Pension Administration Systems features explained
for Pension and Investment Management
Every feature we track for Pension Administration Systems products, with a description of what each one means.
Actuarial Integration & Valuation
Support for actuarial calculations, valuations, and managing assumptions.
- Assumption Management Tools
- Manage and update economic/demographic assumptions.
- Data Export for Actuarial Valuations
- Standard interface to export required data for actuaries.
- Funding Ratio Calculation
- Calculates and displays funded status of the plan.
- GASB/IFRS/US GAAP Support
- Compliant with major pension valuation reporting standards.
- Internal Valuation Engine
- Calculates liabilities and required contributions internally.
- Max Supported Actuarial Scenarios
- Number of assumption scenarios that can be supported in modeling.
- Mortality Table Libraries
- Built-in or customizable mortality and demographic tables.
- Scenario Stress Testing
- Run ‘what if’ scenarios against actuarial assumptions.
- Validation vs. Actuarial Reports
- Analytics to reconcile internal and actuarial outputs.
- Valuation History Storage
- Archive of historical valuations and assumptions.
Analytics & Business Intelligence
Tools and features for reporting, dashboarding, and plan insights.
- Custom Report Builder
- Users can build custom reports from system data.
- Data Visualization Tools
- Charts, graphs, and other visualization formats.
- Export to BI Platforms
- Compatibility with Power BI, Tableau, etc.
- Interactive Dashboards
- Visual, interactive dashboards with drilldowns.
- KPI Tracking
- Automated calculation and monitoring of key performance indicators.
- Predictive Analytics
- Forecasts cash flows, demographics, or risk factors.
- Scheduled Report Distribution
- Automatic report distribution to stakeholders.
- Time to Generate Dashboard
- Average time to build and load a dashboard.
- Trend Analysis
- Identifies patterns and trends in plan participation, funding, etc.
Benefit Calculation & Modeling
Core features for calculating pension entitlements, projections, and estimates.
- Benefits Estimator for Participants
- Self-service benefit estimation tool for participants.
- Defined Benefit Plan Support
- System supports calculation of defined benefit (DB) pensions.
- Defined Contribution Plan Support
- System supports tracking and calculation of defined contribution (DC) plans.
- Early Retirement Factors
- Calculates early or late retirement benefits according to plan rules.
- Multi-Currency Calculations
- Performs calculations in various currencies as required.
- Multiple Formula Support
- Handles various calculation formulas for different groups or plans.
- Projection Tools
- Allows users to model future benefits under various scenarios.
- Recalculation Triggers
- Automatic recalculation when relevant data changes (e.g., salary updates).
- Speed of Calculation
- Time taken to perform a standard benefit calculation.
- Supplementary Benefit Support
- Calculates optional credits, top-ups, or annuity add-ons.
- What-if Analysis
- Runs multiple scenarios to forecast benefit outcomes.
Integration & Interoperability
The system’s ability to communicate and exchange data with other platforms.
- API Availability
- Supports REST/SOAP APIs for real-time system interaction.
- Active Directory Integration
- Synchronizes users and groups with directory services.
- Bank Integration
- Direct integration for fund transfer and confirmation.
- Batch File Processing
- Handles scheduled upload/download of files.
- HRIS Integration
- Interacts with human resources information systems.
- Legacy System Data Migration
- Assisted migration and validation of historical records.
- Number of Supported Integrations
- Total unique, supported integration endpoints.
- Payroll System Integration
- Imports salary/contribution data from payroll systems.
- Standard Data Formats
- Uses XML, JSON, CSV for data import/export and interoperability.
- Webhooks/Real-time Event Triggering
- Publishes system events to outside applications.
Investment Management Integration
Tools to interface with investment platforms and manage plan assets.
- Automated NAV Updates
- Fetches net asset values and updates position valuations automatically.
- Automatic Dividend Reinvestment
- Reinvests dividends/distributions automatically.
- Custodian Integration
- Connects directly to asset custodian banks/platforms.
- ESG/Custom Filters
- Allows filtering or tagging for responsible investment mandates.
- Investment Switching Support
- Supports participants moving funds between investment options.
- Max Allocation Options Supported
- Number of investment options the platform can handle.
- Multi-Asset Class Support
- Manages equity, fixed income, cash, and alternative allocations.
- Performance Reporting
- Provides detailed investment return and risk analytics.
- Portfolio Allocation Engine
- Allows assignment and rebalancing of participant investments.
- Real-Time Data Feeds
- Displays up-to-date investment valuations.
- Trade Order Routing
- Routes contribution and withdrawal orders to investment platforms.
Participant Data Management
Features for storing, updating, and securing member records and personal information.
- Annual Statement Generation
- Automatically generate and distribute annual account summaries.
- Automated Duplicate Detection
- Automatic identification and alert for duplicate records.
- Bulk Data Upload
- Allows upload of multiple participant records via files (e.g., CSV, Excel).
- Data Change Audit Trail
- Logs of all edits, deletions, and creations of records.
