Securing Your Financial Foundation with a Solid and Healthy Retirement Plan

A recent Wall Street Journal article entitled, “Church Retirement Plans Sidestep Federal Oversight—and Employees Pay the Price,” published February 24, highlighted the financial vulnerabilities faced by employees of certain church-affiliated organizations, where underfunded or insolvent pension plans left employees financially insecure for their retirement years.

Ministry professionals, whether they be clergy, lay workers, or caregivers in religious-affiliated human and health services organizations, deserve the dignity of income security at retirement for their years of commitment and service to their communities. They depend on the organizations they work for to provide this security, and trust in the values of these organizations to deliver on their promise. They should also expect these organizations, at a minimum, to protect their future income, and trust their plan is adequately funded. 

The Pension Boards wants to ensure its members that the United Church of Christ Lifetime Retirement Income Plan is an adequately funded plan that will secure your financial future for years to come. When contributing to the Pension Boards’ Lifetime Retirement Income Plan, expect transparency, prudent investment practices, and a commitment to a well-funded plan.

Since 1914, the Pension Boards has been your partner in ministry serving diligently to help you have peace of mind that comes through greater financial security and better wellbeing. Our consistent record of never missing a monthly annuity payment and providing our retirees with benefit increases over the years, despite market uncertainty, has been stellar.

We Act in Your Best Interest as a Fiduciary:

• PBUCC’s expert Investment team utilizes sophisticated tools and industry best practices that result in a high degree of confidence in the ways we measure the funds available to pay our future obligations to you. Our plan’s funded status is healthy, which means we have the necessary assets available to make future payments to you and others who are counting on monthly income for their lifetime.
• Our trusted advisors ensure alignment with market conditions and participant needs:
• Globally recognized Investment Consultant provides ongoing advice to our Investment team, and presents to our Investment Committee about the economic outlook, portfolio performance, and attributes

         o   Globally recognized Retirement Benefits Consultant provides annual actuarial benefits funding analysis

         o   Internationally recognized Independent Public Accounting firm conducts annual audits

         o   Specialized church plan legal counsel provides continual advisement

• Our Benefits Committee of the Board of Trustees confers with staff, investment consultants, and analysis from manager partners to determine annuity changes each year.
• Since 2006, we have issued nine increases in the Participating Annuity and five increases in the Basic Annuity. Over the last two years, we have provided Participating Annuity increases of 6.5% and 5%; and 3% and 2% increases for the Basic Annuity.

At the Pension Boards, income is the outcome we aim for in our mission to serve the wellbeing of those who have faithfully served the United Church of Christ. We remain committed to the disciplined and sophisticated management of lifetime income annuities by staff, asset managers, and consultants, which has resulted in very healthy funded status, compared to most corporate and state pension plans.

For questions, please contact the Rev. Dr. Paul L. Ramsey, Director, Church Relations and Philanthropy, at pramsey@pbucc.org.