Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation

Originally issued September 2, 1977 (42 FR 44393)

As revised through January 9, 1979 (44 FR 1978)

1. In general -

1. Type of plan. To be an "ESOP" (employee stock ownership plan), a plan described in section 4975(e)(7)(A) must meet the requirements of this section. See section 4975(e)(7)(B).
2. Designation as ESOP. To be an ESOP, a plan must be formally designated as such in the plan document.
3. Continuing loan provisions under plan -

1. Creation of protections and rights. The terms of an ESOP must formally provide participants with certain protections and rights with respect to plan assets acquired with the proceeds of an exempt loan. These protections and rights are those referred to in the third sentence of  54.4975-7(b)(4), relating to put, call, or other options and to buy-sell or similar arrangements, and in  54.4975-7(b)(10), (11), and (12), relating to put options.
2. "Nonterminable" protections and rights. The terms of an ESOP must also formally provide that these protections and rights are nonterminable. Thus, if a plan holds or has distributed securities acquired with the proceeds of an exempt loan and either the loan is repaid or the plan ceases to be an ESOP, these protections and rights must continue to exist under the terms of the plan. However, the protections and rights will not fail to be nonterminable merely because they are not exercisable under 54.4975-7(b)(11) and (12)(ii). For example, if, after a plan ceases to be an ESOP, securities acquired with the proceeds of an exempt loan cease to be publicly traded, the 15-month period prescribed by  54.4975-7(b)(11) includes the time when the securities are publicly traded.
3. No incorporation by reference of protections and rights. The formal requirements of paragraph (a)(3)(i) and (ii) of this section must be set forth in the plan. Mere reference to the third sentence of  54.4975-7(b)(4) and to the provisions of  54.4975-7(b)(10), (11), and (12) is not sufficient.
4. Certain remedial amendments. Notwithstanding the limits under paragraph (a)(4) and (10) of this section on the retroactive effect of plan amendments, a remedial plan amendment adopted before December 31, 1979, to meet the requirements of paragraph (a)(3)(i) and (ii) of this section is retroactively effective as of the later of the date on which the plan was designated as an ESOP or November 1, 1977.

4. Retroactive amendment. A plan meets the requirements of this section as of the date that it is designated as an ESOP if it is amended retroactively to meet, and in fact does meet, such requirements at any of the following times:

1. 12 months after the date on which the plan is designated as an ESOP;
2. 90 days after a determination letter is issued with respect to the qualification of the plan as an ESOP under this section, but only if the determination is requested by the time in paragraph (a)(4)(i) of this section; or
3. A later date approved by the district director.

5. Addition to other plan. An ESOP may form a portion of a plan the balance of which includes a qualified pension, profit-sharing, or stock bonus plan which is not an ESOP. A reference to an ESOP includes an ESOP that forms a portion of another plan.
6. Conversion of existing plan to an ESOP. If an existing pension, profit-sharing, or stock bonus plan is converted into an ESOP, the requirements of section 404 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) (88 Stat. 877), relating to fiduciary duties, and section 401(a) of the Code, relating to requirements for plans established for the exclusive benefit of employees, apply to such conversion. A conversion may constitute a termination of an existing plan. For definition of a termination, see the regulations under section 411(d)(3) of the Code and section 4041(f) of ERISA.
7. Certain arrangements barred -

1. Buy-sell agreements. An arrangement involving an ESOP that creates a put option must not provide for the issuance of put options other than as provided under  54.4975-7 (b)(10), (11), and (12). Also, an ESOP must not otherwise obligate itself to acquire securities from a particular security holder at an indefinite time determined upon the happening of an event such as the death of the holder.
2. Integrated plans. A plan designated as an ESOP after November 1, 1977, must not be integrated directly or indirectly with contributions or benefits under Title II of the Social Security Act or any other State or Federal law. ESOPs established and integrated before such date may remain integrated. However, such plans must not be amended to increase the integration level or the integration percentage. Such plans may in operation continue to increase the level of integration if under the plan such increase is limited by reference to a criterion existing apart from the plan.

8. Effect of certain ESOP Provisions on section 401(a) status -

1. Exempt loan requirements. An ESOP will not fail to meet the requirements of section 401(a)(2) merely because it gives plan assets as collateral for an exempt loan under  54.4975-7(b)(5) or uses plan assets under  54.4975-7(b)(6) to repay an exempt loan in the event of default.
2. Individual annual contribution limitation. An ESOP will not fail to meet the requirements of section 401(a)(16) merely because annual additions under section 415(c) are calculated with respect to employer contributions used to repay an exempt loan rather than with respect to securities allocated to participants.
3. Income pass-through. An ESOP will not fail to meet the requirements of section 401(a) merely because it provides for the current payment of income under paragraph (f)(3) of this section.

9. Transitional rules for ESOPs established before November 1, 1977. A plan established before November 1, 1977, that otherwise satisfies the provisions of this section constitutes an ESOP if it is amended by December 31, 1977, to comply from November 1, 1977, with this section even though before November 1, 1977, the plan did not satisfy paragraphs (c) and (d)(2), (4), and (5) of this section.
10. Additional transitional rules. Notwithstanding paragraph (a)(9) of this section, a plan established before November 1, 1977, that otherwise satisfies the provisions of this section constitutes an ESOP if by December 31, 1977, it is amended to comply from November 1, 1977, with this section even though before such date the plan did not satisfy the following provisions of this section:

1. Paragraph (a)(3) and (8)(iii);
2. The last sentence of paragraph (d)(3), and
3. Paragraph (f)(3). [Amended by T. D. 7571 on November 16, 1978, 43 FR 53718.]

2. Plan designed to invest primarily in qualifying employer securities. A plan constitutes an ESOP only if the plan specifically states that it is designed to invest primarily in qualifying employer securities. Thus, a stock bonus plan or a money purchase pension plan constituting an ESOP may invest part of its assets in other than qualifying employer securities. Such plan will be treated the same as other stock bonus plans or money purchase pension plans qualified under section 401(a) with respect to those investments.
3. Suspense Account. All assets acquired by an ESOP with the proceeds of an exempt loan under section 4975(d)(3) must be added to and maintained in a suspense account. They are to be withdrawn from the suspense account by applying  54.4975-7(b)(8) and (15) as if all securities in the suspense account were encumbered. Such assets acquired before November 1, 1977, must be withdrawn by applying  54.4975-7(b)(8) or the provision of the loan that controls release from encumbrance. Assets in such suspense accounts are assets of the ESOP. Thus, for example, such assets are subject to section 401(a)(2).
4. Allocations to accounts of participants -

1. In general. Except as provided in this section, amounts contributed to an ESOP must be allocated as provided under  1.401-1(b)(ii) and (iii) of this chapter, and securities acquired by an ESOP must be accounted for as provided under  1.402(a)-1(b)(2)(ii) of this chapter.
2. Assets withdrawn from suspense account. As of the end of each plan year, the ESOP must consistently allocate to the participants' accounts non-monetary units representing participants' interests in assets withdrawn from the suspense account.
3. Income. Income with respect to securities acquired with the proceeds of an exempt loan must be allocated as income of the plan except to the extent that the ESOP provides for the use of income from such securities to repay the loan. Certain income may be distributed currently under paragraph (f)(3) of this section.
4. Forfeitures. If a portion of a participant's account is forfeited, qualifying employer securities allocated under paragraph (d)(2) of this section must be forfeited only after other assets. If interests in more than one class of qualifying employer securities have been allocated to the participant's account, the participant must be treated as forfeiting the same proportion of each such class.
5. Valuation. For purposes of  54.4975-7(b)(9) and (12) and this section, valuations must be made in good faith and based on all relevant factors for determining the fair market value of securities. In the case of a transaction between a plan and a disqualified person, value must be determined as of the date of the transaction. For all other purposes under this subparagraph (5), value must be determined as of the most recent valuation date under the plan. An independent appraisal will not in itself be a good faith determination of value in the case of a transaction between a plan and a disqualified person. However, in other cases, a determination of fair market value based on at least an annual appraisal independently arrived at by a person who customarily makes such appraisals and who is independent of any party to a transaction under  54.4975-7(b)(9) and (12) will be deemed to be a good faith determination of value. [Amended by T.D. 7571 on November 16, 1978, 43 FR 53718.]

5. Multiple plans -

1. General rule. An ESOP may not be considered together with another plan for purposes of applying section 401(a)(4) and (5) or section 410(b) unless-

1. The ESOP and such other plan exist on November 1, 1977; or
2. Paragraph (e)(2) of this section is satisfied.

2. Special rule for combined ESOPs. Two or more ESOPs, one or more of which does not exist on November 1, 1977, may be considered together for purposes of applying section 401(a)(4) and (5) or section 410(b) only if the proportion of qualifying employer securities to total plan assets is substantially the same for each ESOP and-

1. The qualifying employer securities held by all ESOPs are all of the same class; or
2. The ratios of each class held to all such securities held is substantially the same for each plan.

3. Amended coverage, contribution, or benefit structure. For purposes of paragraph (e)(1)(i) of this section, if the coverage, contribution, or benefit structure of a plan that exists on November 1, 1977, is amended after that date, as of the effective date of the amendment, the plan is no longer considered to be a plan that exists on November 1, 1977. [Amended by T.D. 7571 on November 16, 1978, 43 FR 53718.]

6. Distribution -

1. In general. Except as provided in paragraph (f)(2) and (3) of this section, with respect to distributions, a portion of an ESOP consisting of a stock bonus plan or a money purchase pension plan is not to be distinguished from other such plans under section 401(a). Thus, for example, benefits distributable from the portion of an ESOP consisting of a stock bonus plan are distributable only in stock of the employer. Also, benefits distributable from the money-purchase portion of the ESOP may be, but are not required to be, distributable in qualifying employer securities.
2. Exempt loan proceeds. If securities acquired with the proceeds of an exempt loan available for distribution consist of more than one class, a distributee must receive substantially the same proportion of each such class. However, as indicated in paragraph (f)(1) of this section, benefits distributable from the portion of an ESOP consisting of a stock bonus plan are distributable only in stock of the employer.
3. Income. Income paid with respect to qualifying employer securities acquired by an ESOP in taxable years beginning after December 31, 1974, may be distributed at any time after receipt by the plan to participants on whose behalf such securities have been allocated. However, under an ESOP that is a stock bonus plan, income held by the plan for a 2-year period or longer must be distributed under the general rules described in paragraph (f)(1) of this section. (See the last sentence of section 803(h), Tax Reform Act of 1976.) [Reg 54.4975-11 added by T. D. 7506 on August 30, 1977; amended by T. D. 7571 on November 16, 1978, 43 FR 53718.]

