Symptom 1
“My plan is overfunded”
Strong returns have pushed plan assets ahead of the benefit they fund, so this year's deductible contribution shrank or went to zero.
Solve a Pension Problem
Most plan problems announce themselves as a number that moved: a contribution that dropped, a deduction a TPA can no longer find, a staff cost that grew. Find the sentence that sounds like yours; the guide behind it explains what that usually means and the fixes, in the order an actuary would try them.
Next step
Want help narrowing down the symptom?
Start with a short model or talk with the team if the situation does not fit neatly into one of the guides below.
Symptom 2
“My contribution dropped”
A falling required contribution is usually the first visible sign of overfunding: the actuary's range moved down because assets outgrew the target.
Symptom 3
“My plan is underfunded”
Assets sit below the funding target, which triggers minimum-funding requirements and, if a payment is missed, excise taxes.
Symptom 4
“Employee costs are too high”
Staff allocations typically land around 5–7.5% of pay; if yours run higher, the design (cross-testing, safe harbor, gateway) usually needs revisiting.
Symptom 5
“My income changed”
A required contribution set in a better year can feel heavy in a leaner one; amendments, freezes, and the funding range are the relief options.
Symptom 6
“I want to terminate the plan”
Ending a plan is a 6–12 month process with surplus, shortfall, and rollover mechanics that depend on how it is sequenced.
Next step
Still unsure which fix fits?
A plan review can put the symptom, the plan documents, and your next step in the same conversation.
Symptom 7
“I'm selling the business”
A sale usually forces a termination decision; whether surplus stays with you or is taxed on reversion depends on timing and structure.
Symptom 8
“I'm adding a partner”
A new owner changes the census and the per-participant credit tiers, so the document and testing usually need a redesign before the next valuation.
Symptom 9
“I'm adding employees”
New hires enter the coverage and nondiscrimination math; the question becomes what they cost the plan.
Symptom 10
“My CPA says I can't contribute”
Usually a deduction-timing or entity question (where the deduction lands and the combined-plan 6% rule).
Symptom 11
“My TPA says the deduction disappeared”
The classic overfunding signal: the required contribution fell to zero because assets outran the benefit. Pension Rescue is the fix menu.
If the symptom is a vanished deduction, model the rescue first
The Pension Rescue Calculator shows how re-allocating an overfunded plan's assets changes the required contribution: a modeled illustration built from the age, plan balance, and income you enter, not a quote.
Request an Existing-Plan Review
Start with your contact details. Tell us the symptom you are seeing and we will review your latest valuation and plan document with our actuary. No obligation.
Personalized Plan Questionnaire
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This guide is educational and is not individualized tax, legal, or investment advice. Contribution limits and tax rules change annually and depend on your specific situation; figures are illustrative. Consult a qualified professional before acting.