Termination of Abandoned Individual Account Plans

Thursday,
February 15, 2007

Part II

Department of Labor
Employee Benefits Security
Administration

hsrobinson on PROD1PC76 with RULES2

29 CFR Parts 2550 and 2578
Amendments to Safe Harbor for
Distributions From Terminated Individual
Account Plans and Termination of
Abandoned Individual Account Plans To
Require Inherited Individual Retirement
Plans for Missing Nonspouse
Beneficiaries; Final Rule

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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 31 / Thursday, February 15, 2007 / Rules and Regulations

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Employee Benefits Security
Administration
29 CFR Parts 2550 and 2578
RIN 1210–AB16

Amendments to Safe Harbor for
Distributions From Terminated
Individual Account Plans and
Termination of Abandoned Individual
Account Plans To Require Inherited
Individual Retirement Plans for
Missing Nonspouse Beneficiaries
Employee Benefits Security
Administration, Labor.
ACTION: Interim final rule with request
for comments.

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AGENCY:

SUMMARY: This document contains an
interim final rule amending regulations
under the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act)
that provide guidance and a fiduciary
safe harbor for the distribution of
benefits on behalf of participants or
beneficiaries in terminated and
abandoned individual account plans.
The Department is amending these
regulations to reflect changes enacted as
part of the Pension Protection Act of
2006, Public Law 109–280, to the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the
Code), under which a distribution of a
deceased plan participant’s benefit from
an eligible retirement plan may be
directly transferred to an individual
retirement plan established on behalf of
the designated nonspouse beneficiary of
such participant. Specifically, the
amended regulations require as a
condition of relief under the fiduciary
safe harbor that benefits for a missing,
designated nonspouse beneficiary be
directly rolled over to an individual
retirement plan that fully complies with
Code requirements. This interim final
rule will affect fiduciaries, plan service
providers, and participants and
beneficiaries of individual account
pension plans.
DATES: Effective and Applicability
Dates: The amendments made by this
rule are effective March 19, 2007. This
interim final rule is applicable to
distributions made on or after March 19,
2007.
Comment Date: Written comments
must be received by April 2, 2007.
ADDRESSES: To facilitate the receipt and
processing of comments, the
Department encourages interested
persons to submit their comments
electronically by e-mail to eORI@dol.gov, or by using the Federal
eRulemaking portal at

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www.regulations.gov (follow
instructions for submission of
comments). Persons submitting
comments electronically are encouraged
not to submit paper copies. Persons
interested in submitting comments on
paper should send or deliver their
comments (at least three copies) to the
Office of Regulations and
Interpretations, Employee Benefits
Security Administration, Room N–5669,
U.S. Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington,
DC 20210, Attn: Amendments to
Distribution Safe Harbor and
Abandoned Plans Regulation for
Missing Nonspouse Beneficiaries. All
comments received will be available to
the public, without charge, online at
www.regulations.gov and www.dol.gov/
ebsa, and at the Public Disclosure
Room, Employee Benefits Security
Administration, Room N–1513, U.S.
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stephanie L. Ward, Office of
Regulations and Interpretations,
Employee Benefits Security
Administration, (202) 693–8500. This is
not a toll-free number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
A. Background
This interim final rule amends two
regulations under ERISA that facilitate
the termination of individual account
plans, including abandoned individual
account plans, and the distribution of
benefits from such plans. The first
regulation, codified at 29 CFR
2550.404a–3, provides plan fiduciaries
of terminated plans and qualified
termination administrators (QTAs) of
abandoned plans with a fiduciary safe
harbor for making distributions on
behalf of participants or beneficiaries
who fail to make an election regarding
a form of benefit distribution,
commonly referred to as missing
participants or beneficiaries. The second
regulation, codified at 29 CFR 2578.1,
establishes a procedure for financial
institutions holding the assets of an
abandoned individual account plan to
terminate the plan and distribute
benefits to the plan’s participants or
beneficiaries, with limited liability.1
Appendices to these two regulations
contain model notices for notifying
participants or beneficiaries of the
plan’s termination and distribution
options.
The safe harbor regulation provides
that both a fiduciary and a QTA will be
1 Under § 2578.1(d)(2)(vii)(B), a QTA is directed
to make distributions in accordance with the safe
harbor regulation.

