Preston Actuarial and Benefit Services

Burrows Award

 

We are pleased to report that Mike Preston was awarded the 2017 Edward E. Burrows Distinguished Achievement Award by the ASPPA College of Pension Actuaries (ACOPA).  From the press release:

 

The ASPPA College of Pension Actuaries (ACOPA) honored Michael B. Preston, FSPA, EA, MAAA with the 2017 Edward E. Burrows Distinguished Achievement Award at the ACOPA Actuarial Symposium held in Chicago Aug. 18-19.

The Edward E. Burrows Distinguished Achievement Award is presented annually to a pension actuary who has gone above and beyond in forwarding ethics, education, beneficial legislation or regulations that enhance the private pension system or the professionalism of enrolled actuaries within the private pension system.

“Mike Preston’s history of service to the actuarial profession made him an obvious choice to receive the Ed Burrows Award.” said Joe Nichols, former president of ACOPA and chair of the Ed Burrows Award Committee.

 

The full press release can be found here. 

 

Our History

 

We have been in this business for decades.  And while that means we have seen just about everything, it doesn't mean we can ignore what is new.  We are proud of our history of applying state-of-the-art techniques to create solutions for our clients.

 

We are just as proud that we make it a point to attend multiple technical conferences each year.  While every credentialed member of every professional organization must meet minimum thresholds of continuing education to retain their credential, we make it a point to exceed the minimum thresholds significantly each and every year.

 

This allowed us to introduce combined plan non-discrimination techniques shortly after they were published by the IRS in late 1993.  Much of our practice for over 20 years has revolved around thoroughly understanding and applying the non-discrimination rules applicable to qualified plans as they have changed over time.  In fact, to this day, we are continually invited to speak at technical conferences, both regional and national, on this topic.

 

And while it doesn't in any way represent a majority of our practice, we are pleased that our service to clients includes providing expert testimony in various ERISA and actuarial cases over the years.  We believe that the experience gained by performing services as an expert witness is an educational complement that serves our clients well.

 

We have been exceptionally active as volunteers within our profession.  Mr. Preston has served as a founding member and President of the ASPPA College of Pension Actuaries, the only national organization whose focus is exclusive to those actuaries enrolled to practice before the IRS under ERISA.  In addition, he has served four years on the Pension Committee of the Actuarial Standards Board whose charge it is to draft the actuarial standards applicable to pension actuarial practice in the United States.