Defined Benefit Retirement Plans
Help high-income clients and profitable businesses of all sizes increase contributions and achieve long-term retirement outcomes with a structured pension strategy.
Advisors should look for providers with capabilities that have both depth and breadth. With FuturePlan, you will work with professionals that offer:
What is a defined benefit plan?
A defined benefit plan–also known as a defined benefit pension plan–is a traditional, employer-funded pension designed to deliver a predictable retirement benefit.
For clients looking to go beyond 401(k) limits, defined benefit plans offer an opportunity to contribute significantly more through structured, tax-advantaged funding. Defined benefit plans are often used alongside a 401(k) to increase total retirement savings while maintaining a long-term, goal-oriented strategy.
For you, this means adopting a more advanced planning strategy that helps your clients reduce taxable income and accelerate retirement savings.
Defined benefit retirement plans are for:
Profitable employers
Business owners
Highly compensated employees
Clients maximizing a 401(k)
Clients seeking predictable retirement income
Defined benefit plans for owner-only businesses
Defined benefit retirement plans are especially effective for business owners with no employees or a small number of key participants.
For these clients, a defined benefit plan can create an opportunity to significantly increase contributions while maintaining a structured, long-term retirement strategy. With fewer variables to manage, plan design and funding can be more targeted and efficient.
For advisors, this presents a way to introduce a more advanced planning strategy for high-income business owners who may already be maximizing other retirement options.
Defined benefit plans deliver
Predictable income
A pension structure designed to deliver a predictable retirement benefit
Higher contribution potential
Significantly higher employer-funded contributions than a 401(k) alone
Structured retirement strategy
A long-term funding approach aligned with client goals and timelines
Benefits of defined benefit retirement plans
For your clients
Predictable retirement income
Employer-funded contributions
Tax-deferred growth
For your practice
Opportunities beyond 401(k)
Stronger client relationships
Expand into more advanced planning conversations
How defined benefit plans support larger contributions
Defined benefit plans are designed around a target retirement benefit, allowing contributions to be calculated based on factors such as age, income, and time to retirement.
For older, high-income clients, this often results in higher allowable contributions than those from defined contribution plans alone.
This is where you can help clients defer more income, reduce their current tax exposure, and accelerate progress toward their retirement goals.
Why choose FuturePlan?
Defined benefit plans require careful design, ongoing oversight, and long-term coordination. Working with FuturePlan gives you access to people who have proven experience and the structure to manage that complexity while helping you make confident decisions for your clients.
Deep expertise
Access the expertise of 75+ credentialed actuaries. As the leader in PBGC-covered plans, FuturePlan manages a wide range of plan types, from owner-only tax deferrals to multi-billion-dollar enterprise pensions.
Structured approach
Our systematic process provides advisors with responsive support and practical insights needed to evaluate and position new opportunities with confidence.
Customized solutions
Strategies built around income, workforce structure, and retirement goals that optimize both tax savings and long-term participant outcomes.
FuturePlan’s Core Capabilities
Plan design expertise
Defined benefit plans structured around client goals and contribution targets
Ongoing administration
Execution of compliance, reporting, and operational requirements
Defined benefit consulting
Strategic input on plan changes, funding, and long-term management
Advisor-friendly experience
Clear, accessible insights to help you evaluate and position opportunities
401(k) coordination
Integration with existing retirement strategies to increase total savings
Dedicated DB is a part of FuturePlan by Ascensus and is committed to providing solutions to thousands of high-income professionals, small business owners and individuals with self-employment income, to help them keep more of their earnings each year by offering the most tax-efficient retirement programs, including:
Defined Benefit plans
Cash Balance plans
OnePerson 401(k) plans
Dedicated DB offers Defined Benefit expertise and experience for plan administration, along with resources to advisors and plan sponsors including:
Training
Marketing tools and calculators
Concierge sales support
Interested in learning how much you can save?
Leverage our calculators and learn more about how to partner with Dedicated DB.
Insights for you
Explore resources to better understand defined benefit plans.
What is a great way to help small business owners save on taxes?
Solo Defined Benefit plan overview for business owners
Defined Benefit Client Highlights
Advisor Roadmap
Leadership
Behind FuturePlan's deep capabilities is an experienced leadership team dedicated to delivering innovative solutions.
"From owner-only tax deferral strategies to multi-billion-dollar enterprise pensions, we service the largest number of PBGC-covered Defined Benefit plans in the country. We pair the bench strength of 75+ credentialed actuaries with a localized, hands-on approach. Whether you're managing complex governmental plans or scaling a high-net-worth book of business, we have the scale to sustain it and the expertise to simplify it."
Let’s Work Together
If you’re evaluating defined benefit plans or looking to expand your planning capabilities, fill out the form below and a FuturePlan specialist will follow up.
* The PBGC is a federal agency that insures private defined benefit pension plans and helps protect participant benefits if a plan sponsor cannot meet its obligations.