articles written by Gulf coast financial advisors:
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Cash balance Case studies:
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Disclosure: A cash balance plan may not be right for all companies. These plans must be funded on an annual or more frequent basis. Employers should be confident the firm’s cash flow and profitability will permit it to meet its funding requirement. Also, the responsibility of investing the plan assets for the participants rests with the employer. If investment returns do not keep up with funding requirements, additional and often unanticipated contributions will have to be made.
Information presented on this site is for informational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any product or security. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed here.