<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Quantum Pension Solutions]]></title><description><![CDATA[Experts in pension risk transfer and plan terminations, delivering fast, innovative solutions to reduce liability and protect your business.]]></description><link>https://quantumpensionsolutions.site/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 07 Sep 2026 10:06:05 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://quantumpensionsolutions.site/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Q1 Might Be the Most Underrated Quarter in the Annuity Market]]></title><description><![CDATA[Most sponsors think in terms of year-end, or in terms of “next year.” There’s a third option, and almost nobody puts it on the list. Most conversations I have about timing come down to two options. A sponsor is either working toward year-end or thinking about sometime next year. Both are reasonable. That is how corporate calendars work. There’s a third option that almost never comes up, and it’s one of the better pricing environments in the market: the first quarter. I’m not claiming Q1 beats...]]></description><link>https://quantumpensionsolutions.site/post/q1-might-be-the-most-underrated-quarter-in-the-annuity-market</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a87411f0c902f24d9c25819</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:45:03 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sam Hartmann, FSA, EA</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Asset Allocation Mistake That Can Add Millions to a Plan Termination]]></title><description><![CDATA[Many pension sponsors lack a clear strategy to reduce plan risk, even in favorable markets. A feasibility study helps evaluate funded status, assess de-risking options, and create an integrated funding, investment, and settlement plan. Strong data quality is also essential for successful pension risk transfers, and remediation efforts—such as death audits and cleaning up deferred vested records—can lower liabilities and reduce costs.]]></description><link>https://quantumpensionsolutions.site/post/the-asset-allocation-mistake-that-can-add-millions-to-a-plan-termination</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a6a3ac57ef449b92cf83b37</guid><pubDate>Wed, 29 Jul 2026 17:53:18 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sam Hartmann, FSA, EA</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Your H2 2026 Pension Playbook]]></title><description><![CDATA[Many pension sponsors lack a clear strategy to reduce plan risk, even in favorable markets. A feasibility study helps evaluate funded status, assess de-risking options, and create an integrated funding, investment, and settlement plan. Strong data quality is also essential for successful pension risk transfers, and remediation efforts—such as death audits and cleaning up deferred vested records—can lower liabilities and reduce costs.]]></description><link>https://quantumpensionsolutions.site/post/your-h2-2026-pension-playbook</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a3d64a632203112da6374e8</guid><pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2026 20:40:28 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sam Hartmann, FSA, EA</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Last Month's Rate Spike Could Be This Year's Biggest Pension Opportunity]]></title><description><![CDATA[In April, we wrote about how interest rate volatility can create real opportunities for pension plan sponsors, and specifically how the gap between lump sum calculation rates and accounting liabilities can generate meaningful arbitrage. That opportunity is no longer hypothetical.    Rates climbed 35 basis points from late April through May 18, briefly pushing the 30-year Treasury to 5.197%, its highest level in roughly 18 years. You have to go back to the months before the 2007 financial...]]></description><link>https://quantumpensionsolutions.site/post/last-month-s-rate-spike-could-be-this-year-s-biggest-pension-opportunity</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a2249f80846f79adfe928b8</guid><pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:46:05 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sam Hartmann, FSA, EA</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[If You're Not Evolving, You're Falling Behind]]></title><description><![CDATA[Hockey has been part of my life since I could walk. After my playing days, I spent the last 12 years coaching year-round and running a development program. Over that time, I've seen training evolve dramatically. A skating-first development model, long emphasized in Europe, has gained real traction here in Minnesota. Skating fundamentals, edgework, and individual skill development are the foundation of everything. You would never have seen seven-year-olds 20 years ago executing complete...]]></description><link>https://quantumpensionsolutions.site/post/if-you-re-not-evolving-you-re-falling-behind</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a0f4ae2a2438924d10a4531</guid><pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 13:45:07 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sam Hartmann, FSA, EA</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lump Sum Opportunity: Interest Rate Arbitrage]]></title><description><![CDATA[Volatile interest rates can create arbitrage opportunities in lump sum windows—helping pension sponsors reduce liabilities and capture balan]]></description><link>https://quantumpensionsolutions.site/post/lump-sum-opportunity-interest-rate-arbitrage</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69eac0cbfa79b9c206c0e36a</guid><pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 01:11:00 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sam Hartmann, FSA, EA</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Unlocking Hidden Savings: Small Benefit Retiree Annuity Purchases in a Competitive Market  ]]></title><description><![CDATA[As the annuity market continues to mature and more providers enter the space, we are seeing strong competition and increasingly attractive pricing for plan sponsors. That momentum is translating into real outcomes, with many transactions settling at or even below the liability held on the balance sheet. As plan sponsors look ahead to 2026 and evaluate their de-risking strategies, one targeted approach worth highlighting is the small benefit retiree annuity purchase. With PBGC flat-rate...]]></description><link>https://quantumpensionsolutions.site/post/unlocking-hidden-savings-small-benefit-retiree-annuity-purchases-in-a-competitive-market</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c44b3ea0626dd1900ab12e</guid><pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 13:45:05 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sam Hartmann, FSA, EA</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Proactive Management of Maturing Church Pension Plans ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Strategies for Long-Term Benefit Security and Organizational Efficiency Throughout my career, I have partnered with church plan sponsors across a wide range of structures. This includes single-employer plans such as dioceses, religious orders, and standalone faith-based organizations, as well as multiple-employer arrangements that pool schools, ministries, and similar entities. These defined benefit plans provide essential retirement security for clergy, lay employees, and lifelong ministry...]]></description><link>https://quantumpensionsolutions.site/post/proactive-management-of-maturing-church-pension-plans</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b0388a21a584c05f06298a</guid><pubDate>Fri, 13 Mar 2026 14:45:20 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sam Hartmann, FSA, EA</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[3 De-Risking Opportunities Sponsors Face at 80 to 90 Percent Funded and How Targeted Settlement Strategies Can Lock In Progress]]></title><description><![CDATA[Reaching 80–90% funded isn’t the finish line. Learn how targeted pension settlements reduce risk, stabilize funding, and lower PBGC costs.]]></description><link>https://quantumpensionsolutions.site/post/from-80-to-secure-three-pension-de-risking-strategies-sponsors-often-miss</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6984ec397004b379054f56fa</guid><pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 19:23:40 GMT</pubDate><dc:creator>Sam Hartmann, FSA, EA</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>