MBCBP implementation announced…
#141
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,371
my guess, and I know nothing, is that it’s because the company guarantees a balance. (Also surprised no one is talking about this)
- If market fluctuations have caused a pilot’s MBCBP balance to be less than the sum total of all contributions made by the Company to their account, the Company must “plus up” the pilot’s balance at retirement to be no less than that total.
#142
Is it just me or is the MBCBP a huge fail? After all this effort negotiating this plan and from the sounds of it most pilots are going to be opting out.
The concept of the plan itself seems great, the only issue is the actual investment choice. Is this something the union can change?
Can ALPA pivot quickly and adjust the equity/bond ratio? It seems like this is the main drawback….nobody wants 60% bonds. Why didn’t the union negotiate a more aggressive equity holding?
The concept of the plan itself seems great, the only issue is the actual investment choice. Is this something the union can change?
Can ALPA pivot quickly and adjust the equity/bond ratio? It seems like this is the main drawback….nobody wants 60% bonds. Why didn’t the union negotiate a more aggressive equity holding?
#143
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2022
Posts: 208
Wrong. The text he quoted is from the Notepad that was just released. Have you read it?
#144
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2022
Posts: 208
Is it just me or is the MBCBP a huge fail? After all this effort negotiating this plan and from the sounds of it most pilots are going to be opting out.
The concept of the plan itself seems great, the only issue is the actual investment choice. Is this something the union can change?
Can ALPA pivot quickly and adjust the equity/bond ratio? It seems like this is the main drawback….nobody wants 60% bonds. Why didn’t the union negotiate a more aggressive equity holding?
The concept of the plan itself seems great, the only issue is the actual investment choice. Is this something the union can change?
Can ALPA pivot quickly and adjust the equity/bond ratio? It seems like this is the main drawback….nobody wants 60% bonds. Why didn’t the union negotiate a more aggressive equity holding?
As has been discussed numerous times in this very thread- rebalance your 401k to account for the assets in the MBCBP with a more moderate risk profile and pocket the tax advantage.
Unless you are shooting for the moon with every penny you have, this strategy has absolutely no opportunity cost which seems to be what some are fixated on.
And the tax arbitrage available is absolutely a real thing at the income levels we are talking about. The fact that these plans are enormously popular with other high income earners, even at a lower rate of return, must mean something. The example outlined above does not give a realistic depiction of marginal versus effective taxes.
Last edited by First Break; 05-27-2023 at 04:03 AM.
#145
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jan 2020
Position: 330B
Posts: 130
is that necessary? You have until the end of July to opt in/out. Will they take money before then?
#146
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2015
Posts: 1,757
(See DALPA R&I 22-03 update for best explanation)
-My annual income level typically exceeds the $330k “trigger”. ($52,800 401k contribution)
-My personal contributions plus the company’s 401k contributions almost always exceed the IRS max.
-If you front loaded your personal 401k contributions (from say profit sharing or a high initial personal rate), you would hit the “cap” early. I usually hit around September/October and accept the “DPSP Cash/401K Cash” as additional income.
-Under the MBCBP opt-in, any dollars that would be “401k Cash” would now be unilaterally diverted to the MBCBP once implemented.
-If I drop my personal contributions to 0, it delays the excess cash to a later date and will divert those dollars now to just regular income. (Someone mentioned after-tax 401a contributions might accomplish the same goal of diverting dollars from MBCBP)
-To be clear, there are 3 caps: 2023 $330k income cap - $52.8k, personal cap $22,500, combined cap $66,000. (I’m ignoring the age 50 $7,500 catch-up)
-To Gunfighters point, not much you can do about the $330k cap
If I usually hit the cap(s) in September, this will push it maybe a few weeks later. Just buying time to see how much I like the MBCBP and whether or not I want to artificially spill more in or use other methods not to be a part. I’m leaning to opt-in.
BTW here is the LIRKX makeup (if this really is the fund?):
Name Weight (%)
BLACKROCK RUSSELL 1000 INDEX FUND 22.42
iShares U.S. Int Gov Bnd Idx Fd 17.63
iShares U.S. Secur Bond Index Fd 15.42
ISHARES MSCI TOTAL INTL STOCK ETF 12.58
iShares U.S Int Credit Bd Idx Fd 9.23
ISHARES TIPS BOND ETF 7.96
iShares U.S. Lg Gov Bnd Index Fd 7.04
BLACKROCK SMALL CAP INDEX FUND 2.98
iShares U.S. Lg Credit Bd Idx Fd 2.34
ISHARES DEVELOPD RL ESTAT CL K 2.19
#147
And the tax arbitrage available is absolutely a real thing at the income levels we are talking about. The fact that these plans are enormously popular with other high income earners, even at a lower rate of return, must mean something. The example outlined above does not give a realistic depiction of marginal versus effective taxes.
Much of the angst comes from pilots with a longer time horizon who enjoy the freedom our work schedule provides. They spend time outside of Delta pursing other interests. Whether those interests are financial or recreational in nature is irrelevant, the value is in having choice. Keeping score in a family memories account vs a retirement account is a very real paradigm. Using extra time and money while building a secondary income stream is another pursuit valued above growing a cash pile.
You can have a seven figure year with an effective tax rate in the teens when done outside of a W2. Our pilot group has more outliers than the typical demographics for this plan, that is where the discussion comes from.
#148
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2009
Posts: 129
Oh, I understand. You are attaching life insurance that you probably don't need to an investment vehicle that you are committed to because of the life insurance component.
#149
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Oct 2014
Posts: 904
Is it just me or is the MBCBP a huge fail? After all this effort negotiating this plan and from the sounds of it most pilots are going to be opting out.
The concept of the plan itself seems great, the only issue is the actual investment choice. Is this something the union can change?
Can ALPA pivot quickly and adjust the equity/bond ratio? It seems like this is the main drawback….nobody wants 60% bonds. Why didn’t the union negotiate a more aggressive equity holding?
The concept of the plan itself seems great, the only issue is the actual investment choice. Is this something the union can change?
Can ALPA pivot quickly and adjust the equity/bond ratio? It seems like this is the main drawback….nobody wants 60% bonds. Why didn’t the union negotiate a more aggressive equity holding?
#150
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Apr 2018
Posts: 3,237
Another thought: what it a large chunk of Delta pilots retire in a down market in the future..I wonder how expensive it could get for the company to plus them up.
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