Dietrich & Associates was asked to participate on a panel at the Conference of Consulting Actuaries 2007 Employee Benefit Spring Meeting in Tampa, Florida on May 30, 2007 through June 1, 2007 being recognized as a leader and an expert in the settlement and termination of defined benefit pension plan(s) industry. The topic concentration addressed the new Pension Protection Act and the options plan sponsors have regarding the investments and/or liability settlements of their plans.

The session was a part of a series that addressed how plan sponsors might mitigate or eliminate the risk and volatility inherit in a defined benefit plan through investments and/or risk/liability transfer. Dietrich & Associates, along with one of the leading insurance company in the industry, presented potential options, processes and corresponding methodologies for calculating a plan's market value liability for defined benefit plan sponsors to consider as a way to reduce or eliminate the risks associated with a defined benefit plan.

It is essential for individuals involved in this process to know that this is not a transaction but a transition of a benefit that the plan sponsor has spent decades administering and protecting. Early participation by a firm such as Dietrich & Associates will lead to many potential customized solutions that will meet or exceed the goals of the sponsoring employer.