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Rate Watch 2018 – August

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Rate Watch 2018 – August – SCE Grandfathered Pension

August’s rate is typically used for Edison’s official grandfathered pension plan interest rate. Where did it land, and how does that impact your pension?

Welcome to another edition of Rate Watch as we track the interest rate that is vital to the grandfathered pension at Southern California Edison.

The most important month of the year for grandfathered pension holders is upon us. August is typically used to set the grandfathered pension interest rate for the following plan year. Let’s take a look at where the rate it at:

These are not current plan rates for Southern California Edison’s pension plan, they are minimum present value third segment rates from the IRS. Official plan rates are derived from the minimum present value segment rates table (https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/minimum-present-value-segment-rates). Plan rate changes are made by Southern California Edison on an annual basis.

August came in at 4.46 and 0.10 higher than the current plan rate. Very simply, this means that your lump sum payout value will be higher with the 2018 plan value as opposed to the 2019 value.

Again, simply put, if you are grandfathered and thinking about retiring soon, then it might be in your best interest to retire and take the 2018 value to get a higher lump sum payout.

Since the difference in potential rates is small, the change in value is probably not great enough to heavily influence a decision to retire now or continue working, but it is something that should be capitalized on if retirement is on the horizon.

If you are unsure on how to request your paperwork or the timing to make sure you receive the 2018 pension rate, then contact us for a free retirement consultation, and we can show you how you can retire with confidence.

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WSWA Team Compressed-19-squareJoe Occhipinti
Wealth Advisor
Warren Street Wealth Advisors

 

 


Warren Street Wealth Advisors, a Registered Investment Advisor. The information contained herein does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice but is limited to the dissemination of general information. A professional advisor should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. Any investments discussed carry unique risks and should be carefully considered and reviewed by you and your financial professional. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. 

 

Rate Watch 2018 – July

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Rate Watch 2018 – July

We are only a couple month away from the August segment rate announcement. Where could rates land for SCE grandfathered pension holders as we head into the fall?

Welcome to another edition of Rate Watch as we track the interest rate that is vital to the grandfathered pension at Southern California Edison. If you’ve missed any of our previous articles, you can find them here:

Rate Watch 2018 – May & June
Rate Watch 2018 – April
Rate Watch 2018 – March
Rate Watch 2018 – February

June’s posting puts us 2 months away from August’s rate which is typically used by Southern California Edison for the grandfathered pension plan. If you are eyeballing retirement soon, then it is essential to understand where the rate is now and where it could be going. Here is the latest:

chart

*These are not current plan rates for Southern California Edison’s pension plan, they are minimum present value third segment rates from the IRS. Official plan rates are derived from the minimum present value segment rates table (https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/minimum-present-value-segment-rates) . Plan rate changes are made by Southern California Edison on an annual basis.

July at 4.60 puts us nearly 25 points above the current plan rate and would drive your current lump sum value down if you took your pension in 2019.

Nominally, nothing has really changed month-to-month, but there has also not been much going on that would drastically press the rates higher over the time period. The most important thing to note would be inflation slowly on the rise as we continue to be in an environment of historically low rates.

For those in the grandfathered pension plan and who believe they are on the brink of retirement, it is more important now than ever to begin putting a plan in place and seeing what your retirement looks like. Knowing how your assets weigh against your liabilities, how much you might need every year in retirement, and if you have the assets to accomplish everything you want are important answers to have before you have your final day of work.

If the official rate was announced today, then it may make sense to take your pension in the current plan year due to the fact that as rates increase, lump sum values decrease.

If you are just unsure of what your retirement looks like, then feel free to contact us for a free phone call or meeting. We have helped 100’s of SCE employees retire and numerous grandfathered pension holders weigh their options out to give themselves the best possible outcome and start to retirement.

