Defined Benefit (DB) Consulting & Actuarial Services

Supporting pension plans, OPEB, cash balance plans, derisking, termination & annuity placements

Organizations continue to face important decisions around pension funding, risk management and long-term plan strategy. Recent resources and insights include:

• Exploring strategies before plan termination: Bill Tremko, Chairman, and Kevin Sullivan, Senior Consulting Actuary, hosted a webinar on pension funding improvements, funded status volatility, utilization of surplus assets and key considerations before plan termination. Watch the replay.
• Publishing the 2026 Municipal Pension & OPEB Report: Highlights municipal plan funding trends, benchmarking data and the growing role of technology in improving participant service and administrative efficiency. View the report.
• Delivering actionable insights throughout the year: Our Pension Brief quarterly newsletter provides  updates on annuity markets, risk management, regulatory developments and administration strategies to help clients manage their plan with confidence.

DB Administration Services

Custom online plan administration solutions

Organizations continue to seek ways to simplify pension administration, improve participant engagement and support risk transfer initiatives. Recent enhancements include:

• Supporting successful de-risking outcomes: Introduced participant Town Hall sessions with election guidance, Retirement Focus demonstrations and live Q&A, helping drive strong participation during de-risking initiatives.
• Enhancing the Retirement Focus participant experience: Expanded capabilities allow participants to track retirement elections in real time and communicate through two-way chat, improving transparency and reducing call center inquiries.
• Expanding participant self-service capabilities: Increased online transactions and retirement estimate activity through continued enhancements to Retirement Focus online portal and participant communications.

Defined Contribution (DC) Consulting

Supporting 401(k), 403(b), 457, money purchase & profit-sharing plans

As employers navigate evolving fiduciary, administrative and workforce challenges, access to timely benchmarking and plan design insights remains important:

• Helping organizations stay competitive with data-driven insights: Doug LaMendola, SVP & DC Consulting Practice Leader, co-hosted a national webinar on retirement plan benchmarking and plan design analytics to help organizations assess competitiveness, identify opportunities for improvement and strengthen plan outcomes. Watch the replay.

Direct Solutions^®

Bundled DC plan services through a single provider

Recent enhancements focused on improving participant engagement, simplifying administration and supporting employers’ evolving needs:

• Enriching participant education services: Expanded participant education through group meetings and one-on-one counseling focused on market volatility, retirement income planning, emergency savings, student loan repayment strategies, Medicare, Social Security and long-term care.
• Enhancing the USI Automatic Distribution Deposit Solution (USI ADDS): Helping plan sponsors efficiently manage small terminated vested balances, reduce uncashed check issues and simplify administration by automatically removing eligible unclaimed accounts from the plan.
• Expanding ESOP capabilities: Broadened support for IRS Code 1042 Exchange ESOP transactions, enabling business owners to sell their companies on a tax-free basis. We also improved online distribution request functionality for ESOP participants.

Investment Advisory Services

Provided by our USI Advisors team

Recent initiatives focused on helping clients navigate market developments, evaluate investment opportunities and stay informed on emerging trends:

• Providing industry leadership:
• Alex Cabe, CFA, Senior Investment Consultant, served as a panelist at the Opal Investment Forum, discussing emerging and alternative investment strategies for pension and defined contribution plans.
• Bindu Patel, Director of Research, moderated the sixth annual Fireside Chat featuring experts from PIMCO and J.P. Morgan Asset Management discussing capital market trends and the evolving defined benefit landscape. Watch the replay.
• Expanding investment options: Broadened investment options and vehicles on our platform, offering enhanced flexibility and custom pricing for 3(21) and 3(38) fiduciary services.
• Delivering on-demand education: Added new educational videos on 3(38) Investment Management Services: Key Aspects and Benefits and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs).
• Conducting in-depth investment analysis: Completed an Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) search on behalf of a university endowment. USI Advisors has conducted 22 OCIO and advisory searches representing $4.5 billion in assets over the past decade. Organizations evaluating OCIO providers can benefit from a structured search process that assesses service models, investment capabilities, fees and governance support.
  
  

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your trusted retirement plan partner. We appreciate your continued trust and look forward to helping you navigate the opportunities and challenges ahead. If you have feedback, ideas or questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

Best-

p: 860.368.2928 | e: bill.tremko@usi.com

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