Buck Bond Group

Retirement plan consulting, strategy, and support

Managing retirement plans has become increasingly complex amid market uncertainty. Sound financial planning, risk management, and effective plan governance are critical for the long-term success of your retirement plans, and the financial future of your people.

Are you looking for innovative ideas to keep your plans sustainable, competitive, and ready for what’s ahead?

Improve outcomes for employers and employees

With an eye on your current and future needs, our retirement plan consultants will work with you to develop solutions that simplify the ongoing operation of your current defined contribution (DC) and defined benefit (DB) plans, manage the liabilities and risks of your plans and investments, and engage your people at different points in their career to see the value of their retirement benefits.

Our consultants and actuaries understand that retirement programs can have a material impact on financial results. So, we’re ready to provide support for your decision-making, asking the right questions and guiding you toward selecting the right program for your organization.

We work with corporate, public sector, multi-employer, and not-for-profit organizations to:

  • Plan the future direction of your programs
  • Review plan operations and expenses
  • Understand and comply with new laws and regulations
  • Evaluate and mitigate program risks
  • Negotiate pension plans related to collective bargaining agreements

How we can help

Actuarial valuation services

Our experienced actuaries complete actuarial valuations, prepare expense and disclosures for accounting purposes, deliver projections of plan costs and liabilities, provide AFTAP certification, annual funding and other related notices, funding schedules, standard government filings with appropriate attachments, and attend annual review and planning meetings.

Plan strategy and design

We help you review your overall program strategy to ensure the right mix of DB and DC, hybrid, and non-qualified retirement plans are in line with your business objectives and meet the needs of your current and future employees.

Plan administration

We make defined benefit administration painless. Our bEnabled™ administration platform makes it easy for you to evolve from applications for internal administration hosted on our platforms, to a co-sourced or fully outsourced environment. We make sure your solution is customized the way you want it, at a price that fits your budget.

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Pension risk management

Managing risk is critical to your organization’s financial health. Our pension risk management services can help you recognize and quantify risks, assess the impact on the organizations, and if needed, develop risk mitigation strategies.

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Investment consulting

Our consultants help you formulate an overall strategy and then select and monitor specific options to ensure alignment with your stated goals. We also help DC plan sponsors evaluate additional tools such as managed accounts and in-plan annuities to help employees reach their retirement goals.

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Service delivery

From vendor selection and ongoing monitoring, to benchmarking investment and administrative fees against prevailing market trends, we can help you manage all aspects of your retirement benefits vendor relationships. Our independent consultants will evaluate service levels and assess services such as communications and compliance support. We also conduct reviews, so you know your vendor is operating in compliance with the plan’s terms and conditions.

Plan governance and compliance

Good plan governance is an essential feature of a well-run retirement plan and expected by plan sponsors, fiduciaries, and regulatory agencies. We keep your plans in compliance by assisting with day-to-day administration and documentation — including drafting plan documents and amendments, summary plan descriptions, and other communications, administrative forms, and procedures — and advising on plan processes and governance.

Board training

We offer a wide range of training courses for board members, pension managers, members of governance committees, and HR and finance professionals. Our courses are designed to give you a foundation in the basic principles and provide you with the practical knowledge you need to be more effective in your role.

Retirement readiness

The retirement security of your employees is one of the most pressing issues you face. We understand individuals’ motivations, principles of behavioral economics, and how to effectively engage employees to share responsibility for their decisions so they’re prepared for retirement.

Get the insight you need on SECURE 2.0

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How will the latest retirement legislation impact plan sponsors and employees?
Following the passage of SECURE 2.0, plan sponsors now have new options and incentives to help employees save for retirement and improve financial security. This has important implications for plan design, investment fund lineups, and plan communications. Visit our SECURE 2.0 resource hub to access FYI compliance briefs, blog posts, and on-demand webinars.