QDRO Analysis: A CDFA®'s Practical Playbook

Qualified Domestic Relations Orders sit at the intersection of financial analysis and plan compliance, and CDFAs are frequently the first to catch errors that would otherwise surface only after a plan rejects an order. This advanced session walks through a two-part practical framework: first, how to use the Summary Plan Description, model QDRO, and written QDRO procedures to evaluate a defined contribution or defined benefit plan before any order is drafted; and second, how to review a drafted QDRO against the plan and the Judgment of Divorce. Particular attention is given to the Shared Benefit and Separate Interest models for dividing pensions, and to identifying when a case requires an attorney or actuary.