Regulation 54.4975-12

26 C.F.R. 54.4975-12

Originally Issued September 2, 1977 (42 FR 44394)

1. In general. For purposes of section 4975(e)(8) and this section, the term "qualifying employer security" means an employer security which is -

1. Stock or otherwise an equity security, or
2. A bond, debenture, note, or certificate or other evidence of indebtedness which is described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 503(e).

2. Special rule. In determining whether a bond, debenture, note, or certificate or other evidence of indebtedness is described in paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of section 503(e), any organization described in section 401(a) shall be treated as an organization subject to the provisions of section 503. [Reg.  54.4975-12 added August 30, 1977, by T. D. 7506.]

Department of Labor

Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration Regulation

Regulation 2510.3-101

29 C.F.R. 2510.3-101.

Originally issued November 13, 1986 (51 FR 41280)

Subsection (e) amended for a technical correction December 31, 1986 (51 FR 47226)

1. In General.

1. This section describes what constitute assets of a plan with respect to a plan's investment in another entity for purposes of Subtitle A, and Parts 1 and 4 of Subtitle 3, of Title I of the Act and section 4975 of the Internal Revenue Code. Paragraph (a)(2) contains a general rule relating to plan investments. Paragraphs (b) through (f) define certain terms that are used in the application of the general rule. Paragraph (g) describes how the rules in this section are to be applied when a plan owns property jointly with others or where it acquires an equity interest whose value relates solely to identified assets of an issuer. Paragraph (h) contains special rules relating to particular kinds of plan investments. Paragraph (i) describes the assets that a plan acquires when it purchases certain guaranteed mortgage certificates. Paragraph (j) contains examples illustrating the operation of this section. The effective date of this section is set forth in paragraph (k).
2. Generally, when a plan invests in another entity, the plan's assets include its investment, but do not, solely by reason of such investment, include any of the underlying assets of the entity. However, in the case of a plan's investment in an equity interest of an entity that is neither a publicly-offered security nor a security issued by an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 its assets include both the equity interest and an undivided interest in each of the underlying assets of the entity, unless it is established that -

1. the entity is an operating company, or
2. equity participation in the entity by benefit plan investors is not significant.

Therefore, any person who exercises authority or control respecting the management or disposition of such underlying assets, and any person who provides investment advice with respect to such assets for a fee (direct or indirect), is a fiduciary of the investing plan.

2. "Equity Interests" and "Publicly-Offered Securities".

1. The term "equity interest" means any interest in an entity other than an instrument that is treated as indebtedness under applicable local law and which has no substantial equity features. A profits interest in a partnership, an undivided ownership interest in property and a beneficial interest in a trust are equity interests.
2. A "publicly-offered security" is a security that is freely transferable, part of a class of securities that is widely held and either

1. Part of a class of securities registered under section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or
2. Sold to the plan as part of an offering of securities to the public pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933 and the class of securities of which such security is a part is registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 within 120 days (or such later time as may be allowed by the Securities and Exchange Commission) after the end of the fiscal year of the issuer during which the offering of such securities to the public occurred.

3. For purposes of paragraph (b)(2), a class of securities is "widely-held" only if it is a class of securities that is owned by 100 or more investors independent of the issuer and of one another. A class of securities will not fail to be widely-held solely because subsequent to the initial offering the number of independent investors falls below 100 as a result of events beyond the control of the issuer.
4. For purposes of paragraph (b)(2), whether a security is "freely transferable" is a factual question to be determined on the basis of all relevant facts and circumstances. If a security is part of an offering in which the minimum investment is $10,000 or less, however, the following factors ordinarily will not, alone or in combination, affect a finding that such securities are freely transferable -

1. Any requirement that not less than a minimum number of shares or units of such security be transferred or assigned by any investor, provided that such requirement does not prevent transfer of all of the then remaining shares or units held by an investor;
2. Any prohibition against transfer or assignment of such security or rights in respect thereof to an ineligible or unsuitable investor;
3. Any restriction on, or prohibition against, any transfer or assignment which would either result in a termination or reclassification of the entity for federal or state tax purposes or which would violate any state or federal statute, regulation, court order, judicial degree, or rule of law;
4. Any requirement that reasonable transfer or administrative fees be paid in connection with a transfer or assignment;
5. Any requirement that advance notice of a transfer or assignment be given to the entity and any requirement regarding execution of documentation evidencing such transfer or assignment (including documentation setting forth representations from either or both of the transferor or transferee as to compliance with any restriction or requirement described in this paragraph (b)(4) or requiring compliance with the entity's governing instruments);
6. Any restriction on substitution of an assignee as a limited partner of a partnership, including a general partner consent requirement, provided that the economic benefits of ownership of the assignor may be transferred or assigned without regard to such restriction or consent (other than compliance with any other restriction described in this paragraph (b)(4));
7. Any administrative procedure which establishes an effective date, or an event, such as the completion of the offering, prior to which a transfer or assignment will not be effective; and
8. Any limitation or restriction on transfer or assignment which is not created or imposed by the issuer or any person acting for or on behalf of such issuer.

3. "Operating Company".

1. An "operating company" is not an entity that is primarily engaged, directly or through a majority owned subsidiary or subsidiaries, in the production or sale of a product or service other than the investment of capital. The term "operating company" includes an entity which is not described in the preceding sentence, but which is a "venture capital operating company" described in paragraph (d) or a "real estate operating company" described in paragraph (e).

4. "Venture Capital Operating Company".

1. An entity is a "venture capital operating company" for the period beginning on an initial valuation date described in paragraph (d)(5)(i) and ending on the last day of the first "annual valuation period" described in paragraph (d)(5)(ii) (in the case of an entity that is not a venture capital operating company immediately before the determination) or for the 12-month period following the expiration of an "annual valuation period" described in paragraph (d)(5)(ii) (in the case of an entity that is a venture capital operating company immediately before the determination) if -

1. On such initial valuation date, or at any time within such annual valuation period, at least 50 percent of its assets (other than short-term investments pending long-term commitment or distribution to investors), valued at cost, are invested in venture capital investments described in paragraph (d)(3)(i) or derivative investments described in paragraph (d)(4); and
2. During such 12-month period (or during the period beginning on the initial valuation date and ending on the last day of the first annual valuation period), the entity, in the ordinary course of its business, actually exercises management rights of the kind described in paragraph (d)(3)(ii) with respect to one or more of the operating companies in which it invests.

2. (i)A venture capital operating company described in paragraph (d)(1) shall continue to be treated as a venture capital operating company during the "distribution period" described in paragraph (d)(2)(ii). An entity shall not be treated as a venture capital operating company at any time after the end of the distribution period.

2. The "distribution period" referred to in paragraph (d)(2)(i) begins on a date established by a venture capital operating company that occurs after the first date on which the venture capital operating company has distributed to investors the proceeds of at least 50 percent of the highest amount of its investments (other than short-term investments made pending long-term commitment or distribution to investors) outstanding at any time from the date it commenced business (determined on the basis of the cost of such investments) and ends on the earlier of -

1. The date on which the company makes a "new portfolio investment", or
2. The expiration of 10 years from the beginning of the distribution period.

3. For purposes of paragraph (d)(2)(ii)(A), a "new portfolio investment" is an investment other than -

1. An investment in an entity in which the venture capital operating company had an outstanding venture capital investment at the beginning of the distribution period which has continued to be outstanding at all times during the distribution period, or
2. A short-term investment pending long-term commitment or distribution to investors.

3. (i) For purposes of this paragraph (d) a "venture capital investment" is an investment in a operating company (other than a venture capital operating company) as to which the investor has or obtains management rights.

2. The term "management rights" means contractual rights directly between the investor and an operating company to substantially participate in, or substantially influence the conduct of, the management of the operating company.

4. (I) An investment is a "derivative investment" for purposes of this paragraph (d) if it is -

1. A venture capital investment as to which the investor's management rights have ceased in connection with a public offering of securities of the operating company to which the investment relates, or
2. An investment that is acquired by a venture capital operating company in the ordinary course of its business in exchange for an existing venture capital investment in connection with:

1. A public offering of securities of the operating company to which the existing venture capital investment relates, or
2. A merger or reorganization of the operating company to which the existing venture capital investment relates, provided that such merger or reorganization is made for independent business reasons unrelated to extinguishing management rights.

2. An investment ceases to be a derivative investment on the later of:

1. 10 years from the date of the acquisition of the original venture capital investment to which the derivative investment relates, or
2. 30 months from the date on which the investment becomes a derivative investment.

5. For purposes of this paragraph (d) and paragraph (e) -

1. An "initial valuation date" is the later of -

1. Any date designated by the company within the 12-month period ending with the effective date of this section, or
2. The first date on which an entity makes an investment that is not a short-term investment of funds pending long-term commitment.

2. An "annual valuation period" is a pre-established annual period, not exceeding 90 days in duration, which begins no later than the anniversary of an entity's initial valuation date. An annual valuation period, once established may not be changed except for good cause unrelated to a determination under this paragraph (d) or paragraph (e).

5. "Real Estate Operating Company". An entity is a "real estate operating company" for the period beginning on an initial valuation date described in paragraph (d)(5)(i) and ending on the last day of the first "annual valuation period" described in paragraph (d)(5)(ii) (in the case of an entity that is not a real estate operating company immediately before the determination) or for the 12-month period following the expiration of an annual valuation period described in paragraph (d)(5)(ii) (in the case of an entity that is a real estate operating company immediately before the determination) if:

1. On such initial valuation date, or on any date within such annual valuation period, at least 50 percent of its assets, valued at cost (other than short-term investments pending long-term commitment or distribution to investors), are invested in real estate which is managed or developed and with respect to which such entity has the right to substantially participate directly in the management or development activities; and
2. During such 12-month period (or during the period beginning on the initial valuation date and ending on the last day of the first annual valuation period) such entity in the ordinary course of its business is engaged directly in real estate management or development activities.