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deemed to have satisfied ERISA’s
prudence requirements under section
404(a) of the Act if the conditions of the
safe harbor are met with respect to the
distribution of benefits on behalf of
missing participants from terminated
individual account plans.2 In general,
the regulation provides that a fiduciary
or QTA qualifies for the safe harbor if
a distribution is made to an individual
retirement plan within the meaning of
section 7701(a)(37) of the Code. See
§ 2550.404a–3(d)(1)(i). However in April
2006, when the Department published
this safe harbor regulation, a
distribution of benefits from an
individual account plan to a nonspouse
beneficiary was not considered an
eligible rollover distribution under the
provisions of section 402(c) of the Code
and, therefore, could not be rolled over
into an individual retirement plan.3 As
a result, the safe harbor regulation
mandated, among other requirements,
the distribution of benefits on behalf of
a missing nonspouse beneficiary to an
account that was not an individual
retirement plan. See § 2550.404a–
3(d)(1)(ii). Consequently, such
distributions were subject to income tax
and mandatory tax withholding in the
year distributed into the account.4
The Pension Protection Act changed
the characterization of certain
distributions from tax exempt plans and
trusts to permit such distributions to
qualify for eligible rollover distribution
treatment.5 Section 829 of the Pension
Protection Act amended section 402(c)
of the Code to permit the direct rollover
of a deceased participant’s benefit from
an eligible retirement plan to an
individual retirement plan established
on behalf of a designated nonspouse
beneficiary.6 These rollover
distributions would not trigger
immediate income tax consequences
and mandatory tax withholding for the
nonspouse beneficiary.
In light of the Pension Protection
Act’s changes to the Code allowing a
rollover distribution on behalf of a
nonspouse beneficiary into an inherited
individual retirement plan with the
resulting deferral of income tax
consequences, the Department is
amending the regulatory safe harbor for
distributions from a terminated
2 71

FR 20830 n. 21.
26 CFR 1.402(c)–2, Q&A–12.
4 71 FR 20828 n.14.
5 Section 829 of the Pension Protection Act.
6 Section 829 of the Pension Protection Act
requires that the individual retirement plan
established on behalf of a nonspouse beneficiary
must be treated as an inherited individual
retirement plan within the meaning of Code
§ 408(d)(3)(C) and must be subject to the applicable
mandatory distribution requirements of Code
§ 401(a)(9)(B).
3 See

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individual account plan, including an
abandoned plan, at 29 CFR 2550.404a–
3. These amendments require that a
deceased participant’s benefit be
directly rolled over to an inherited
individual retirement plan established
to receive the distribution on behalf of
a missing, designated nonspouse
beneficiary. These amendments
eliminate the prior safe harbor condition
that required a distribution on behalf of
a missing nonspouse beneficiary to be
made only to an account other than an
individual retirement plan. See
§ 2550.404a–3(d)(1)(ii). Therefore, when
these amendments become applicable, a
distribution on behalf of a missing
nonspouse beneficiary would satisfy
this condition of the safe harbor only if
directly rolled into an individual
retirement plan that satisfies the
requirements of new section 402(c)(11)
of the Code.7
Conforming changes are made to the
content requirements of the mandated
participant and beneficiary termination
notice and its model notice under the
safe harbor (at the Appendix to
§ 2550.404a–3). The amendments to 29
CFR 2578.1 also make conforming
changes to the content of the required
participant and beneficiary termination
notice and model notice for abandoned
plans (at Appendix C to § 2578.1).
Concurrently with publication of this
rule, the Department is publishing
proposed amendments to PTE 2006–06,8
which, when finalized, will clarify that
the exemption provides relief to a QTA
that designates itself or an affiliate as
the provider of an inherited individual
retirement plan for a missing,
designated nonspouse beneficiary
pursuant to the exemption’s conditions.
As noted in the preamble to the
proposed amendments, however, the
Department interprets PTE 2006–06 as
currently available to the QTA for its
self-selection as an inherited individual
retirement plan provider subject to the
conditions of the exemption.
B. Request for Comments
The Department invites comments
from interested persons on all aspects of
the interim final rule. To facilitate the
receipt and processing of comments, the
Department encourages interested
persons to submit their comments
electronically by e-mail to eORI@dol.gov, or by using the Federal
eRulemaking portal at
www.regulations.gov (follow
instructions for submission of
comments). Persons submitting
7 See also I.R.S. Notice 2007–07 (January 10,
2007).
8 71 FR 20856 (April 21, 2006).

