As the name indicates, a Supplemental Retirement Annuity (the “SRA”) operates as an adjunct to your Retirement Annuity. If your employer offers an Supplemental Retirement Annuity, you have the opportunity to augment your retirement stash on a tax-deferred basis through a salary deferral agreement, provided you are within the contribution limitations stipulated by law. Again, your benefits office will be able to advise you as to how large a percentage of your salary you may contribute to your Supplemental Retirement Annuity. Not all institutions offer the SRA. If your employer is one who does, try your hardest to take advantage of this feature of your employer’s plan. (more…)

The typical employee benefit management structure for a relatively large company would be similar to that illustrated in picture bellow. All these functions are necessary but many may be performed by the same person on the corporate staff if the size of the corporation or the plan does not warrant so elaborate a structure. Since the passage of ERISA, the ultimate responsibility for the plan rests with the named fiduciaries, who are responsible for carrying out the provisions of the governing instrument of the plan solely in the interests of plan participants and for the exclusive purpose of providing benefits to them and defraying reasonable administrative expenses. (more…)

The main property types that attract pension funds to invest are office property, commercial, and industrial. Pension Fund Investments do not tend to invest in residential property. Big Funds Company prefers direct property investment; whereas small funds prefer indirect investment through exempt property unit trusts (like the Pension Fund Property Unit Trust).

The main targets of direct property investment are the attainment of a safe rental income and an increment of capital value. (more…)