Allocating to a Deferred Income Annuity in a Defined Contribution Plan

Abstract

Deferred income annuities (DIAs), also referred to as longevity insurance, have received increased attention recently from defined contribution plan sponsors, providers, participants, and the federal government. On July 1, 2014, the Treasury released regulations clarifying the appropriate use of DIAs in a defined contribution (DC) plan (by creating qualified longevity annuity contracts (QLACs)) and on October 24, 2014, the Treasury issued additional guidance on how DIAs can be included in target-date funds. DIAs present both an opportunity and a challenge to DC plan sponsors, providers, and participants, given the operational and fiduciary complexities associated with including annuities inside a DC plan. In addition to providing general information about DIAs, this article covers a variety of topics related to the use of DIAs in a DC plan, including an overview of the recent guidance, fiduciary considerations, and which type of participants would benefit most from using DIAs.