New Trends in Pension Benefit and Retirement Provisions

This document is about a report that explores and evaluates the substantial changes that have occurred in private sector pension plans in the United States over the last two decades. The report analyzes data from the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Survey on trends in pension plan characteristics, including changes in vesting rules, access to normal retirement, pension benefit formulas, integration with Social Security, disability benefits, and access to lump-sum payouts. The report also examines changes in defined contribution plans, such as greater access to diversified investment options and increased pre-retirement access to funds. The findings indicate that the private pension environment in the U.S. has been highly dynamic, with constant changes in plan design, features, and offerings in response to various regulatory, market, and demographic factors.