6. Participation by Benefit Plan Investors.

1. Equity participation in an entity by benefit plan investors is "significant" on any date if, immediately after the most recent acquisition of any equity interest in the entity, 25 percent or more of the value of any class of equity interests in the entity is held by benefit plan investors (as defined in paragraph (f)(2)). For purposes of determinations pursuant to this paragraph (f), the value of any equity interests held by a person (other than a benefit plan investor) who has discretionary authority or control with respect to the assets of the entity or any person who provides investment advice for a fee (direct or indirect) with respect to such assets, or any affiliate of such a person, shall be disregarded.
2. A "benefit plan investor" is any of the following -

1. Any employee benefit plan (as defined in section 3(3) of the Act), whether or not it is subject to the provisions of Title I of the Act,
2. Any plan described in section 4975(e)(1) of the Internal Rev. Code,
3. Any entity whose underlying assets include plan assets by reason of a plan's investment in the entity.

3. An "affiliate" of a person includes any person, directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the person. For purposes of this paragraph (f)(3), "control", with respect to a person other than an individual, means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of such person.

7. Joint Ownership. For purposes of this section, where a plan jointly owns property with others, or where the value of a plan's equity interest in an entity relates solely to identified property of the entity, such property shall be treated as the sole property of a separate entity.
8. Specific Rules Relating to Plan Investment. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section-

1. Except where the entity is an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, when a plan acquires or holds an interest in any of the following entities its assets include its investment and an undivided interest in each of the underlying assets of the entity:

1. A group trust which is exempt from taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code pursuant to the principles of Rev. Rul. 81-100, 1981-1 C.B. 326,
2. A common or collective trust fund of a bank,
3. A separate account of an insurance company, other than a separate account that is maintained solely in connection with fixed contractual obligations of the insurance company under which the amounts payable, or credited, to the plan and to any participant or beneficiary of the plan (including an annuitant) are not affected in any manner by the investment performance of the separate account.

2. When a plan acquires or holds an interest in any entity (other than an insurance company licensed to do business in a State) which is established or maintained for the purpose of offering or providing any benefit described in section 3(1) or section 3(2) of the Act to participants or beneficiaries of the investing plan, its assets will include its investment and an undivided interest in the underlying assets of that entity.
3. When a plan or a related group of plans owns all of the outstanding equity interests (other than director's qualifying shares) in an entity, its assets include those equity interests and all of the underlying assets of the entity. This paragraph (h)(3) does not apply, however, where all of the outstanding equity interests in an entity are qualifying employer securities described in section 407(d)(5) of the Act, owned by one or more eligible individual account plan(s) (as defined in section 407(d)(3) of the Act) maintained by the same employer, provided that substantially all of the participants in the plan(s) are, or have been, employed by the issuer of such securities or by members of a group of affiliated corporations (as determined under section 407(d)(7) of the Act) of which the issuer is a member.
4. For purposes of paragraph (h)(3), a "related group" of employee benefit plans consists of every group of two or more employee benefit plans

1. Each of which receives 10 percent or more of its aggregate contributions from the same employer or from members of the same controlled group of corporations (as determined under section 1563(a) of the Internal Revenue Code, without regard to section 1563(a)(4) thereof); or
2. Each of which is either maintained by, or maintained pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement negotiated by, the same employee organization or affiliated employee organizations. For purposes of this paragraph, an "affiliate" of an employee organization means any person controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such organization, and includes any organization chartered by the same parent body, or governed by the same constitution and bylaws, or having the relation of parent and subordinate.

9. Governmental Mortgage Pools.

1. Where a plan acquires a guaranteed governmental mortgage pool certificate, as defined in paragraph (i)(2), the plan's assets include the certificate and all of its rights with respect to such certificate under applicable law, but do not, solely by reason of the plan's holding of such certificate, include any of the mortgages underlying such certificate.
2. A "guaranteed governmental mortgage pool certificate" is a certificate backed by, or evidencing an interest in, specified mortgages or participation interests therein and with respect to which interest and principal payable pursuant to the certificate is guaranteed by the United States or an agency or instrumentality thereof. The term "guaranteed governmental mortgage pool certificate" includes a mortgage pool certificate with respect to which interest and principal payable pursuant to the certificate is guaranteed by:

1. The Government National Mortgage Association;
2. The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation; or
3. The Federal National Mortgage Association.

10. Examples. [NOTE: Subsection (j) of the regulation is omitted.]
11. Effective Date and Transitional Rules.

1. In general, this section is effective for purposes of identifying the assets of a plan or after March 13, 1987. Except as a defense, this section shall not apply to investments in an entity in existence on March 13, 1987, if no plan subject to Title I of the Act or plan described in section 4975(e)(1) of the Code (other than a plan described in section 4975(g)(2) or 4975(g)(3)) acquires an interest in the entity from an issuer or underwriter at any time on or after March 13, 1987 except pursuant to a contract binding on the plan in effect on March 13, 1987 with an issuer or underwriter to acquire an interest in the entity.
2. Notwithstanding paragraph (k)(1), this section shall not, except as a defense, apply to a real estate entity described in section 11018(a) of Pub. L. 99-272.

Department of Labor

Regulation 2520.103-5

29 C.F.R. 2520.103-5

Transmittal and certification of information to plan administrator

for annual reporting purposes

Originally issued September 10, 1978 (43 FR 10140)

1. General. In accordance with section 103(a)(2) of the Act, an insurance carrier or other organization which provides benefits under the plan or holds plan assets, a bank or similar institution which holds plan assets, or a plan sponsor, shall transmit and certify such information as needed by the administrator to file the annual report under section 104(a)(1)(A) of the Act and  2520.104a-5 or  2520.104a-6:

1. Within 9 months after the close of the plan year which begins in 1975 or September 30, 1976, whichever is later, and
2. Within 120 days after the close of any plan year which begins after December 31, 1975.

2. Application. This requirement applies with respect to -

1. An insurance carrier or other organization which:

1. Provides from its general asset accounting funds for the payment of benefits under a plan, or
2. Holds assets of a plan in a separate account;

2. A bank, trust company, or similar institution which holds assets of a plan in a common or collective trust, separate trust, or custodial account; and
3. A plan sponsor as defined in section 3(16)(B) of the Act.

3. Contents. The information required to be provided to the administrator shall include -

1. In the case of an insurance carrier or other organization which -

1. Provides funds from its general asset account for the payment of benefits under a plan, upon request of the plan administrator, such information as is contained within the ordinary business records of the insurance carrier or other organization and is needed by the plan administrator to comply with the requirements of section 104(a)(1)(A) of the Act and 2520.104a-5 or 2520.104a-6;
2. Holds assets of a plan in a pooled separate account which is exempted from certain reporting requirements under 2520.103-4, a copy of the annual statement of assets and liabilities of the separate account for the fiscal year of such account that ends with or within the plan year for which the annual report is made, and a statement of the value of the plan's units of participation in the separate account;
3. Holds assets of a plan in a separate account which is not exempted from certain reporting requirements under 2520.103-4, a listing of all transactions of the separate account and, upon request of the plan administrator, such information as is contained within the ordinary business records of the insurance carrier and is needed by the plan administrator to comply with the requirements of section 104(a)(1)(A) of the Act and 2520.104a-5 or 2520.104a-6.

2. In the case of a bank, trust company, or similar institution holding assets of a plan -

1. In a common or collective trust which is exempted from certain reporting requirements under 2520.103-3, a copy of the annual statement of assets and liabilities of the common or collective trust for the fiscal year of such trust that ends with or within the plan year for which the annual report is made, and a statement of the value of the plan's units of participation in the common or collective trust.
2. In a trust which is not exempted from certain reporting requirements under 2520.103-3, a listing of all transactions of the separate trust and, upon request of the plan administrator, such information as is contained within the ordinary business records of the bank, trust company, or similar institution and is needed by the plan administrator to comply with the requirements of section 104(a)(1)(A) of the Act and 2520.104a-5.
3. In a custodial account, upon request of the plan administrator, such information as is contained within the ordinary business records of the bank, trust company, or similar institution and is needed by the plan administrator to comply with the requirements of section 104(a)(1)(A) of the Act and 2520.104a-5 or 2520.104a-6.

3. In the case of a plan sponsor, a listing of all transactions directly or indirectly involving plan assets engaged in by the plan sponsor and such information as is needed by the plan administrator to comply with the requirements of section 104(a)(1)(A) of the Act and 2520.104a-5 or 2520.104a-6.

4. Certification.

1. An insurance carrier or other organization a bank, trust company, or similar institution, or plan sponsor, as described in paragraph (b) of this section, shall certify to the accuracy and completeness of the information described in paragraph (c) of this section by a written declaration which is signed by a person authorized to represent the insurance carrier, bank, or plan sponsor. Such certification will serve as a written assurance of the truth of the facts stated therein.
2. Example of Certification. The XYZ Bank (Insurance Carrier) hereby certifies that the foregoing statement furnished pursuant to 20 C.F.R. 2520.103-5(c) is complete and accurate.

Department of Labor

Regulation 2550.404a-1

C.F.R. 2550.404a-1

Originally issued June 26, 1979 (44 FR 37225)

The technical corrections of 4-4-78 and the amendment of 3-1-89

contained no changes to this regulation.

Editor's Note: Also refer to Interpretive Bulletin 94-1, dealing with the prudence of social ("economically targeted" or ETI) investments. Also see DOL ERISA Regulation 404c-1, which exempts fiduciaries from certain ERISA liability if plans meet certain conditions and participants direct their own investments.

Agency: Department of Labor.

Action: Final regulation.

Summary: This document contains a final regulation relating to the investment duties of a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (the Act). The regulation is relevant to the investment of assets of employee benefit plans for which fiduciaries have investment duties, and, therefore, it affects participants, beneficiaries and fiduciaries of all such plans.

Effective Date: July 23, 1979.

Final Regulation

1. With regard to an investment or investment course of action taken by a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan pursuant to his investment duties, the requirements of Section 404(a)(1)(B) of the Act set forth in subsection (a) of this section are satisfied if the fiduciary (A) has given appropriate consideration to those facts and circumstances that, given the scope of such fiduciary's investment duties, the fiduciary knows or should know are relevant to the particular investment or investment course of action involved, including the role the investment or investment course of action plays in that portion of the plan's investment portfolio with respect to which the fiduciary has investment duties; and (B) has acted accordingly.
2. For purpose of paragraph (1) of this subsection, "appropriate consideration" shall include, but is not necessarily limited to:

1. A determination by the fiduciary that the particular investment course of action is reasonably designed, as part of the portfolio (or, where applicable, that portion of the plan portfolio with respect to which the fiduciary has investment duties), to further the purposes of the plan, taking into consideration the risk of loss and the opportunity for gain (or other return) associated with the investment or investment course of action, and
2. Consideration of the following factors as they relate to such portion of the portfolio:

1. The composition of the portfolio with regard to diversification;
2. The liquidity and current rates of return of the portfolio relative to the anticipated cash flow requirements of the plan, and
3. The projected return of the portfolio relative to the funding objectives of the plan.