Contact Us

WSWA Team Compressed-19-squareJoe Occhipinti
Wealth Advisor
Warren Street Wealth Advisors

 

 


Warren Street Wealth Advisors, a Registered Investment Advisor. Information contained herein does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice, but is limited to the dissemination of general information. A professional advisor should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented. Any investments discussed carry unique risks and should be carefully considered and reviewed by you and your financial professional. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. 

 

Rate Watch 2018 – May & June

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Rate Watch 2018 – May & June

Heading into the summer, what do segment rates look like and how could that impact grandfathered pension holders?

Welcome to another edition of Rate Watch as we track the interest rate that is vital to the grandfathered pension at Southern California Edison. If you’ve missed any of our previous articles, you can find them here:

Rate Watch 2018 – April
Rate Watch 2018 – March
Rate Watch 2018 – February
Rate Watch 2018 – January

The IRS posting in June will give us the segment rate for May 2018, which puts us at only a couple readings away from the official rate announcement for the grandfathered pension in the fall. Let’s take a look at where rates are at currently:

*These are not current plan rates for Southern California Edison’s pension plan, they are minimum present value third segment rates from the IRS. Official plan rates are derived from the minimum present value segment rates table (https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/minimum-present-value-segment-rates) . Plan rate changes are made by Southern California Edison on an annual basis.

*These are not current plan rates for Southern California Edison’s pension plan, they are minimum present value third segment rates from the IRS. Official plan rates are derived from the minimum present value segment rates table (https://www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/minimum-present-value-segment-rates) . Plan rate changes are made by Southern California Edison on an annual basis.

You may have noticed that we skipped April , but the reading from March to April was actually flat at 4.43. At that time, we still consider it early to make a decision based off of rates, but we have seen a larger move from April to May.

May’s number of 4.58, 3 months away from the official SCE rate announcement, begins to move the conversation towards retirement in the current plan year. A nearly quarter percent increase paints a much stronger picture for grandfathered pension holders to retire in the current year versus 2019 granted that they are retirement ready.

Interest rate increases were driven by a strong 10 year Treasury rate and inflation slowly on the rise. Coupled with the Fed continuing to monitor the economy, small increases in the rate across the summer are plausible as we head towards the fall.

As always, if the official plan rate for Southern California Edison grandfathered pension holders increases, then the value of their pensions decrease. It is imperative to weigh the current year plan value versus the following year plan value when it comes to your retirement. While your pension value shouldn’t be the only variable when it comes to deciding if you’re ready for retirement, it is one that should be taken into account and can make a difference.

Are you worried about your retirement plans or concerned with how to handle your pension or 401(k)? Maybe you’re just unsure on how the transition to retirement works. We’ve helped countless Southern California Edison employees plan for retirement, and we can help you plan too.

Contact us for a free retirement planning session or portfolio analysis. Our free session over the phone or at our office gives you the opportunity to get your retirement questions answered and learn how we help our clients reach their retirement goals.

Contact Us

WSWA Team Compressed-19-squareJoe Occhipinti
Wealth Advisor
Warren Street Wealth Advisors

 

 


Joe Occhipinti is an Investment Advisor Representative of Warren Street Wealth Advisors, a Registered Investment Advisor. Information contained herein does not involve the rendering of personalized investment advice, but is limited to the dissemination of general information. A professional advisor should be consulted before implementing any of the strategies or options presented.

Any investments discussed carry unique risks and should be carefully considered and reviewed by you and your financial professional. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. All investment strategies have the potential for profit or loss. Changes in investment strategies, contributions or withdrawals may materially alter the performance, strategy, and results of your portfolio.Historical performance results for investment indexes and/or categories, generally do not reflect the deduction of transaction and/or custodial charges or the deduction of an investment-management fee, the incurrence of which would have the effect of decreasing historical performance results.Economic factors, market conditions, and investment strategies will affect the performance of any portfolio and there are no assurances that it will match or outperform any particular benchmark. Nothing in this commentary is a solicitation to buy, or sell, any securities, or an attempt to furnish personal investment advice. We may hold securities referenced in the blog and due to the static nature of content, those securities held may change over time and trades may be contrary to outdated posts.