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comments electronically are encouraged
not to submit paper copies. Persons
interested in submitting comments on
paper should send or deliver their
comments (at least three copies) to the
Office of Regulations and
Interpretations, Employee Benefits
Security Administration, Room N–5669,
U.S. Department of Labor, 200
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington,
DC 20210, Attn: Amendments to
Distribution Safe Harbor and
Abandoned Plans Regulation for
Missing Nonspouse Beneficiaries. All
comments will be available to the
public, without charge, at
www.regulations.gov and www.dol.gov/
ebsa, and in the Public Disclosure
Room, N–1513, Employee Benefits
Security Administration, U.S.
Department of Labor, 200 Constitution
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC.
C. Amendments Relating to the Safe
Harbor for Distributions From
Terminated Individual Account Plans
1. Section 2550.404a–3(d)—Conditions
Paragraph (d)(1)(ii) of this section
requires that the distribution of benefits
on behalf of a nonspouse beneficiary of
a participant be made to ‘‘an account
(other than an individual retirement
plan)’’ because historically such
distribution was not eligible for rollover
into an individual retirement plan. This
condition is being revised to require that
the distribution of benefits on behalf of
a designated nonspouse beneficiary be
rolled over into an inherited individual
retirement plan that complies with the
requirements of section 402(c)(11) of the
Code, as permitted under the Pension
Protection Act for distributions
occurring after December 31, 2006.
Paragraph (d)(1)(iii)(C) of this section
permits as an alternative distribution
option that certain small benefits on
behalf of a nonspouse beneficiary of a
participant be distributed to ‘‘an
account (other than an individual
retirement plan)’’ that a financial
institution, other than the qualified
termination administrator, provides to
the public at the time of the
distribution. This alternative option is
similarly being revised to require the
rollover of benefits on behalf of a
designated nonspouse beneficiary to an
inherited individual retirement plan.
Paragraph (d)(2)(ii)(A) of this section
is being revised to incorporate the
appropriate cross references to
individual retirement plan and
inherited individual retirement plan
and eliminate reference to ‘‘other
account.’’
Paragraphs (d)(2)(iii), (d)(2)(iv) and
(d)(3) of this section are being revised to