3. An investment manager appointed, pursuant to the provisions of Section 402(c)(3) of the Act, to manage all or part of the assets of a plan, may, for purposes of compliance with the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection, rely on, and act upon the basis of, information pertaining to the plan provided by or at the direction of the appointing fiduciary, if -

1. Such information is provided for the stated purpose of assisting the manager in the performance of his investment duties, and
2. The manager does not know and has no reason to know that the information is incorrect.

3. Definitions.

For purposes of this section:

1. The term "investment duties" means any duties imposed upon, or assumed or undertaken by, a person in connection with the investment of plan assets which make or will make such person a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan or which are performed by such person as a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan as defined in Section 3(21)(A)(i) or (ii) of the Act.
2. The term "investment course of action" means any series or program of investments or actions related to a fiduciary's performance of his investment duties.
3. The term "plan" means an employee benefit plan to which Title I of the Act applies.

For further information contact: Paul R. Antsen, Office of Fiduciary Standards, Pension and Welfare Benefit Programs, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. 20216, (202) 522-8971, or Gregor B. McCurdy, Plan Benefits Security Division, Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department of Labor, Washington, D.C. 20216. (202) 523-9141.

Supplemantary information: On April 25, 1978, notice was published in the Federal Register (43 FR 17480)¹ that the Department had under consideration a proposal to adopt a regulation, 29 C.F.R. 2550.404a-1, under section 404(a)(1)(B) of the Act, relating to the investment duties of a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan. Section 404(a)(1)(B) of the Act provides, in part, that a fiduciary shall discharge his duties with respect to an employee benefit plan with the care, skill, prudence, and diligence under the circumstances then prevailing that a prudent man acting in a like capacity and familiar with such matters would use in the conduct of an enterprise of a like character and with like aims (the "Prudence" rule).²

Public comments were received, in response to the proposal, that generally supported the tentative views of the Department reflected therein, although many suggestions for specific revisions were offered. A few comments opposed the adoption of the proposed or of any, regulation concerning these matters. Among the reasons given in opposition to the adoption of the proposed regulation were: (1) that the courts, rather than the Department, should determine how the "prudence" rule is to be interpreted, (2) that the Department's views regarding the requirements of the "Prudence" rule, as reflected in the proposed regulation, are incorrect, (3) that it is impractical to attempt to define "prudence" by regulation; and (4) that the proposal did not accomplish its stated objectives. The Department has considered the comments opposing adoption of the regulation, but has not been persuaded that the interpretation of the requirements of the "prudence" rule set forth below is incorrect. It believes, moreover, that adoption of a regulation concerning the investment duties of fiduciaries under the "prudence" rule is appropriate because such a regulation would provide guidance for many plan fiduciaries in an important area of their responsibilities under the Act.

Counsel for one group of interested persons, while supporting the proposed regulation in principle, asked that they be given an opportunity to express their views at a public hearing on the proposed regulation. They also suggested that the regulation should, in any event, be republished to give interested persons additional opportunity for comment. The Department has considered these requests, but has determined that neither a public hearing nor republication of a proposed regulation is necessary or appropriate.

Accordingly, after consideration of all the written comments received, the Department has determined to adopt the proposed regulation as modified and set forth below.

The legislative history of the Act indicates that the common law of trusts, which forms the basis for and is federalized and codified in part 4 of Title I of the Act, should, nevertheless, not be mechanically applied to employee benefit plans.³ The "prudence" rule in the Act sets forth a standard built upon, but that should and does depart from, traditional trust law in certain respects.

The Department is of the opinion that (1) generally, the relative riskiness of a specific investment or investment course of action does not render such investment or investment course of action either per se prudent or per se imprudent, and (2) the prudence of an investment decision should not be judged without regard to the role that the proposed investment or investment course of action plays with the overall plan portfolio. Thus, although securities Issued by a small or new company may be a riskier investment than securities issued by a "blue chip" company, the investment in the former company may be entirely proper under the Act's prudence" rule.

Accordingly, paragraph (b)(1) of the regulation, as adopted, provides generally that, with respect to an investment or investment course of action taken pursuant to a fiduciary's investment duties, the requirements of the "prudence" rule have been satisfied if the fiduciary has acted in a manner consistent with appropriate consideration of the facts and circumstances that the fiduciary knows or should know are relevant, including the role that the investment or investment course of action plays in that portion of the plan's investment portfolio with respect to which the fiduciary has investment duties. Paragraph (b), as adopted, has been modified in response to certain comments received on the regulation as originally proposed.

As a general observation, the comments received by the Department indicated that many commentators were uncertain of the scope of the proposed regulation. In particular, some commentators appear to have viewed the various factors and conditions set forth in the proposal as a statement of requirements that must necessarily be met in order to satisfy the requirements of the "Prudence" rule. In this regard, it should be noted that the regulation reflects the views of the Department as to a manner of satisfying the requirements of the "prudence" rule, and does not purport to impose any additional requirements or constraints upon plan fiduciaries. It should also be noted that the Department does not view compliance with the provisions of the regulation as necessarily constituting the exclusive method for satisfying the requirements of the "prudence" rule. Rather, the regulation is in the nature of a "safe harbor" provision; it is the opinion of the Department that fiduciaries who comply with the provisions of the regulation will have satisfied the requirements of the "prudence" rule, but no opinion is expressed in the regulation as to the status of activities undertaken or performed that do not so comply.

With regard to more particular matters, a number of comments suggested that one condition of the proposal - that a fiduciary give appropriate consideration to "all" relevant facts and circumstance - could be read as establishing an impossible standard, especially for fiduciaries of small plans, because (1) no fiduciary has unlimited resources to develop all the information that one might deem to be relevant to a particular investment decision, and (2) no fiduciary can be expected to consider all the relevant facts and circumstances, whether or not of material significance.

Because section 404(a)(1)(B) of the Act provides that it is the fiduciary's duties with respect to the plan which must be discharged in accordance with the "prudence" rule, it appears to the Department that the scope of those duties will determine, in part, the factors which should be considered by a plan fiduciary in a given case. The nature of those duties will, of course, depend on the facts and circumstances of the case, including the nature of the arrangement between the fiduciary and the plan. For that reason, the regulation, as adopted, does not distinguish among classes of fiduciaries with respect to what particular duties may be involved. The Department recognizes, however, that a fiduciary should be required neither to expend unreasonable effort in discharging his duties. nor to consider matters outside the scope of those duties. Accordingly, the regulation has been modified to provide that consideration be given to those facts and circumstances which take into account the scope of his investment duties, the fiduciary knows or should know are relevant to the particular investment decision involved. The scope of the fiduciary's inquiry in this respect, therefore, is limited to those facts and circumstances that a prudent person having similar duties and familiar with such matters would consider relevant.

Several commentators asserted that the regulation, in recognition of the Act's provisions permitting delegation of investment duties to, and allocation among, several fiduciaries, should permit a fiduciary who is responsible for the management of plan assets to rely on information supplied by appropriate other plan fiduciaries, and to act in accordance with policies and instructions supplied by those persons in making decisions on the investment of plan assets. Those comments, generally, addressed the situation where several investment managers are involved in managing the assets of a plan, each being responsible for a portion of the plan's investment portfolio.⁴ Under those circumstances, it would not, in the view of the commentators, be appropriate to require a fiduciary who is responsible for only a portion of the plan's portfolio to take into consideration facts and circumstances relating to the balance of the portfolio in making an investment decision. The Department agrees, in part, with those comments. Accordingly, paragraph (b)(1) of the regulation as adopted also provides that such a fiduciary need give appropriate consideration to the role the proposed investment or investment course of action plays in that portion only, of the plan's investment portfolio, with respect to which the fiduciary has investment duties.

However, the Department cannot state that, under the foregoing circumstances, a fiduciary is entitled blindly to rely upon instructions or policies established by other plan fiduciaries. Similarly, the regulation does not provide, as requested by one commentator, that the assets of a pooled investment fund may be invested in accordance with its published investment objectives and policies without requiring that consideration be given to the particular needs of any individual plan that has an interest in the fund. It would appear that where authority to manage part (or all) of the assets of a plan has been delegated to one or more investment managers pursuant to section 402(c)(3) of the Act, the primary responsibility for determining that the delegation is appropriate rests with the named fiduciary or fiduciaries effecting the delegation. Nevertheless, the Department considers that each such manager's investment duties, under section 404(a)(1)(B) of the Act, includes (among other things) a duty not to act in accordance with a delegation of plan investment duties to the extent that the manager either knows or should know that the delegation involves a breach of fiduciary responsibility.⁵ Once the manager has considered factors otherwise necessary to assure himself that the delegation of investment authority and related specific instructions are appropriate, he may, in exercising such authority and carrying out such instructions, rely upon information provided to him in accordance with the provisions of new paragraph (b)(3) of the regulation. That paragraph provides that an investment manager responsible for the management of all or part of a plan's assets pursuant to an appointment described in section 402(c)(3) of the Act may, for purposes o f complying with the provisions of the regulation, rely upon certain information supplied to him by or at the direction of the appointing fiduciary, provided that the manager neither knows or should know that the information is incorrect.

Paragraph (b)(1) of the proposed regulation also been revised in order to make clear that the fiduciary's acts do not satisfy the "prudence" rule solely because the fiduciary had previously given consideration to relevant facts and circumstances. Some comments questioned whether, under the regulation as originally proposed, a fiduciary might be deemed to be "immunized" once he had given such consideration, not withstanding the nature of his subsequent acts. The regulation, as adopted, provides that it is the "investment" or "investment course of action" in question that will satisfy the requirements of the prudence rule if the criteria set forth in the regulation are met.

