Greetings! I trust that this will find you well and enjoying life.
As life expectancies increase, longevity risk–the risk of outliving retirement savings–is a concern for a growing number of people. In response, recent federal regulations created qualified longevity annuity contracts (QLACs), which are accessible through employer-sponsored plans, such as 401(k)s and IRAs.
A QLAC is a type of longevity annuity that is held in an employer-sponsored plan such as a 401(k), 457(b), or 403(b) plan and in IRAs. The premium paid to a QLAC is held for a number of years until distributions begin later in life, such as age 80. There are specific requirements and restrictions that apply to QLACs. The QLAC must generally be payable over the retiree’s lifetime or over the lifetimes of the retiree and a beneficiary and the interval between payments can be no longer than one year. The QLAC must provide that payments begin no later than the first day of the month following the participant’s 85th birthday, although an earlier starting age may be selected. No more than 25% of any individual plan account balance may be allocated to a QLAC (including the value of the QLAC) and the value of all the retiree’s IRAs are treated as a single plan for purposes of applying the percentage limit. The total amount of all QLAC premiums paid by all retirement plans and IRAs over the participant’s lifetime may not exceed $125,000, adjusted for cost-of-living increases. QLACs may not include surrender provisions and a QLAC may not be a variable annuity or an indexed annuity, nor can a QLAC be held in a defined benefit (pension) plan, Roth IRA, or Roth 401(k)
QLAC’s have a number of positive benefits. QLAC balances during deferral are not included in calculating RMDs, reducing the amount of required distributions and the income tax bite associated with those distributions. The amount and starting date of future QLAC distributions are predetermined, allowing a retiree to more accurately calculate how long income from retirement savings may need to last. A QLAC may provide cost-of-living adjustments to potentially increase the income stream. A QLAC death benefit may include a return of premium.
There are potential drawbacks with QLAC’s that should be considered. QLACs are not liquid, have no cash surrender value, are generally irrevocable and are not subject to growth potential during deferral years. Funding a QLAC with a portion of a retirement account reduces the account balance available to provide income during the years before the QLAC distributions begin. No payments will be made to a QLAC beneficiary if the annuitant dies before the payment start date, unless the contract owner has purchased an optional death benefit.
If you have any questions about the above or any retirement related issues call us.
Best regards,
Jeff Christian CFP, CRPC
If one advances confidentially in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
Henry David Thoreau