Disclosures for Participant
Directed Individual Account Plans
Extension without change of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
08/15/2023
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
08/31/2023
1,039,819,787
769,693,310
5,204,349
5,914,334
221,557,106
223,980,233
This information collection requires
plan fiduciaries to disclose plan- and investment-related fee and
expense information to participants and beneficiaries in all
participant directed individual account plans (e.g., 401(k)-type
plans) for plan years that began on or after January 1, 2010 and at
least annually thereafter (defined as at least once in any 14-month
period, without regard to whether the plan operates on a calendar
or fiscal year basis). The final rule, 29 CFR 2550.404a-5(c),
requires three sub-categories of Plan-related information to be
provided to participants and beneficiaries. The first sub-category
is General Plan Information, which includes how participants may
give investment instructions or exercise proxy voting or tendering
rights, restrictions on transferring account assets among
investment alternatives, and identification of the plan's
designated investment alternatives and designated investment
managers (29 CFR 2550.404a-5(c)(1)). The second sub-category of
Plan-related information is Administrative Expense Information,
which refers to explanations of any fees and expenses for general
plan administrative services (e.g., legal, accounting,
recordkeeping) charged to individual accounts and the basis for
allocating such charges among the accounts (e.g., pro-rata, per
capita). (29 CFR 2550.404a-5(c)(2)). The third sub-category of
Plan-related information is Individual Expense Information, which
describes expenses assessed against accounts based on the actions
taken by individual participants or beneficiaries. This would
include charges for processing participant loans and qualified
domestic relations orders. (29 CFR 2550.404a-5(c)(3)). The rule
also requires plan administrators to disclose three sub-categories
of investment-related information to participants and beneficiaries
on or before their date of eligibility, which relates to the plans
designated investment alternatives. The first sub-category of
information is information required to be provided automatically.
(29 CFR 2550.404a-5(d)(1)). For each designated investment
alternative, the plan must disclose specified identifying
information, past performance data, comparable benchmark returns,
fee and expense information, and an internet website address that
is sufficiently specific to lead participants and beneficiaries to
specified supplemental information for each investment alternative.
The latest information available to the plan must be furnished
annually. Material changes to this information must be disclosed at
least 30 days but no more than 90 days before the effective date of
the change except for unforeseen events or circumstances beyond the
plan administrator's control. Investment-related information must
be furnished in a chart or similar format designed to help
participants compare the plan's investment alternatives across each
category of information. (29 CFR 2550.404a-5(d)(2)). To facilitate
compliance, the rule includes a model chart that may be used by
plan fiduciaries to satisfy this requirement. The second
sub-category of investment-related information is Post-Investment
Information. Following a participant's investment in an
alternative, the plan administrator must provide any materials it
receives regarding voting, tender or similar rights in the
alternative (“pass-through materials”) to the extent such rights
are passed through to the participant or beneficiary. (29 CFR
2550.404a-5(d)(3)). The third sub-category of investment-related
information is Information to be provided upon Request (29 CFR
2550.404a-5(d)(4)). Participants may request the plan to provide
prospectuses, financial reports, as well as statements of valuation
and a list of assets held by an investment alternative.
US Code:
29
USC 1104 Name of Law: Employee Retirement Income Security Act
of 1974
This information collection
updated the number of participant-directed individual account
plans, the number of participants in participant-directed
individual account plans, the number of participants in
participant-directed individual account plans with employer
securities, wage costs, mailing costs, and electronic disclosure
rate. As a result, the number of responses has increased by
210,126,477, the hour burden has decreased by 709,985 hours, and
the cost burden has decreased by $2,423,127.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.