David J. Kupstas, FSA, EA, MSEA

David J. Kupstas, FSA, EA, MSEA Chief Actuary

Recent Posts

April 29 2021

Catch-Up Contributions: A Good Thing for Both Men and Women

Back in 2001, a law called the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) was passed. Some referred to it as the Bush Tax Cuts, Round One. The law had a number of provisions related to qualified retirement plans. Among these, in a sec...

December 23 2020

Mega Backdoor Roth IRA: A Neat Idea that Rarely Works

Lately, several people have asked me about a “mega backdoor Roth IRA.” I didn’t really know what this was, but anything with “backdoor” in the name is something I want to explore. It sounds a little devious. Maybe I could finally be a bad boy – more ...

November 20 2020

When It’s a Mistake to Call Something a “Mistake of Fact”

“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” So goes the internet meme based on Inigo Montoya’s complaint to Vizzini about his use of the word "inconceivable" in The Princess Bride movie. In the pension business, there...

October 29 2020

Out with 2020, In with the 2021 Retirement Plan Rates and Limits

As we head toward the close of this turbulent year, we have learned that most IRS limits related to qualified retirement plans will hold steady in 2021. Retirees receiving Social Security benefits will receive another modest increase, while PBGC prem...

August 19 2020

RMDs Aren’t Required in 2020

You may recall that the CARES Act says required minimum distributions (RMDs) don’t have to be taken in 2020 from IRAs and many employer retirement plans. This seems like a pretty simple concept, but it’s not. There were a number of unanswered questio...

July 08 2020

IRS Issues Further Details on Distributions and Plan Loans Under CARES Act

The CARES Act, signed into law on March 27, 2020, allows employees affected by COVID-19 greater access to money set aside for them in employer retirement plans. As often happens, many details of this new law were not immediately clear. We found ourse...

June 24 2020

Last Recipient of a Civil War Pension Dies Recently at 90

The last person to be receiving a Civil War-era pension has died. Irene Triplett, of Wilkesboro, NC, died on May 31 at the age of 90 due to complications from having fallen a few days earlier, according to the Washington Post and other news outlets. ...

April 22 2020

Coronavirus and Defined Benefit Plan Funding

This article is part of our continuing series on the coronavirus and its effects on qualified retirement plans. Recently, we wrote about ways employees affected by the coronavirus could access money from their retirement plans. Today, we are discussi...

March 23 2020

Options for Accessing Retirement Plan Money Amid COVID-19 Outbreak

Amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) scare, we are getting reports that our clients are imposing layoffs, furloughs, and temporary shutdowns. It makes sense; if people aren’t coming to your business, there’s no work for the employees to do and no money to...

February 06 2020

Issues with Independent Contractors and Pension Plans

A number of our retirement plan clients have independent contractors performing services for them. There are often questions about whether these independent contractors can or should be covered in the company retirement plan. The answer can be boiled...