Variable Benefit Plans a Solution for All Types of Plan Sponsors Corporate, multiemployer and public plan sponsors have been drawn to variable benefit plans for their ability to minimize costs while offering guaranteed income to participants. Reported by Plan sponsors and others in the retirement plan industry have been showing an increased interest in new defined benefit (DB) plan designs that minimize cost volatility and/or provide risk sharing. During a recent webinar on the subject, Rachel Barnes, a member of the pension committee at the American Academy of Actuaries, noted that many corporate plan sponsors have been taking steps to transfer or eliminate their traditional DB plan obligations. While some have moved to a defined contribution (DC) plan as their retirement benefit offering, others question whether these are adequate for securing optimal retirement outcomes. This concern has been driving increasing interest in other plan designs, such as variable annuity plans, also known as variable benefit plans.