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incorporate the appropriate cross
references to individual retirement plan
and inherited individual retirement
plan, and bank or savings association
accounts for certain small amounts.
2. Section 2550.404a–3(e)—Notice to
Participants and Beneficiaries
Paragraphs (e)(1)(iv), (e)(1)(v) and
(e)(1)(vi) of this section are being
revised to incorporate the appropriate
cross references to individual retirement
plan and inherited individual
retirement plan and eliminate reference
to ‘‘other account.’’
3. Section 2550.404a–3(f)—Model
Notice
The appendix to this section contains
a Notice of Plan Termination for
terminated individual account plans
other than abandoned plans that
currently includes an optional
paragraph referring to distributions to
nonspouse beneficiaries. This paragraph
is being deleted because distributions to
nonspouse beneficiaries will no longer
be required to be made to accounts other
than individual retirement plans. A
parenthetical is being added to the
fourth paragraph to clarify that
individual retirement plans established
on behalf of missing, designated
nonspouse beneficiaries are inherited
individual retirement plans.
D. Amendments Relating to the
Termination of Abandoned Individual
Account Plans
1. Section 2578.1(d)(2)(vi)—Notify
Participants
Paragraph (d)(2)(vi)(A)(5)(ii) of this
section is being revised to incorporate
the appropriate cross reference to
conditions for rollovers on behalf of
nonspouse beneficiaries in § 2550.404a–
3(d)(1)(ii).
Paragraphs (d)(2)(vi)(A)(5)(iii) and
(d)(2)(vi)(A)(6) of this section are being
revised to incorporate the appropriate
cross references to individual retirement
plan and inherited individual
retirement plan in § 2550.404a–3(d)(1)(i)
and (d)(1)(ii) and eliminate reference to
‘‘account.’’
Paragraphs (d)(2)(vi)(A)(7) and
(d)(2)(vi)(A)(8) of this section are being
revised to incorporate the appropriate
cross references to individual retirement
plan and inherited individual
retirement plan in § 2550.404a–3(d)(1)(i)
and (d)(1)(ii).
2. Section 2578.1(i)—Model notices
Appendix C to this section contains a
Notice of Plan Termination for
abandoned plans that currently includes
an optional paragraph (‘‘Option 2’’)
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beneficiaries. This optional paragraph is
being deleted because distributions to
nonspouse beneficiaries will no longer
be required to be made to accounts other
than individual retirement plans. To
conform to this change, the instructions
for ‘‘Option 1’’ are being revised to
delete reference to ‘‘participant’s
spouse.’’ ‘‘Option 3’’ is renumbered as
‘‘Option 2’’ and the instructions are
revised to eliminate reference to ‘‘(or
special account for non-spousal
beneficiaries if you are a beneficiary
other than the participant’s spouse)’’
and ‘‘(or special non-spousal account).’’
A parenthetical is being added to
Option 1 and Option 2 to clarify that
individual retirement plans established
on behalf of missing, designated
nonspouse beneficiaries are inherited
individual retirement plans. ‘‘Option 4’’
is renumbered as ‘‘Option 3.’’
E. Good Cause Finding That Proposed
Rulemaking Unnecessary

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Rulemaking under section 553 of the
Administrative Procedure Act (APA)
ordinarily involves publication of a
notice of proposed rulemaking in the
Federal Register and the public is given
an opportunity to comment on the
proposed rule. The APA authorizes
agencies to dispense with proposed
rulemaking procedures, however, if they
find both good cause that such
procedures are impracticable,
unnecessary, or contrary to the public
interest, and incorporate a statement of
the finding with the underlying reasons
in the interim final rule issued.
In this case, the Department finds that
it is unnecessary to undertake proposed
rulemaking with regard to the
amendments to the regulatory safe
harbor for distributions from a
terminated individual account plan,
including an abandoned plan. The
Department believes such rulemaking is
unnecessary because it views these
amendments to an existing regulatory
scheme as technical, noncontroversial
and merely adaptive of recent Code
changes allowing distributions on behalf
of missing nonspouse beneficiaries of
deceased participants to be rolled over
into tax-advantaged individual
retirement plans. The Department
therefore finds for good cause that
notice and public procedure is
unnecessary. It is publishing these
amendments as an interim final rule and
is including a request for comment.
F. Regulatory Impact Analysis
Summary
By conforming regulations pertaining
to distributions from certain terminated
plans with recent changes to the Code,

