Qualified Financial Adviser (QFA) Pensions Exam 1 Practice Test

In defined benefit pension funding, the main job is to quantify what the scheme has promised and what it will need to pay in the future, then set and monitor a plan to make sure that money is available. The actuary calculates the scheme’s liabilities—the present value of future benefit payments—using assumptions about life expectancy, salary growth, retirement ages, and investment returns. They compare these liabilities with the scheme’s assets to determine the required funding level and whether the plan is adequately funded or in deficit. They prepare actuarial valuations, set contribution rates, and outline a funding strategy that trustees and the employer agree to, revising it as assumptions or circumstances change.

These tasks rest at the heart of DB funding. Day-to-day administration, marketing, and designing investment menus are handled by other professionals or teams, while the actuary provides the quantitative assessment of liabilities and the funding plan to ensure the scheme can meet its promises.