Cash Balance Plans
Help high-income clients reduce taxes and accelerate savings with cash balance plans.
A cash balance plan is a type of IRS-qualified retirement plan known as a “hybrid” plan. It combines the high contribution potential of a defined benefit plan with the flexibility and portability of a defined contribution plan.
Get insights, answers, and proven strategies to incorporate into your practice to help you recognize the right clients, position the strategy effectively, and move opportunities forward.
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Cash balance coach® program
A proprietary program designed to help advisors build and grow in this space
Cash balance illustration
Do you have clients looking to accelerate retirement savings and reduce their tax burden?
Planning guides and primers
Helpful resources to strengthen your understanding and initiate client discussions
Help your clients unlock a new accelerated tax strategy
For advisors who go beyond portfolio management, a cash balance plan can expand the role you play in a client’s financial strategy. It gives high-income business owners a way to defer significantly more income––often $100,000 to $300,000 or more annually1––while improving overall tax efficiency. If you're managing wealth but not addressing the tax drag on the income side, you may be missing a key part of the opportunity.
How cash balance plans compare to 401(k)s
Cash balance plans are often paired with a 401(k) to increase total retirement contributions. While 401(k)s have fixed limits, cash balance plans allow for higher, age-based contributions––creating additional capacity for tax deferral and long-term savings.
Who should consider a cash balance retirement plan?
Cash balance plans can be considered for:
Business owners
High-income professionals
Partners in professional firms
Clients looking to reduce taxable income
Clients seeking to catch up on retirement savings
Cash Balance Plans by Industry
What cash balance plans deliver
Reduced taxes
Corporate and personal tax savings can be significant and help enhance an organization’s bottom line.
High contribution limits
Age-weighted contribution limits and pre-tax deferrals can potentially reach five times higher than what is allowed in a traditional 401(k) plan.
Creditor and asset protection
Cash balance plan assets are generally protected from creditors in the event of bankruptcy or lawsuits, providing peace of mind and security.
Benefits of cash balance plans
For your clients
Tax-deductible contributions
Resource for attracting and retaining employees
Partner with a deep bench of retirement expertise
For your practice
Grow your AUM
Expand your reach with high-net-worth business owner clients
Strengthen CPA relationships and create referral opportunities
Why choose FuturePlan?
FuturePlan is a market leader in cash balance plans, delivering optimized plan design, administration, and actuarial expertise.
Customized solutions
Tailored plans to fit the specific needs of large and small business owners.
Deep expertise
A deep bench of experts including 75+ enrolled actuaries on staff plus 470 credentialed retirement professionals.
Scalable delivery
National reach covering every state with 60+ sales consultants trained in cash balance plan design.
4,500
cash balance plans
36
years of expertise
69
NPS
Market-leading research
Our cash balance leaders Dan Kravitz and Ken Guidroz—authors of Beyond the 401(k)—and FuturePlan's 13 editions of the Cash Balance Outlook & Trends Report set the standard for industry insights.
Credible authority
Trusted by the industry for our knowledge and credibility as the go-to source for cash balance expertise. As featured in The Wall Street Journal
FuturePlan is committed to supporting the growth of your business through educational and training resources.
Hear from our experts
Cash balance plans in practice
Cash balance strategies adapt to different client types, goals, and business structures.
Small firms
Helping partners accelerate retirement savings after years of company growth
Law firms
Tax-efficient contribution strategies for professional partnerships
Medical groups
Solutions designed to help physicians catch up and reduce their tax burden
Insights to help you grow your practice
Reduce Taxes with Cash Balance Plans
2026 Maximum Contribution Limits
Top 10 Questions Advisors Ask About Cash Balance Plans
2025 Cash Balance Outlook and Trends Report
We wrote the book on cash balance
Hear from people like you
FuturePlan helped us significantly increase retirement contributions while making a complex process easier to understand and implement
By introducing a cash balance plan, FuturePlan helped us expand contribution opportunities and strengthen our overall retirement program
Leadership
Behind FuturePlan's deep capabilities is an experienced leadership team dedicated to delivering innovative solutions.
Our educational resources are built to empower advisors—and that shared commitment to their clients' success makes us a natural fit for cash balance solutions.
Request a Personalized Cash Balance Illustration
Are your clients looking to accelerate retirement savings and reduce tax burdens? Complete the form below to receive a customized illustration from a FuturePlan expert within 72 hours.
Cash balance plans are subject to funding requirements and regulatory complexity; outcomes vary based on design and actuarial assumptions.
1Actual amounts depend on age, income, and actuarial assumptions.