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this interim final rule preserves for
certain nonspouse beneficiaries of
deceased participants the opportunity to
take advantage of preferential tax
treatment newly permitted by the
Pension Protection Act for distributions
after December 31, 2006. Nonspouse
beneficiaries will benefit from the
preservation, on their behalf, of taxfavored savings set aside for retirement.
This interim final rule also will affect
plan fiduciaries, including QTAs, by
altering the procedures applicable to
certain termination distributions. The
Department anticipates that, rather than
increasing costs, these amendments will
reduce compliance costs modestly for
plan fiduciaries and QTAs. Because the
rule’s new distribution procedures for
terminated plans apply only to the
narrow group of nonspouse
beneficiaries who have not returned a
distribution election, the Department
believes that the rule’s economic impact
will be small, overall, but positive.9
Executive Order 12866 Statement
Under Executive Order 12866, the
Department must determine whether a
regulatory action is ‘‘significant’’ and
therefore subject to the requirements of
the Executive Order and subject to
review by the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB). Under section 3(f) of the
Executive Order, a ‘‘significant
regulatory action’’ is an action that is
likely to result in a rule: (1) Having an
annual effect on the economy of $100
million or more, or adversely and
materially affecting a sector of the
economy, productivity, competition,
jobs, the environment, public health or
safety, or State, local or tribal
governments or communities (also
referred to as ‘‘economically
significant’’); (2) creating serious
inconsistency or otherwise interfering
with an action taken or planned by
another agency; (3) materially altering
the budgetary impacts of entitlement
grants, user fees, or loan programs or the
rights and obligations of recipients
thereof; or (4) raising novel legal or
policy issues arising out of legal
mandates, the President’s priorities, or
9 As described earlier, the Department is
publishing, concurrently with publication of this
rule, proposed amendments to PTE 2006–06, which
will establish under the conditions of the
exemption that a QTA may designate itself or an
affiliate as the provider of an inherited individual
retirement plan for a nonspouse beneficiary who
has not returned a distribution election. In assessing
the economic costs and benefits of this interim final
rule, the Department has taken into account the
proposed amendments to PTE 2006–06, which will
make explicit the availability of the conditional
relief to parties that follow the amended rules with
respect to nonspouse distributions, a result that the
Department believes will assist in the achievement
of the purposes underlying the regulations.

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the principles set forth in the Executive
Order. The Department has determined
that this regulatory action is not
economically significant within the
meaning of section 3(f)(1) of the
Executive Order. However, the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) has
determined that the action is significant
within the meaning of section 3(f)(4) of
the Executive Order, and the
Department, accordingly, provides the
following assessment of its potential
costs and benefits.
Costs
Plan fiduciaries and QTAs generally
are not expected to change their use of
service providers in connection with the
termination and winding-up of plans as
a result of the amendments made by this
interim final rule. In addition, costs
related to selecting institutions and
establishing appropriate accounts and
investments for benefits directly
transferred to an inherited individual
retirement plan are expected to be the
same as costs related to establishing
other types of accounts on behalf of
nonspouse beneficiaries. The safeguards
included in the safe harbor regulation to
preserve assets, such as requiring that
fees and expenses do not exceed certain
limits, apply to both individual
retirement plans and other accounts.
Fiduciaries and QTAs that currently
select separate institutions for making
tax-deferred and taxable distributions
may have modest administrative cost
savings as a result of this rule because
they will be able to distribute
nonspouse benefits to inherited
individual retirement plans with the
same institutions to which other taxdeferred distributions are made.
Plan fiduciaries and QTAs also will
have reduced administrative costs as a
result of not having to comply with
otherwise applicable mandatory tax
withholding requirements under the
Code. The distribution of benefits to an
account other than an individual
retirement plan is considered a lump
sum distribution under the Code,
requiring a plan administrator to
withhold a percentage of the taxable
amount and send the withheld amount
to the Internal Revenue Service as
income tax withholding. This
requirement to withhold does not apply
to distributions made to inherited
individual retirement plans. As the safe
harbor regulation requires the rollover
of distributions, except for certain small
benefits, the administrative costs
associated with mandatory tax
withholding will be reduced.

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Benefits
When the Department published the
safe harbor regulation for distributions
from terminated individual account
plans in April 2006, it was designed, in
part, to prevent participants and
beneficiaries of terminated plans,
insofar as then possible under the Code,
from losing the favorable tax treatment
otherwise accorded distributions from
qualified plans. As a result, the safe
harbor regulation generally mandated
that benefits on behalf of a participant
or spouse be distributed to an
individual retirement plan. Tax laws
then in effect prevented the Department
from extending this favorable tax
treatment to nonspouse beneficiaries.
This interim final rule, which takes into
account the Pension Protection Act
change enabling a nonspouse
beneficiary to be treated as inheriting an
individual retirement plan, will benefit
nonspouse beneficiaries by enabling
them to have continued tax-deferral of
retirement savings, similar to that
available to participants and spouses.
As described earlier in the preamble,
nonspouse beneficiaries will benefit
from continued deferral of income taxes
and distributions that are not subject to
mandatory tax withholding. Under the
new tax rules, distributions from an
inherited individual retirement plan
will have to be made under the Code’s
minimum distribution rules. While
these distribution rules are generally
more restrictive than what is allowed for
participants and spouses, the
Department believes that the additional
period of tax deferral permitted under
the new tax rules will be a significant
benefit to nonspouse beneficiaries.
Because benefits will continue to be
held in tax-advantaged retirement
vehicles, the interim final rule also
serves to preserve retirement savings. At
the same time, nonspouse beneficiaries
retain the benefit of being able to make
a distribution election and to elect a
lump sum distribution if they choose.
Based on the foregoing assessment,
the Department concludes that
promulgation of this interim final rule
will provide substantial benefits
without imposing additional costs.

