(10/31/15)  It's becoming a year-end tradition: Single employer PBGC premiums are being jacked up again, for the third time in four years.

Under current law, single employer pension plans annually pay a fixed premium to the PBGC, which is indexed for inflation, and will be $64 per person in 2016. Single employer plans also pay a variable rate premium, which is indexed to inflation and will equal $30 per $1000 of underfunding in 2016.

The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 increases the fixed premium  to $68 for 2017, $73 for 2018, and $78 for 2019, After 2019 the fixed premium is again indexed for inflation. The variable rate premium increases by an additional $2 in 2017, an additional $3 in 2018, and an additional $3 in 2019.