Retirement Plan Services

Defined Benefit Plan

A Defined Benefit Plan helps self-employed and small business owners save aggressively for retirement by allowing you to make very high contributions.

55%

More than half of all defined benefit plans are now structured as cash balance plans.[1]

56%

Businesses with nine or fewer employees sponsor more than half of all cash balance plans.[1]

35%

Specialty medical groups—including radiology and anesthesiology practices—sponsor more than one-third of all cash balance plans.[1]

Comprehensive pension plan management

A Defined Benefit Plan is an employer-funded retirement plan designed to provide a predetermined benefit at retirement. These plans may allow business owners and highly compensated professionals to make significantly larger tax-deductible contributions than are generally available through defined contribution plans.[2]

Cash balance plans are a common form of defined benefit plan and are especially popular among successful small businesses, medical practices, law firms, and other professional organizations.

Benefits and Features

  • Provides a predetermined retirement benefit
  • May allow substantially larger tax-deductible contributions
  • Can help business owners accelerate retirement savings
  • May be established alongside a 401(k) or profit-sharing plan
  • Generally best suited for businesses with consistent income and cash flow
  • Requires annual actuarial calculations and ongoing administration

Our Role

Global Advisers provides ongoing advice and professional management for the investments held within the plan. Our services include:

  • Coordinating with the plan administrator, actuary, and tax professional
  • Developing the plan’s investment strategy
  • Selecting and managing investments
  • Monitoring investment performance and risk
  • Rebalancing the portfolio when appropriate
  • Coordinating the portfolio with the plan’s annual funding requirements

The plan administrator and actuary handle plan design, benefit calculations, testing, filings, and administration. Global Advisers advises on and manages the plan’s investment assets.

[1] FuturePlan by Ascensus, 2025 Cash Balance Outlook and Trends Report. The report draws from Form 5500 filings and related retirement-plan data.

[2] Internal Revenue Service, Defined Benefit Plan. The IRS states that businesses can generally contribute and deduct more under a defined benefit plan than under a defined contribution plan.

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Get Started

Ready to open a Defined Benefit Plan?

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800.832.8514

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