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Paperwork Reduction Act
The information collections included
in this interim final rule, together with
information collections included in PTE
2006–06, are currently approved by the
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) under OMB control number
1210–0127. This approval is currently
scheduled to expire on April 30, 2008.
The interim final rule makes minor
changes to the content requirements of

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the participant and beneficiary
termination notices, as described earlier
in the preamble. These conforming
changes, which involve the deletion or
substitution of a small number of words
in each notice, do not increase the
burden of the information collections
and do not constitute a substantive or
material modification of the existing
information collection request approved
under OMB control number 1210–0127.
Accordingly, the Department has not
made a submission for OMB approval of
a revision in the burden estimates in
connection with this interim final rule
or the proposed amendments to PTE
2006–06, published simultaneously
with this interim final rule.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Regulatory Flexibility Act (5
U.S.C. 601 et seq.) (RFA) imposes
certain requirements with respect to
Federal rules that are subject to the
notice and comment requirements of
section 553(b) of the Administrative
Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 551 et seq.) and
are likely to have a significant economic
impact on a substantial number of small
entities. Because these amendments are
being published as an interim final rule,
without prior notice and comment, the
Regulatory Flexibility Act does not
apply. Furthermore, because the interim
final rule imposes no additional costs
on employers or plans, the Department
believes that it would not have a
significant impact on a substantial
number of small entities. Accordingly,
the Department believes that no
regulatory flexibility analysis would be
required in any case under the RFA.
Congressional Review Act Statement
The interim final rule being issued
here is subject to the provisions of the
Congressional Review Act provisions of
the Small Business Regulatory
Enforcement Fairness Act of 1996 (5
U.S.C. 801 et seq.) and will be
transmitted to Congress and the
Comptroller General for review. The
interim final rule is not a ‘‘major rule’’
as that term is defined in 5 U.S.C. 804,
because it does not result in (1) An
annual effect on the economy of $100
million or more; (2) a major increase in
costs or prices for consumers,
individual industries, or Federal, State,
or local government agencies, or
geographic regions; or (3) significant
adverse effects on competition,
employment, investment, productivity,
innovation, or on the ability of United
States-based enterprises to compete
with foreign-based enterprises in
domestic and export markets.

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Unfunded Mandates Reform Act
For purposes of the Unfunded
Mandates Reform Act of 1995 (Pub. L.
104–4), the interim final rule does not
include any Federal mandate that may
result in expenditures by State, local, or
tribal governments, or impose an annual
burden exceeding $100 million on the
private sector.
Federalism Statement
Executive Order 13132 (August 4,
1999) outlines fundamental principles
of federalism and requires Federal
agencies to adhere to specific criteria in
the process of their formulation and
implementation of policies that have
substantial direct effects on the States,
the relationship between the national
government and the States, or on the
distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various
levels of government. This interim final
rule does not have federalism
implications because it has no
substantial direct effect on the States, on
the relationship between the national
government and the States, or on the
distribution of power and
responsibilities among the various
levels of government. Section 514 of
ERISA provides, with certain exceptions
specifically enumerated, that the
provisions of Titles I and IV of ERISA
supersede any and all laws of the States
as they relate to any employee benefit
plan covered under ERISA. The
requirements implemented in the
interim rule do not alter the
fundamental provisions of the statute
with respect to employee benefit plans,
and as such would have no implications
for the States or the relationship or
distribution of power between the
national government and the States.
List of Subjects
29 CFR Part 2550
Employee benefit plans, Employee
Retirement Income Security Act,
Employee stock ownership plans,
Exemptions, Fiduciaries, Investments,
Investments foreign, Party in interest,
Pensions, Pension and Welfare Benefit
Programs Office, Prohibited
transactions, Real estate, Securities,
Surety bonds, Trusts and Trustees.
29 CFR Part 2578
Employee benefit plans, Pensions,
Retirement.
For the reasons set forth in the
preamble, the Department of Labor
amends 29 CFR chapter XXV as follows:

