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The New Year and, even better, a new decade is a great time for a fresh start on resolutions. The past year and decade created quantum shifts for defined benefits plan sponsors that brings the need for fresh resolve as we head into the 20's.  Below we present our Top 10 DB resolutions for plan sponsors.

2019 was a two-sided coin for DB plans and both sides of the coin grew; interest rates plummeted over 1.00% to near record lows driving liabilities up while the investment markets boomed driving assets up.

The Decade of the "Teens" changed the way DB plans are managed. Declining interest rates and new mortality tables drove liabilities substantially higher. Funding relief took some pressure off contribution requirements.  Steeply escalating PBGC premiums drove up the cost of maintaining DB plans. These factors made Pension Risk Transfers (PRT) the big idea; lump sum windows and annuity purchases transferred risk off balance sheets and reduced costs. Investing assets became more sophisticated as sponsors focused more on risk; Liability Driven Investment (LDI), glide paths, alternative asset classes and derivatives became important parts of sponsors' investing tool kit.