Paragraph (b)(2) of the regulation sets forth factors that are to be included, to the extent applicable, in an evaluation of an investment or investment course of action if a fiduciary wishes to rely on the provisions of the regulation. They are: (1) the composition of the portfolio with regard to diversification; (2) the liquidity and current return of the portfolio relative to the anticipated cash flow requirements of the plan; and (3) the projected return of the portfolio relative to the objectives of the plan. These factors are adopted substantially as proposed, except that the first factor has been revised, in response to questions raised by some of the comments, to make clear that the word "diversification" is to be given its customary meaning as a mechanism for reducing the risk of large losses; that factor, as originally proposed, referred to "diversification of risk." The second factor has also been modified in order to make clear that its principal subject matter is all anticipated cash requirements of the plan, and not solely those arising by reason of payment of benefits. A fourth factor set forth in the proposal which related to the "volatility" of the portfolio, has been eliminated as a factor specifically to be considered because, although paragraph (b)(2) as adopted sets forth factors which must be considered in all cases in order to comply with the provisions of the regulation⁶, the reference to volatility may be read, according to some comments, as suggesting that only certain portfolio management techniques are appropriate. Moreover, as discussed more fully below, the subject of risk and opportunity for gain - which subsumes consideration of "volatility" in some respects - is now addressed in subparagraph (A) of paragraph (b)(2). A former fifth factor, which read "the prevailing and projected economic conditions of the entities in which the plan has invested and proposes to invest," is also deal t with in that subparagraph.

Several commentators suggested that inclusion of that fifth factor in the regulation would be contrary to the intent of the proposal because it focuses attention on the individual investment, rather than on the aggregate plan portfolio. Others objected to its inclusion on the ground that it is antithetical to the theory of operation of certain "passive" investment media (such as "index" funds) that acquire portfolios designed to match the performance of various investment indices and that, accordingly, have little or no discretion in altering the composition of their portfolios.⁷

The regulation, however, is not intended to suggest either that any relevant or material attributes of a contemplated investment may properly be ignored or disregarded, or that a particular plan investment should be deemed to be prudent solely by reason of the propriety of the aggregate risk/return characteristics of the plan's portfolio. Rather, it is the Department's view that an investment reasonably designed - as a part of the portfolio - to further the purposes of the plan, and that is made upon appropriate consideration of the surrounding facts and circumstances, should not be deemed to be imprudent merely because the investment, standing alone, would have, for example, a relatively high degree of risk. The Department also believes that appropriate consideration of an investment to further the purposes of the plan must include consideration of the characteristics of the investment itself. Accordingly, paragraph (b)(2) of the regulation provides that, for purposes of paragraph (b)(1), "appropriate consideration" shall include a determination by the fiduciary that the particular investment or investment course of action is reasonably designed, as part of the portfolio for which the fiduciary is responsible, to further the purposes of the plan, taking into account the risk of loss and the opportunity for gain (or other return) associated with the investment or investment course of action.⁸

In the case of "passive" investment funds, referred to above, it would seem that, to the extent the fund manager is managing plan assets,⁹ the investments made by the fund, as well as the plan's investment in the fund, must meet the requirements of the "prudence" rule. However, to the extent that an index fund, including the screen or filter process described above at note 7, is reasonably designed to fulfill the fund manager's fiduciary obligations with respect to a plan whose assets are managed therein, such manager, acting in accordance with the fund's objective and its filter or screen process, generally would be in compliance with the provisions of the "prudence" rule, as described in the regulation, with respect to that plan.

The terms "investment duties" and "investment course of action" are defined in paragraphs (c)(1) and (2) of the regulation. No comments were received regarding these definitions, and they have been adopted substantially in the form proposed. New paragraph (c)(3) has been added, defining the term "plan" to mean an employee benefit plan to which Title I of the Act applies.

Counsel for one group of commentators characterized the factors set forth in paragraph (b)(2) as relating solely to the "investment merit" of a particular investment or investment course of action. Because, in the view of those commentators, the prudence of the acquisition or retention of a contract Issued by an insurance company may involve factors besides "investment merit", they suggested that the regulation should contain a separate provision that would set forth two factors to be considered by a fiduciary, in evaluating the prudence of the acquisition or retention of such a contract: the risks assumed, and the services provided, by the insurance company. The Department is unable to concur with the commentators' view that the regulation as proposed dealt only with matters of "investment merit" as narrowly perceived in the comment. The Department agrees that such factors as the risk to be assumed and the services to be provided under a contract are pertinent to any investment decision involving such contract. The regulation as adopted specifically provides that, in order to come within the scope of the regulation, a fiduciary shall consider the facts and circumstances the fiduciary knows or should know are relevant to the investment decision, and that the factors set forth in paragraph (b)(2) are not intended to be exclusive. Accordingly, the Department believes that it is unnecessary to set forth additional factors with respect to insurance contracts or other specific types of investment.

Two commentators suggested that the Department clarify that the adoption of the regulation would not result in fiduciaries being required to invest in expensive systems or analyses to make investment decisions. Under the "prudence" rule, the standard to which a fiduciary is held in the proper discharge of his investment duties is defined, in part, by what a prudent person acting in a like capacity and familiar with such matters would do. Thus, for example, it would not seem necessary for a fiduciary of a plan with assets of $50,000 to employ, in all respects, the same investment management techniques as would a fiduciary of a plan with assets of $50,000,000.

Numerous comments were received with respect to the factors set forth in paragraph (b)(2). Several persons requested that the Department clarify or define terms such as "diversification of risk". "risk," "volatility" and "liquidity." For example, some persons asked what specific measurements of volatility, risk and liquidity should be utilized by fiduciaries in making investment decisions for a plan. The Department believes that, in view of the modifications (discussed above) made in the regulation as adopted, it is neither necessary nor appropriate for the regulation to contain such definitions. Several commentators asserted that certain specific types of investments such as, for example, investment in small or recently formed companies, or nonincome producing investments that are not securities (such as, for example, certain precious metals and objects of art) have not been viewed with favor, traditionally, as trust investments. Those comments urged that the regulation specify the extent to which such investments are permissible under the "prudence" rule. Other commentators made reference to the traditional principle that trust investments should be income producing, and suggested that the appropriate measure of investment "return" should be defined to mean 'total return" - that is, an aggregate return computed without regard to whether a contributing factor thereto consists of income or capital items. Although the Department considers that defining "return" would be beyond the appropriate scope of this regulation, it believes that the "prudence" rule does not require that every plan investment produce current income under all circumstances. As indicated above and in the preamble to the proposed regulation, the Department believes that the universe of investments permissible under the "prudence" rule is not necessarily limited to those permitted at common law.

However, the Department does not consider it appropriate to include in the regulation any list of investments, classes of investment, or investment techniques that might be permissible under the "prudence" rule. No such list could be complete; moreover, the Department does not intend to create or suggest a "legal list" of investments for plan fiduciaries.

The preamble to the proposed regulation stated (as does this preamble) that the risk level of an investment does not alone make the investment per se prudent or per se imprudent. Comments were received which asserted that such proposition is inappropriate and would promote irresponsibility on the part of plan fiduciaries. Other commentators not only agreed with the proposition, but also suggested that it should be incorporated in the regulation. The Department believes that both of these concerns are addressed by the modifications, discussed above, made to paragraph (b)(2) of the regulation as adopted.

The Department has determined that this regulation is not a "significant regulation" as defined in the Department's guidelines (44 FR 5570, January 26, 1979) implementing Executive Order 12044.

The regulation set forth below is adopted pursuant to the authority contained in section 505 of the Act (Pub. L. 93-406, 88 Stat. 894 (29 USC  1135)). Although the regulation is an "interpretative rule" within the meaning of 5 USC  553(d), the effective date of the regulation is July 23, 1979, consistent with the statement of the Department, in connection with the regulation as proposed. that such regulation would be effective 30 days after its adoption.

Accordingly, Part 2550 of Chapter XXV of Title 29 of the Code of Federal) Regulations is amended by inserting in the appropriate place to read  2550.404a-1.

Signed at Washington, D.C, this 20th day of June 1979.

Ian D. Lanoff, Administrator

Pension and Welfare Benefit Programs

Labor-Management Services Administration

United States Department of Labor

- Footnotes -

1. See also 43 FR 27208 (June 23, 1978), in which notice was given of an extension of the original comment period.
2. The regulation pertains only to the investment duties of a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan. Section 404(a)(1)(B) of the Act, however, requires that a fiduciary discharge all of his duties in accordance with the "prudence" rule.
3. It should also be noted that although the proposed regulation made reference to an additional requirement of section 404(a)(1) - that the fiduciary discharge his duties solely in the interest of plan participants and beneficiaries - that reference has been deleted from the regulation as adopted. This was done to avoid suggesting that satisfaction of the "prudence" rule with respect to an investment or investment course of action necessarily implies satisfaction of that additional requirement.
4. See, e.g., H.R. Rep. No. 1280, 93d Cong., 2d Sess. 302 (1974).
5. See sections 403(a)(2) and 402(c)(3) of the Act.
6. Further, section 405(a) of the Act provides, in part, that a plan fiduciary shall be liable for a breach of fiduciary liability of another fiduciary with respect to the same plan if, among other things, he has knowledge of such a breach and does not make reasonable efforts to remedy it, or he has enabled such other fiduciary to commit a breach by his failure to comply with the requirements of section 404(a)(1) of the Act in the administration of his specific responsibilities which give rise to his status as a fiduciary.
7. Paragraph (b)(2) of the regulation, as proposed, stated that the factors which should be considered may include those listed. In order to reduce uncertainty, reflected in the comments, regarding the application of the regulation, and in view of the fact that the regulation is in the nature of a "safe harbor" provision, paragraph (b)(2) has been restructured so as to indicate the factors which should under all circumstances be considered by any fiduciary who wishes to rely on the provisions of the rule.
8. It should be noted that index funds typically include a screen or filter process by which portfolio investments for any such fund may be changed to reflect significant adverse financial developments affecting any potential or existing portfolio company, notwithstanding the continued inclusion of the company in the index against which the fund is measured.
9. The term "risk" is used here in its ordinary sense, and refers to any and all types of risk applicable to a particular investment or investment course of action.
10. See, e.g., section 401(b) of the Act.