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Title 29—Labor
Subchapter F—Fiduciary
Responsibility Under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974
PART 2550—RULES AND
REGULATIONS FOR FIDUCIARY
RESPONSIBILITY
1. The authority citation for part 2550
continues to read as follows:

■

Authority: 29 U.S.C. 1135; and Secretary of
Labor’s Order No. 1–2003, 68 FR 5374 (Feb.
3, 2003). Sec. 2550.401b–1 also issued under
sec. 102, Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1978,
43 FR 47713 (Oct. 17, 1978), 3 CFR, 1978
Comp. 332, effective Dec. 31, 1978, 44 FR
1065 (Jan. 3, 1978), 3 CFR, 1978 Comp. 332.
Sec. 2550.401c–1 also issued under 29 U.S.C.
1101. Sec. 2550.404c–1 also issued under 29
U.S.C. 1104. Sec. 2550.407c–3 also issued
under 29 U.S.C. 1107. Sec. 2550.404a–2 also
issued under 26 U.S.C. 401 note (sec. 657,
Pub. L. 107–16, 115 Stat. 38). Sec.
2550.408b–1 also issued under 29 U.S.C.
1108(b)(1) and sec. 102, Reorganization Plan
No. 4 of 1978, 3 CFR, 1978 Comp. p. 332,
effective Dec. 31, 1978, 44 FR 1065 (Jan. 3,
1978), and 3 CFR, 1978 Comp. 332, Sec.
2550.412–1 also issued under 29 U.S.C. 1112.

2. Amend § 2550.404a–3 by revising
(d)(1)(ii), (d)(1)(iii)(C), (d)(2)(ii)(A),
(d)(2)(iii), (d)(2)(iv), (d)(3), (e)(1)(iv),
(e)(1)(v), (e)(1)(vi) and the appendix to
read as follows:

■

§ 2550.404a–3 Safe Harbor for
Distributions from Terminated Individual
Account Plans.

*
*
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*
(d) * * *
(1) * * *
(ii) In the case of a distribution on
behalf of a designated beneficiary (as
defined by section 401(a)(9)(E) of the
Code) who is not the surviving spouse
of the deceased participant, to an
inherited individual retirement plan

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(within the meaning of section
402(c)(11) of the Code) established to
receive the distribution on behalf of the
nonspouse beneficiary; or
(iii) * * *
*
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*
(C) An individual retirement plan
(described in paragraph (d)(1)(i) or
(d)(1)(ii) of this section) offered by a
financial institution other than the
qualified termination administrator to
the public at the time of the
distribution.
(2) * * *
(ii) * * *
(A) Seek to maintain, over the term of
the investment, the dollar value that is
equal to the amount invested in the
product by the individual retirement
plan (described in paragraph (d)(1)(i) or
(d)(1)(ii) of this section), and
*
*
*
*
*
(iii) All fees and expenses attendant to
the transferee plan (described in
paragraph (d)(1)(i) or (d)(1)(ii) of this
section) or account (described in
paragraph (d)(1)(iii)(A) of this section),
including investments of such plan,
(e.g., establishment charges,
maintenance fees, investment expenses,
termination costs and surrender
charges), shall not exceed the fees and
expenses charged by the provider of the
plan or account for comparable plans or
accounts established for reasons other
than the receipt of a distribution under
this section; and
(iv) The participant or beneficiary on
whose behalf the fiduciary makes a
distribution shall have the right to
enforce the terms of the contractual
agreement establishing the plan
(described in paragraph (d)(1)(i) or
(d)(1)(ii) of this section) or account
(described in paragraph (d)(1)(iii)(A) of
this section), with regard to his or her

