Amassing a body of knowledge about retirement income issues, trends, products, and solutions is a key focus of the Institutional Retirement Income Council. The artifacts and work products available on this site can enable advisers and consultants to become subject matter experts on institutional solutions. By making income part of their practice, advisors and consultants can stay ahead of this trend and differentiate their practice. By sharing insights, opinions, best practices and evaluation tools, the IRIC and advisors / consultants are helping to ensure that plan sponsors feel confident in their decisions to enhance their defined contribution plans to include retirement income solutions.

Retirement Income Reimagined – How Systematic Withdrawals Are Reshaping DC Plans

The study examines the rapidly growing inventory of systematic withdrawals in-plan retirement income options. These options utilize periodic distribution functionality as the source for retirement income payments—non-annuity payment structures.

The study explores various approaches to how systematic withdrawals are utilized in retirement plans, including hybrid Target Date funds, hybrid Managed Accounts, periodic distributions, and Required Minimum Distributions.

From Savings to Income: The Critical Role of Retirement Income Projections in DC Plans

ERISA Advisory Council Testimony

Pension Benefit Statements – Lifetime Income Illustrations

Overcoming the Annuity Bias

From Auto-Enrollment to Auto-Escalation to Auto-Income: How DC Plan Defaults Can Evolve to Improve American Retirement Security

Evolving solutions available to sponsors, addressing fiduciary and portability concerns, and next steps for plan sponsors, record keepers, insurers and consultants.

Listen to an excerpt from Marty Schmidt, from a PLANSPONSOR Webcast, with market highlights.

Listen to an excerpt from Martha Tejera, from a PLANSPONSOR Webcast, underlining key questions Sponsors are asking

Guaranteed Lifetime Income in Retirement with Annuities

Next Generation Target Date Strategies

Retirement Trends to Watch in 2023

As larger numbers of Americans near retirement age, a renewed focus on retirement income is expected.

Delivering Additional Income Through Lower-Cost Products and Services Available in the Defined Contribution Industry

An easy way for sponsors and advisors to improve financial wellness and retirement readiness programs.

Exploring the Process of Adding an Income Solution to Your Retirement Plan

A plan sponsor’s guide to retirement income; settlor functions and fiduciary considerations when adding income solutions to your plan.

Evaluation Scorecard for Retirement
Income Products

In this paper, Mendel Melzer and Julie Leinenbach introduce a set of metrics that plan sponsors and their consultants can utilize in assessing the suitability of a retirement income strategy in a DC plan.

Effective Due Diligence

This paper highlights some of the critical issues and questions that companies may consider as they evaluate guaranteed lifetime income options.

The Problem With Spending Too Fast

In this article, Fred Reish, et al. focus on different strategies that will produce a ‘safe’ withdrawal rate for individuals who participate in their employer’s 401(k) or 403(b) retirement plans.

Critical Questions Income Solutions

IRIC’s segmentation committee reviewed the sponsor, recordkeeper and advisor segments of the DC market

What is a Non-Guaranteed Retirement Income Payout?

Retirement Plans: Guaranteed Income Means Better Outcomes