Department of Labor

Regulation 2550.404b-1

29 C.F.R. 2550.404b-1

Originally issued October 4, 1977 (42 FR 54124)

Amended January 6, 1981 (46 FR 1267)

1. No fiduciary may maintain the indicia of ownership of any assets of a plan outside the jurisdiction of the district courts of the United States, unless:

1. Such assets are:

1. Securities issued by a person, as defined in section 3(9) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (Act) (other than an individual), which is not organized under the laws of the United States or a State and does not have its principal place of business within the United States,
2. Securities issued by a government other than the government of the United States or of a State, or any political subdivision, agency or instrumentality of such a government,
3. Securities issued by a person, as defined in section 3(9) of the Act (other than an individual), the principal trading market for which securities is outside the jurisdiction of the district courts of the United States, or
4. Currency issued by a government other than the government of the United States if such currency is maintained outside the jurisdiction of the district courts of the United States solely as an incident to the purchase, sale or maintenance of securities described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section; and

2. (i) Such assets are under the management and control of a fiduciary which is a corporation or partnership organized under the laws of the United States or a State, which fiduciary has its principal place of business within the United States and which is -

1. A bank as defined in section 202(a)(2) of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 that has, as of the last day of its most recent fiscal year, equity capital in excess of $1,000,000;
2. An insurance company which is qualified under the laws of more than one State to manage, acquire, or dispose of any asset of a plan, which company has, as of the last day of its most recent fiscal year, net worth in excess of $1,000,000 and which is subject to supervision and examination by the State authority having supervision over insurance companies; or
3. An investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 that has, as of the last day of its most recent fiscal year, total client assets under its management and control in excess $50,000,000 and either

1. Shareholders' or partners' equity in excess of $750,000 or
2. All of its obligations and liabilities assumed or guaranteed by a person described in paragraph (a)(2)(i)(A), (B), or (C)(1) or (a)(2)(ii)(A)(2) of this section; or

2. Such indicia or ownership are either:

1. In the physical possession of, or, as a result of normal business operations, are in transit to the physical possession of, a person which is organized under the laws of the United States or a State, which person has its principal place of business in the United States and which is -

1. A bank as defined in section 202(a)(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 that has, as of the last day of its most recent fiscal year, equity capital in excess of $1,000,000;
2. A broker of dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that has, as of the last day of its most recent fiscal year, net worth in excess of $750,000; or
3. A broker or dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that has all of its obligations and liabilities assumed or guaranteed by a person described in paragraph (a)(2)(i)(A), (B), or (C)(1) or (a)(2)(ii)(A)(2) of this section; or

2. Maintained by a broker or dealer, described in paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(A)(2) or (3) of this section, in the custody of an entity designated by the Securities and Exchange Commission as a "satisfactory control location" with respect to such broker or dealer pursuant to Rule 15c3-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 provided that:

1. Such entity holds the indicia of ownership as agent for the broker or dealer, and
2. Such broker or dealer is liable to the plan to the same extent it would be if it retained the physical possession of the indicia of ownership pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(A) of this section.

3. Maintained by a bank described in paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(A)(1), in the custody of an entity that is a foreign securities depository, foreign clearing agency which acts as a securities depository, or foreign bank which entity is supervised or regulated by a government agency or regulatory authority in the foreign jurisdiction having authority over such depositories, clearing agencies or banks, provided that:

1. The foreign entity holds the indicia of ownership as agent for the bank;
2. The bank is liable to the plan to the same extent it would be if it retained the physical possession of the indicia of ownership within the U.S.
3. The indicia of ownership are not subject to any right, charge, security interest, lien or claim of any kind in favor of the foreign entity except for their safe custody or administration;
4. Beneficial ownership of the assets represented by the indicia of ownership is freely transferable without the payment of money or value other than for safe custody or administration; and
5. Upon request by the plan fiduciary who is responsible for the selection and retention of the bank, the bank identifies to such fiduciary the name, address and principal place of business of the foreign entity which acts as custodian for the plan pursuant to this paragraph (a)(2)(ii)(C), and the name and address of the governmental agency or other regulatory authority that supervises or regulates that foreign entity.

2. Notwithstanding any requirement of paragraph (a) of this section, a fiduciary, with respect to a plan may maintain in Canada the indicia of ownership of plan assets which are attributable to a contribution made on behalf of a plan participant who is a citizen or resident of Canada, if such indicia of ownership must remain in Canada in order for the plan to qualify for and maintain tax exempt status under the laws of Canada or to comply with other applicable laws of Canada or any Province of Canada.
3. For purposes of this regulation:

1. The term "management and control" means the power to direct the acquisition or disposition through purchase, sale, pledging, or other means; and
2. The term "depository" means any company, or agency or instrumentality of government, that acts as a custodian of securities in connection with a system for the central handling of securities whereby all securities of a particular class or series or any issuer deposited within the system are treated as fungible and may be transferred, loaned, or pledged by bookkeeping entry without physical delivery of securities certificates.

Department of Labor

Regulation 2550.404c-1

29 C.F.R. 2550.404c-1.

1. Provides an opportunity for a participant or beneficiary to exercise control over assets in his individual account (see paragraph (b)(2) of this section); and
2. Provides a participant or beneficiary an opportunity to choose, from a broad range of investment alternatives, the manner in which some or all of the assets in his account are invested (see paragraph (b)(3) of this section).

2. Opportunity to exercise control.

1. A plan provides a participant or beneficiary an opportunity to exercise control over assets in his account only if -

1. Under the terms of the plan, the participant or beneficiary has a reasonable opportunity to give investment instructions (in writing or otherwise, with opportunity to obtain written confirmation of such instructions) to an identified plan fiduciary who is obligated to comply with such instructions except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(B) and (d)(2)(ii) of this section; and
2. The participant or beneficiary is provided or has the opportunity to obtain sufficient information to make informed decisions with regard to investment alternatives available under the plan, and incidents of ownership appurtenant to such investments. For purposes of this subparagraph, a participant or beneficiary will not be considered to have sufficient investment information unless -

1. The participant or beneficiary is provided by an identified plan fiduciary (or a person or persons designated by the plan fiduciary to act on his behalf):

1. An explanation that the plan is intended to constitute a plan described in section 404(c) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and title 29 of the Code of Federal Regulations Section 2550.440c-1, and that the fiduciaries of the plan may be relieved of liability for any losses which are the direct and necessary result of investment instructions given by such participant or beneficiary;
2. A description of the investment alternatives available under the plan and, with respect to each designated investment alternative, a general description of the investment objectives and risk and return characteristics of each such alternative, including information relating to the type and diversification of assets comprising the portfolio of the designated investment alternative;
3. Identification of any designated investment managers;
4. An explanation of the circumstances under which participants and beneficiaries may give investment instructions and explanation of any specified limitations on such instructions under the terms of the plan, including any restrictions on transfer to or from a designated investment alternative and any restrictions on the exercise of voting, tender and similar rights appurtenant to a participant's or beneficiary's investment in an investment alternative;
5. A description of any transaction fees and expenses which affect the participant's or beneficiary's account balance in connection with purchases or sales of interests in investment alternatives (e.g., commissions, sales load, deferred sales charges, redemption or exchange fees);
6. The name, address, and phone number of the plan fiduciary (and, if applicable, the person or persons designated by the plan fiduciary to act on his behalf) responsible for providing the information described in paragraph (b)(2)(i)(B)(2) upon request of a participant or beneficiary and a description of the information described in paragraph (b)(2)(i)(B)(2) which may be obtained on request;
7. In the case of plans which offer an investment alternative which is designed to permit a participant or beneficiary to directly or indirectly acquire or sell any employer security (employer security alternative), a description of the procedures established to provide for the confidentiality of information relating to the purchase, holding and sale of employer securities, and the exercise of voting, tender and similar rights, by participants and beneficiaries, and the name, address and phone number of the plan fiduciary, responsible for monitoring compliance with the procedures (see paragraphs (d)(2)(ii)(E)(4)(vii), (viii) and (ix) of this section); and
8. In the case of an investment alternative which is subject to the Securities Act of 1933, and in which the participant or beneficiary has no assets invested, immediately following the participant's or beneficiary's initial investment, a copy of the most recent prospectus provided to the plan. This condition will be deemed satisfied if the participant or beneficiary has been provided with a copy of such most recent prospectus immediately prior to the participant's or beneficiary's initial investment in such alternative;
9. Subsequent to an investment in a investment alternative, any materials provided to the plan relating to the exercise of voting, tender or similar rights which are incidental to the holding in the account of the participant or beneficiary of an ownership interest in such alternative to the extent that such rights are passed through to participants and beneficiaries under the terms of the plan, as well as a description of or reference to plan provisions relating to the exercise of voting, tender or similar rights.

2. The participants or beneficiary is provided by the identified plan fiduciary (or a person or persons designated by the plan fiduciary to act on his behalf), either directly or upon request, the following information, which shall be based on the latest information available to the plan:

1. A description of the annual operating expenses of each designated investment alternative (e.g., investment management fees, administrative fees, transaction costs) which reduce the rate of return to participants and beneficiaries, and the aggregate amount of such expenses expressed as a percentage of average net assets of the designated investment alternative;
2. Copies of any prospectuses, financial statements and reports, and of any other materials relating to the investment alternatives available under the plan, to the extent such information is provided to the plan;
3. A list of the assets comprising the portfolio of each designated investment alternative which constitute plan assets within the meaning of 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-101, the value of each such asset (or the proportion of the investment alternative which it comprises), and, with respect to each such asset which is a fixed rate investment contract issued by a bank, savings and loan association or insurance company, the name of the issuer of the contract, the term of the contract and the rate of return on the contract;
4. Information concerning the value of shares or units in designated investment alternatives available to participants and beneficiaries under the plan, as well as the past and current investment performance of such alternatives, determined net of expenses, on a reasonable and consistent basis; and
5. Information concerning the value of shares or units in designated investment alternatives held in the accounts of the participant or beneficiary.

