In the post-pension world, we’ve moved from the certainty of a “defined benefit” to a discussion of outcomes and probabilities under defined contribution plans. Now, as people who have worked longer under 401(k) than pension hit retirement, service providers have perked up with a greater focus on determining and delivering predictable retirement income.
Advisory software and services are honing in on outcome-based investing goals and serving them up as mile-markers for plan participants. But what good is a prediction unless you know what you are up against?
Currently, the best guidepost for a defined contribution plan participant is a Single Premium Immediate Annuity (SPIA).