- Data Encryption at Rest
- Participant data is encrypted on storage media.
- Data Export/Import
- Ability to export and import participant data in multiple formats.
- Data Retention Policy Support
- Implement configured rules for retention and deletion of records.
- Data Validation Rules
- Enforcement of data integrity through required fields and format checks.
- Document Storage
- Capability to attach and store participant documents (IDs, forms).
- Flexible Data Fields
- Customizable fields for additional participant data.
- Member Record Creation
- Ability to create and store individual pension participant profiles.
- Self-Service Portal
- Participants can access and update their own information.
Payments & Disbursements
Handling the calculation and distribution of benefit payments and refunds.
- Automated Payment Scheduling
- Ability to set up recurring and one-time payments.
- Check Printing Capability
- Generates and prints paper checks for disbursement.
- Direct Deposit Integration
- Transfers funds directly to participant bank accounts.
- Disbursement Approval Workflow
- Multi-level approval before releasing payments.
- Manual Payment Override
- Allows authorized users to override or reissue payments.
- Maximum Batches per Day
- Number of payment batches handled in a day.
- Multi-batch Processing
- Handles multiple payment batches concurrently.
- Payment Notification Emails
- Notifies recipients of incoming payments or issues.
- Payment Status Tracking
- Monitors payment statuses and failures.
- Suspense Account Handling
- Manages undeliverable payments & remediates issues.
- Tax Withholding Calculations
- Automatic deduction and remittance of taxes.
Regulatory Compliance & Reporting
Ensuring adherence to applicable legal, fiduciary, and tax regulations; timely reporting.
- Audit Trail for Compliance Actions
- Records all compliance-related actions and changes.
- Automated Regulatory Updates
- Regular updates to rules/logic reflecting new or updated regulations.
- Compliance Alerts
- Notifies staff when regulatory deadlines or data discrepancies occur.
- Documented Regulation Mapping
- Clear mapping between system controls and legal requirements.
- Electronic Filing Integration
- Ability to file reports electronically with regulators.
- Plan Document Management
- Stores historical and current plan documents for reference.
- Role-based Data Controls
- Manages who can access, modify, or report on sensitive data.
- Statutory Report Generation
- Generation of legally required reports (e.g., 5500, SFAS disclosures).
- Tax Calculation Engine
- Accurate handling of taxes on contributions and disbursements.
- Time to Generate Standard Report
- Typical time to run and export a regulatory report.
Security & Access Management
Controls, monitors, and protects data and access to the system.
- Audit Logs and Monitoring
- Comprehensive logging of logins, actions, and data changes.
- Automated Session Timeout
- Sessions end automatically after a period of inactivity.
- Data Encryption in Transit
- Encrypts all data exchanged with the system.
- Field-level Security
- Can mask or hide sensitive personal information.
- Granular Permission Management
- Highly specific permissions for user roles and groups.
- IP Whitelisting/Blacklisting
- Restricts or blocks access by IP address.
- Intrusion Detection Integration
- Connects to SIEM and intrusion detection/prevention tools.
- Multi-factor Authentication
- Requires an additional verification step for user login.
- Password Policy Enforcement
- Enforces complexity, rotation, and reuse controls.
- Security Certification Compliance
- Certified against SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc.
- Single Sign-on (SSO) Support
- Integrates with corporate SSO solutions (e.g., Okta, Azure AD).
User Experience & Support
Features focused on usability, online help, and ongoing support.
- Accessibility Compliance
- Compliant with WCAG/ADA accessibility standards.
- Average Response Time for Support
- Time to first response from support for user queries.
- Contextual Help
- Help or tooltips provided throughout the UI.
- In-app Guidance
- Step-by-step walk-throughs for processes.
- Knowledge Base
- Online, searchable repository of FAQs and solutions.
- Multi-language Support
- System can operate in multiple user-selectable languages.
- Responsive Web Design
- Accessible and usable on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
- Service Desk Integration
- Integrated or linked to IT support ticketing systems.
- System Uptime SLA
- Guaranteed system availability.
- User Training Resources
- Access to guides, videos, and documentation.
Workflow & Case Management
Manages manual and automated processes, including exception handling and complex approvals.
- Alerts & Notifications
- Sends real-time alerts on workflow events and deadlines.
- Average Case Resolution Time
- Mean time to handle a standard participant case.
- Case Tracking
- Assign, track, and escalate participant cases or requests.
- Custom Workflow Designer
- Visual or logic-based workflows for business processes.
- Document Workflow
- Integrates document approval, review, and archival.
- Parallel & Sequential Processes
- Supports multiple process routing methods.
- Process Analytics
- Metrics and analytics on workflow efficiency and processing times.
- Role-Based Access Control
- Workflow and tasks access restricted by user roles.
- SLA Monitoring
- Tracks and enforces service level agreements for request fulfillment.
- Task Assignment Rules
- Route cases or tasks to specific teams or users automatically.