2. A plan does not fail to provide an opportunity for a participant or beneficiary to exercise control over his individual account merely because it -

1. Imposes charges for reasonable expenses. A plan may charge participants' and beneficiaries' accounts for the reasonable expenses of carrying out investment instructions, provided that procedures are established under the plan to periodically inform such participants and beneficiaries of actual expenses incurred with respect to their respective individual accounts;
2. Permits a fiduciary to decline to implement investment instructions by participants and beneficiaries. A fiduciary may decline to implement participant and beneficiary instructions which are described at paragraph (d)(2)(ii) of this section, as well as instructions specified in the plan, including instructions -

1. Which would result in a prohibited transaction described in ERISA section  406 or section  4975 of the Internal Revenue Code, and
2. Which would generate income that would be taxable to the plan;

3. Imposes reasonable restrictions on frequency of investment instructions. A plan may impose reasonable restrictions on the frequency with which participants and beneficiaries may give investment instructions. In no event however, is such a restriction reasonable unless, with respect to each investment alternative made available by the plan, it permits participants and beneficiaries to give investment instructions with a frequency which is appropriate in light of the market volatility to which the investment alternative may reasonably be expected to be subject, provided that -

1. At least three of the investment alternatives made available pursuant to the requirements of paragraph (b)(3)(i)(B) of this section, which constitute a broad range of investment alternatives, permit participants and beneficiaries to give investment instructions no less frequently than once within any three month period; and
2. (i) At least one of the investment alternatives meeting the requirements of paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(C)(1) of this section permits participants and beneficiaries to give investment instructions with regard to transfers into the investment alternative as frequently as participants and beneficiaries are permitted to give investment instructions with respect to any investment alternative made available by the plan which permits participants and beneficiaries to give investment instructions more frequently than once within any three month period; or

1. With respect to each investment alternative which permits participants and beneficiaries to give investment instructions more frequently than once within any three month period, participants and beneficiaries are permitted to direct their investments from such alternative into an income producing, low risk, liquid fund, subfund, or account as frequently as their are permitted to give investment instructions with respect to each such alternative and, with respect to such fund, subfund or account, participants and beneficiaries are permitted to direct investments from the fund, subfund or account to an investment alternative meeting the requirements of paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(C)(1) as frequently as they are permitted to give investment instructions with respect to that investment alternative; and

3. With respect to transfers from an investment alternative which is designed to permit a participant or beneficiary to directly or indirectly acquire or sell any employer security (employer security alternative) either:

1. All of the investment alternatives meeting the requirements of paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(C)(1) of this section must permit participants and beneficiaries to give investment instructions with regard to transfers into each of the investment alternatives as frequently as participants and beneficiaries are permitted to give investment instructions with respect to the employer security alternative; or
2. Participants and beneficiaries are permitted to direct their investments from each employer security alternative into an income producing, low risk, liquid, fund, subfund, or account as frequently as they are permitted to give investment instructions with respect to such employer security alternative and, with respect to such fund, subfund, or account, participants and beneficiaries are permitted to direct investments from the fund, subfund or account to each investment alternative meeting the requirements of paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(C)(1) as frequently as they are permitted to give investment instructions with respect to each such investment alternative.
3. Paragraph (c) of this section describes the circumstances under which a participant or beneficiary will be considered to have exercised independent control with respect to a particular transaction.

3. Broad range of investment alternatives.

1. A plan offers a broad range of investment alternatives only if the available investment alternatives are sufficient to provide the participant or beneficiary with a reasonable opportunity to:

1. Materially affect the potential return on amounts in his individual account with respect to which he is permitted to exercise control and the degree of risk to which such amounts are subject;
2. Choose from at least three investment alternatives:

1. Each of which is diversified;
2. Each of which has materially different risk and return characteristics;
3. Which in the aggregate enable the participant or beneficiary by choosing among them to achieve a portfolio with aggregate risk and return characteristics at any point within the range normally appropriate for the participant or beneficiary; and
4. Each of which when combined with investments in the other alternatives tends to minimize through diversification the overall risk of a participant's or beneficiary's portfolio;

3. Diversify the investment of that portion of his individual account with respect to which he in permitted to exercise control so as to minimize the risk of large losses, taking into account the nature of the plan and the size of participants' or beneficiaries' accounts. In determining whether a plan provides the participant or beneficiary with a reasonable opportunity to diversify his investments, the nature of the investment alternatives offered by the plan and the size of the portion of the individual's account over which he is permitted to exercise control must be considered. Where such portion of the account of any participant or beneficiary is so limited in size that the opportunity to invest in look-through investment vehicles is the only prudent means to assure an opportunity to achieve appropriate diversification, a plan may satisfy the requirements of this paragraph only by offering look-through investment vehicles.

2. Diversification and look-through investment vehicles. Where look-through investment vehicles are available as investment alternatives to participants and beneficiaries, the underlying investments of the look-through investment shall be considered in determining whether the plan satisfies the requirements of subparagraphs (b)(3)(i)(B) and (b)(3()i)(C).

3. Exercise of control.

1. In general. -

1. Sections 404(c)(1) and 404(c)(2) of the Act and paragraphs (a) and (d) of this section apply only with respect to a transaction where a participant or beneficiary has exercised independent control in fact with respect to the investment of assets in his individual account under an ERISA section 404(c) plan.
2. For purposes of sections 404(c)(1) and 4040(c)(2) [sic] of the Act and paragraphs (a) and (d) of this section, a participant or beneficiary will be deemed to have exercised control with respect to the exercise of voting, tender and similar rights appurtenant to the participant's or beneficiary's ownership interest in an investment alternative, provided that the participant's or beneficiary's investment in the investment alternative was itself the result of an exercise of control, the participant or beneficiary was provided a reasonable opportunity to give instruction with respect to such incidents of ownership, including the provision of the information described in paragraph (b)(2)(i)(B)(1)(ix) of this section, and the participant or beneficiary has not failed to exercise control by reason of the circumstances described in Paragraph (c)(2) with respect to such incidents of ownership.

2. Independent control. Whether a participant or beneficiary has exercised independent control in fact with respect to a transaction depends on the facts and circumstances of the particular case. However, a participant's or beneficiary's exercise of control is not independent in fact if:

1. The participant or beneficiary is subjected to improper influence by a plan fiduciary or the plan sponsor with respect to the transaction;
2. A plan fiduciary has concealed material non-public facts regarding the investment from the participant or beneficiary, unless the disclosure of such information by the plan fiduciary to the participant or beneficiary would violate any provision of federal law or any provision of state law which in not preempted by the Act; or
3. The participant or beneficiary is legally incompetent and the responsible plan fiduciary accepts the instructions of the participant or beneficiary knowing him to be legally incompetent.

1. Participant or beneficiary not a fiduciary. If a participant or beneficiary of an ERISA section 404(c) plan exercises independent control over assets in his individual account in the manner described in paragraph (c), then such participant or beneficiary is not a fiduciary of the plan by reason of such exercise of control.
2. Limitation on liability of plan fiduciaries -

1. If a participant or beneficiary of an ERISA section 404(c) plan exercises independent control over assets in his individual account in the manner described in paragraph (c), then no other person who is a fiduciary with respect to such plan shall be liable for any loss, or with respect to any breach of part 4 of Title I of the Act that is the direct and necessary result of that participant's or beneficiary's exercise of control.
2. Paragraph (d)(2)(i) does not apply with respect to any instruction, which if implemented -

1. Would not be in accordance with the documents and instruments governing the plan insofar as such documents and instruments are consistent with the provisions of Title I of ERISA;
2. Would cause a fiduciary to maintain the indicia of ownership of any assets of the plan outside the jurisdiction of the district courts of the United States other than as permitted by section 404(b) of the Act and 29 C.F.R. 2550.404b-1;
3. Would jeopardize the plan's tax qualified status under the Internal Revenue Code;
4. Could result in a loss in excess of a participant's or beneficiary's account balance; or
5. Would result in a direct or indirect:

1. Sale, exchange or lease of property between a plan sponsor or any affiliate of the sponsor and the plan except for the acquisition or disposition of any interest in a fund, subfund or portfolio managed by a plan sponsor or an affiliate of the sponsor, or the purchase or sale of any qualifying employer security (as defined in section 407(d)(5) of the Act) which meets the conditions of section 408(e) of ERISA and section (d)(2))(ii)(E)(4) below;
2. Loan to a plan sponsor or any affiliate of the sponsor;
3. Acquisition or sale of any employer real property (as defined in section 407(d)(2) of the Act); or
4. Acquisition or sale of any employer security except to the extent that:
1. Such securities are qualifying employer securities (as defined in section 407(d)(5) of the Act);
2. Such securities are stock or an equity interest in a publicly traded partnership (as defined in section 7704(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986), but only if such partnership is an existing partnership as defined in section 10211(c)(2)(A) of the Revenue Act of 1987 (Public Law 100-203);
3. Such securities are publicly traded on a national exchange or other generally recognized market;
4. Such securities are traded with sufficient frequency and in sufficient volume to assure that participant and beneficiary directions to buy or sell the security may be acted upon promptly and efficiently;
5. Information provided to shareholders of such securities is provided to participants and beneficiaries with accounts holding such securities;
6. Voting, tender and similar rights with respect to such securities are passed through to participants and beneficiaries with accounts holding such securities;
7. Information relating to the purchase, holding, and sale of securities, and the, exercise of voting, tender, and similar rights with respect to such securities by participants and beneficiaries, is maintained in accordance with procedures which are designed to safeguard the confidentiality of such information, except to the extent necessary to comply with Federal laws or state laws not preempted by the Act;
8. The plan designates a fiduciary who is responsible for ensuring that: The procedures required under subparagraph (d)(2)(ii)(E)(4)(vii) are sufficient to safeguard the confidentiality of the information described in that subparagraph, such procedures are being followed, and the independent fiduciary required by subparagraph (d)(2)(ii)(E)(4)(ix) is appointed; and
9. An independent fiduciary is appointed to carry out activities relating to any situations which the fiduciary designated by the plan for purposes of subparagraph (d)(2)(ii)(E)(4)(viii) determines involve a potential for undue employer influence upon participants and beneficiaries, with regard to the direct or indirect exercise of shareholder rights. For purposes of this subparagraph, a fiduciary is not independent if the fiduciary is affiliated with any sponsor of the plan.

3. The individual investment decisions of an investment manager who is designated directly by a participant or beneficiary or who manages a look-through investment vehicle in which a participant or beneficiary has invested are not direct and necessary results of the designation of the investment manager or of investment in the look-through investment vehicle. However, this paragraph (d)(2)(iii) shall not be construed to result in liability under section 405 of ERISA with respect to a fiduciary (other than the investment manager) who would otherwise be relieved of liability by reason of section 404(c)(2) of the Act and paragraph (d) of this section.

3. Prohibited Transactions. The relief provided by section 404(c) of the Act and this section applies only to the provisions of part 4 of title I of the Act. Therefore, nothing in this section relieves a disqualified person from the taxes imposed by sections 4975(a) and (b) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to the transactions prohibited by section 4975(c)(1) of the Code.

