$250k Lump Sum vs. $2,750 Monthly Pension: What's the Smarter Move?

1 week ago

Workers with defined benefit pensions may be offered the chance to collect a one-time, lump sum payment instead of monthly pension benefits for life.

Making this decision involves evaluating a number of factors, including the lump sum amount, the amount of the monthly payments and the age of the recipient when the offer is made. Other factors to consider include the recipient’s health, whether the pension will pay benefits to a surviving spouse, as well as the recipient’s level of financial literacy, self-discipline and need for financial flexibility. When faced with a choice like this, a financial advisor can help you evaluate your options and make an informed decision.

Lump Sum vs. Monthly Payments

A pension beneficiary who is offered $250,000 in a single payment in lieu of $2,750 monthly payments for life can start by calculating the potential cumulative value of the monthly payments. To do this, they need to estimate how long they will likely live.

According to Social Security’s life tables, a 60-year-old male has an average life expectancy of about 20 years. If the pension will begin making payments at age 65 and continue making them until the beneficiary dies in 15 years at age 80, he’ll collect approximately 180 monthly payments for a total of $495,000.

If the beneficiary instead opts for the lump sum, he can immediately begin investing it at age 60, When he retires five years later, he can start taking $2,750 monthly withdrawals. In order for the $250,000 to last until he reaches 80, his investments would have to generate an average annual return of at least 5.9%.

Now assume the pension beneficiary is a 55-year-old woman and that her monthly payments will begin at age 65. According to the Social Security Administration, she can expect to live to age 83. In this case, the monthly payments have a somewhat higher value, adding up to $594,000. However, because the lump sum would be invested for a longer period before she starts her withdrawals, her investments only need to grow at an average rate of 4.84% per year for the money to last until age 83.

In both these scenarios, the required return for the lump sum payment to at least match the value of the monthly payments is not unreasonable. It’s possible that a well-managed portfolio could exceed these average returns, making the value of the lump sum option greater than the monthly payments.

As you can see, decisions like this one often require some calculations and assumptions. A financial advisor can help you run the numbers and weigh your options.