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transferred account balance, against the
plan or account provider.
(3) Both the fiduciary’s selection of a
transferee plan (described in paragraph
(d)(1)(i) or (d)(1)(ii) of this section) or
account (described in paragraph
(d)(1)(iii)(A) of this section) and the
investment of funds would not result in
a prohibited transaction under section
406 of the Act, unless such actions are
exempted from the prohibited
transaction provisions by a prohibited
transaction exemption issued pursuant
to section 408(a) of the Act.
(e) * * *
(1) * * *
(iv) A statement explaining that, if a
participant or beneficiary fails to make
an election within 30 days from receipt
of the notice, the plan will distribute the
account balance of the participant or
beneficiary to an individual retirement
plan (i.e., individual retirement account
or annuity described in paragraph
(d)(1)(i) or (d)(1)(ii) of this section) and
the account balance will be invested in
an investment product designed to
preserve principal and provide a
reasonable rate of return and liquidity;
(v) A statement explaining what fees,
if any, will be paid from the participant
or beneficiary’s individual retirement
plan (described in paragraph (d)(1)(i) or
(d)(1)(ii) of this section), if such
information is known at the time of the
furnishing of this notice;
(vi) The name, address and phone
number of the individual retirement
plan (described in paragraph (d)(1)(i) or
(d)(1)(ii) of this section) provider, if
such information is known at the time
of the furnishing of this notice; and
*
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7522

Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 31 / Thursday, February 15, 2007 / Rules and Regulations

Subchapter G—Administration and
Enforcement Under the Employee
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974

PART 2578—RULES AND
REGULATIONS FOR ABANDONED
PLANS
3. The authority citation for part
2578.1 continues to read as follows:

■

Authority: 29 U.S.C. 1135; 1104(a);
1103(d)(1).

4. Amend § 2578.1 by revising
(d)(2)(vi)(A)(5)(ii), (d)(2)(vi)(A)(5)(iii),
(d)(2)(vi)(A)(6), (d)(2)(vi)(A)(7),
(d)(2)(vi)(A)(8) and Appendix C to read
as follows:
■

§ 2578.1 Termination of Abandoned
Individual Account Plans

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(d) * * *
(2) * * *
(vi) * * *

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(A) * * *
(5) * * *
(ii) To an inherited individual
retirement plan described in
§ 2550.404a–3(d)(1)(ii) of this chapter
(in the case of a distribution on behalf
of a distributee other than a participant
or spouse),
(iii) In any case where the amount to
be distributed meets the conditions in
§ 2550.404a–3(d)(1)(iii), to an interestbearing federally insured bank account,
the unclaimed property fund of the
State of the last known address of the
participant or beneficiary, or an
individual retirement plan (described in
§ 2550.404a–3(d)(1)(i) or (d)(1)(ii) of this
chapter) or
*
*
*
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*
(6) In the case of a distribution to an
individual retirement plan (described in
§ 2550.404a–3(d)(1)(i) or (d)(1)(ii) of this
chapter) a statement explaining that the
account balance will be invested in an

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investment product designed to
preserve principal and provide a
reasonable rate of return and liquidity;
(7) A statement of the fees, if any, that
will be paid from the participant or
beneficiary’s individual retirement plan
(described in § 2550.404a–3(d)(1)(i) or
(d)(1)(ii) of this chapter) or other
account (described in § 2550.404a–
3(d)(1)(iii)(A) of this chapter), if such
information is known at the time of the
furnishing of this notice;
(8) The name, address and phone
number of the provider of the individual
retirement plan (described in
§ 2550.404a7–3(d)(1)(i) or (d)(1)(ii) of
this chapter), qualified survivor annuity,
or other account (described in
§ 2550.404a–3(d)(1)(iii)(A) of this
chapter), if such information is known
at the time of the furnishing of this
notice; and
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*
*

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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 31 / Thursday, February 15, 2007 / Rules and Regulations

Signed at Washington, DC, this 5th day of
February, 2007.
Bradford P. Campbell,
Acting Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits
Security Administration, Department of
Labor.
[FR Doc. 07–597 Filed 2–14–07; 8:45 am]

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