5. Definitions. For purposes of this section:

1. Look-through investment vehicle means:

1. An investment company described in section 3(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, or a series investment company described in section 18(f) of the 1940 Act or any of the segregated portfolios of such company;
2. A common or collective trust fund or a pooled investment fund maintained by a bank or similar institution, a deposit in a bank or similar institution, or a fixed rate investment contract of a bank or similar institution;
3. A pooled separate account or a fixed rate investment contract of an insurance company qualified to do business in a State; or
4. Any entity whose assets include plan assets by reason of a plan's investment in the entity;

2. Adequate consideration has the meaning given it in section 3(18) of the Act and in any regulations under this title;
3. An affiliate of a person includes the following:

1. Any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the person;
2. Any officer, director, partner, or employee, an employee of an affiliated employer, relative (as defined in section 3(15) of ERISA), brother, sister, or spouse of a brother or sister, of the person; and
3. Any corporation or partnership of which the person is an officer director or partner.

4. A designated investment alternative is a specific investment identified by a plan fiduciary as an available investment alternative under the plan.

6. Examples. The provisions of this section are illustrated by the following examples. Examples (5) through (11) assume that the participant has exercised independent control with respect to his individual account under an ERISA section 404(c) plan described in paragraph (b) and has not directed a transaction described in paragraph (d)(2)(ii).

1. Plan A is an individual account plan described in section 3(34) of the Act. The plan states that a plan participant or beneficiary may direct the plan administrator to invest any portion of his individual account in a particular diversified equity fund managed by an entity which is not affiliated with the plan sponsor, or any other asset administratively feasible for the plan to hold. However, the plan provides that the plan administrator will not implement certain listed instructions for which plan fiduciaries would not be relieved of liability under section 404(c) (see paragraph (d)(2)(ii)).

• The plan administrator of plan A provides each participant and beneficiary with the information described in subparagraphs (i), (ii), (iii), (iv), (v), (vi) and (vii) of paragraph (b)(2)(i)(B)(1) upon their entry into the plan, and provides updated information in the event of any material change in the information provided.

• Immediately following an investment by a participant or beneficiary in the equity fund, the plan administrator provides a copy of the most recent prospectus received from the fund to the investing participant or beneficiary.

• Immediately following any investment by a participant or beneficiary in any other investment alternative which is subject to the Securities Act of 1933, the plan administrator provides the participant or beneficiary with the most recent prospectus received from that investment alternative (see paragraph (b)(2)(1)(B)(i)(viii)).

• Finally, subsequent to any investment by a participant or beneficiary, the plan administrator forwards to the investing participant or beneficiary any materials provided to the plan relating to the exercise of voting, tender or similar rights attendant to ownership of an interest in such investment (see paragraph (b)(2)(1)(B)(i)(ix)).

• Upon request, the plan administrator provides each participant or beneficiary with copies of any prospectuses, financial statements and reports, and any other materials relating to the investment alternatives available under the plan which are received by the plan (see paragraph (b)(2)(i)(B)(2 )(ii)).

• Also upon request, the plan administrator provides each participant and beneficiary with the other information required by paragraph (b)(2)(i)(B)(2) with respect to the equity fund, which is a designated investment alternative, including information concerning the latest available value of the participant's or beneficiary's interest in the equity fund (see paragraph (b)(2)(i)(B)(2)(v)).

2. Plan C is an individual account plan described in section 3(34) of the Act under which participants and beneficiaries may choose among three investment alternatives which otherwise meet the requirements of paragraph (b) of this section. The plan permits investment instruction with respect to each investment alternative only on the first 10 days of each calendar quarter, i.e., January 1-10, April 1-10, July 1-10 and October 1-10. Plan C satisfies the condition of paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(C)(1) that instruction be permitted not less frequently than once within any three month period, since there is not any three month period during which control could not be exercised.
3. Assume the same facts as in paragraph (f)(2), except that investment instruction may only be given on January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1. Plan C is not an ERISA section 404(c) plan because it does not satisfy the condition of paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(C)(1) that instruction be permitted not less frequently than once within any three month period. Under these facts, there is a three month period, e.g., January 2 through April 1, during which control could not be exercised by participants and beneficiaries.
4. Plan D is an individual account plan described in section 3(34) of the Act under which participants and beneficiaries may choose among three diversified investment alternatives which constitute a broad range of investment alternatives. The plan also permits investment instruction with respect to an employer securities alternative but provides that a participant or beneficiary can invest no more than 25% of his account balance in this alternative. This restriction does not affect the availability of relief under section 404(c) inasmuch as it does not relate to the three diversified investment alternatives and, therefore, does not cause the plan to fail to provide an opportunity to choose from a broad range of investment alternatives.
5. A participant, P, independently exercises control over assets in his individual account plan by directing a plan fiduciary, F, to invest 100% of his account balance in a single stock. P is not a fiduciary with respect to the plan by reason of his exercise of control and F will not be liable for any losses that necessarily result from P's investment instruction.
6. Assume the same facts as in paragraph (f)(5), except that P directs F to purchase the stock from B, who is a party in interest with respect to the plan. Neither P nor F has engaged in a transaction prohibited under section 406 of the Act: P because he is not a fiduciary with respect to the plan by reason of his exercise of control and F because he is not liable for any breach of part 4 of Title I that is the direct and necessary consequence of P's exercise of control. However, a prohibited transaction under section 4975(c) of the Internal Revenue Code may have occurred, and, in the absence of an exemption, tax liability may be imposed pursuant to sections 495(a) and (b) of the Code.
7. Assume the same facts as in paragraph (f)(5), except that P does not specify that the stock be purchased from B, and F chooses to purchase the stock from B. In the absence of an exemption, F has engaged in a prohibited transaction described in 406(a) of ERISA because the decision to purchase the stock from B is not a direct or necessary result of P's exercise or control.
8. Pursuant to the terms of the plan, plan fiduciary F designates three reputable investment managers whom participants may appoint to manage assets in their individual accounts. Participant P selects M, one of the designated managers, to manage the assets in his account. M prudently manages P's account for 6 months after which he incurs losses in managing the account through his imprudence. M has engaged in a breach of fiduciary duty because M's imprudent management of P's account is not a direct or necessary result of P's exercise of control (the choice of M as manager). F has no fiduciary liability for M's imprudence because he has no affirmative duty to advise P (see paragraph (c)(4)) and because F is relieved of co-fiduciary liability by reason of section 404(c)(2) (see paragraph (d)(2)(iii)). F does have a duty to monitor M's performance to determine the suitability of continuing M as an investment manager, however, and M's imprudence would be a factor which F must consider in periodically reevaluating its decision to designate M.
9. Participant P instructs plan fiduciary F to appoint G as his investment manager pursuant to the terms of the plan which provide P total discretion in choosing an investment manager. Through G's imprudence, G incurs losses in managing P's account. G has engaged in a breach of fiduciary duty because G's imprudent management of P's account is not a direct or necessary result of P's exercise of control (the choice of G as manager). Plan fiduciary F has no fiduciary liability for G's imprudence because F has no obligation to advise P (see paragraph (c)(4)) and because F is relieved of co-fiduciary liability for G's actions by reason of section 402(c)(2) (see paragraph (d)(2)(iii)). In addition, F also has no duty to determine the suitability of G as an investment manager because the plan does not designate G as an investment manager.
10. Participant P directs a plan fiduciary, F, a bank, to invest all of the assets in his individual account in a collective trust fund managed by F that is designed to be invested solely in a diversified portfolio of common stocks. Due to economic conditions, the value of the common stocks in the bank collective trust fund declines while the value of publicly-offered fixed income obligations remains relatively stable. F is not liable for any losses incurred by P solely because his individual account was not diversified to include fixed income obligations. Such losses are the direct result of P's exercise of control; moreover, under paragraph (c)(4) of this section F has no obligation to advise P regarding his investment decisions.
11. Assume the same facts as in paragraph (f)(10) except that F, in managing the collective trust fund, invests the assets of the fund solely in a few highly speculative stocks. F is liable for losses resulting from its imprudent investment in the speculative stocks and for its failure to diversify the assets of the account. This conduct involves a separate breach of F's fiduciary duty that is not a direct or necessary result of P's exercise of control (see paragraph (d)(2)(iii)).

7. Effective date.

1. In general. Except as provided in paragraph (g)(2), this section is effective with respect to transactions occurring on or after the first day of the second plan year beginning on or after October 13, 1992.
2. This section is effective with respect to transactions occurring under a plan maintained pursuant to one or more collective bargaining agreements between employee representatives and one or more employers ratified before October 13, 1992 after the later of the date determined under paragraph (g)(1) or the date on which the last collective bargaining agreement terminates. For purposes of this paragraph (g)(2), any extension or renegotiation of a collective bargaining agreement which is ratified on or after October 13, 1992 is to be disregarded in determining the date on which the agreement terminates.
3. Transactions occurring before the date determined under subparagraph (g)(1) or (2) of this section, as applicable, are governed by section 404(c) of, the Act without regard to the regulation.

Department of Labor

Delinquent Filer Voluntary Compliance Program

April 27, 1995 (60 FR 20874)

Agency: Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration

Action: Grant of Class Exemption

Effective Date: March 28, 2002

Program

Section 1--Delinquent Filer Voluntary Compliance (DFVC) Program

The DFVC Program is intended to afford eligible plan administrators (described in Section 2 of this Notice) the opportunity to avoid the assessment of civil penalties otherwise applicable to administrators who fail to file timely annual reports for plan years beginning on or after January 1, 1988. Eligible administrators may avail themselves of the DFVC Program by complying with the filing requirements and paying the civil penalties specified in Section 3 or Section 4, as appropriate, of this Notice.

Section 2--Scope, Eligibility and Effective Date

Section 3--Plan Administrators Filing Annual Reports

Section 4--Plan Administrators Filing Notices for Apprenticeship and Training Plans and Statements for ``Top Hat'' Plans

Section 5--Waiver of Right to Notice, Abatement of Assessment and Plan Status

Signed at Washington, DC, this 25th day of March, 2002.

Ann L. Combs,

Assistant Secretary, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.

[FR Doc. 02-7514 Filed 3-27-02; 8:45 am]

Billing Code 4510-29-P

Department of Labor

Regulation 2550.407a-1

29 C.F.R. 2550.407a-1