Flat Amount
Definition of "Flat amount"
Same as term Defined Benefit Plan: retirement plan under which benefits are fixed in advance by formula, and contributions vary. The defined benefit plan can be expressed in either of two ways:
- Fixed Dollars: Unit benefit approach a discrete unit of benefit is credited for each year of service recognized by the employer.The unit is either a flat dollar amount or (more often) a percentage of compensation usually 1 1/2-2 1/2%. Total years of service are multiplied by this percentage. For example, if total years of service is 30 and the percentage is VA, 45% would be applied to either the career average earnings or final average earnings (highest three of five consecutive years of earnings). If the average of the highest five consecutive years of earnings is $100,000, the yearly retirement benefit would be $45,000. Level Percentage of Compensation After a minimum number of years of service (usually 20) and a minimum age (usually 50), all employees will receive the same percentage of earnings as a retirement benefit, regardless of income, position in the company, or years of service. For example, each employee who is at least 50 years of age, with at least 20 years of service receives 20% of compensation. This plan is more common than the flat amount approach described below, Flat Amount After having attained a minimum number of years of service (usually 20) and a minimum age (usually 50), all employees will receive the same absolute dollar amount as a retirement benefit, regardless of income, position in the company, or years of service. For example, each employee who is at least 50 years of age, with at least 20 years of service receives $8000 a year in retirement benefits.
- Variable Dollars: Cost-of-Living Plan benefits are modified according to changes in a predetermined price index usually, the Consumer Price Index (CPI). For example, when the CPI increases by at least 3% benefits are increased by that percentage, Equity Annuity Plan premiums are paid into a variable annuity plan to purchase accumulation units. At retirement, the accumulation units are converted to retirement units whose values fluctuate according to the common stock portfolio in which the premiums we reinvested.
Popular Insurance Terms
Latin phrase meaning "overpowering force"; an unavoidable accident or calamity; an accident for which no one is responsible; an act of god. ...
Dishonest statement to induce an insurance company to write coverage on an applicant. If the company knew the truth, it would not accept the applicant. Fraudulent misrepresentation gives a ...
Technique of breaking down the various losses as a whole into useful components called subsets (strata) so that no subset is overrepresented. The result is the classification of losses ...
Legal recourse available to survivors of a person who suffers a wrongful death. Under common law, only an injured person had the right to sue for damages. If a wrongfully injured person ...
Written statements on a form by a prospective insured about himself, including assets and other personal information. These statements and additional information, such as a medical report, ...
Type of grantor-retained income trust (grit) in which the grantor retains the right to the assets of the trust should he or she die before the term of the trust expires. ...
In a mercantile open-stock burglary insurance policy, the dollar amount of coverage as required by the COINSURANCE clause. This dollar amount is the MAXIMUM PROBABLE LOSS (MPL) of ...
Trust in which assets are controlled through several generations and makes use of generation-skipping tax exemption. ...
The cancellation provision clause appears in an insurance policy to leave a door open for the insurance company or insured to cancel a policy. This type of cancellation applies in instances ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.