Have some good ideas about improving how retirement plan benefits info is shared with employees? The government wants to hear from you.
“This Request for Information is an important step to explore how the content, design and delivery of disclosures required for retirement plans may be reimagined, improved, consolidated, standardized and simplified…”
EBSA’s Lisa Gomez
The Department of Labor announced today that its Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Department of the Treasury, the IRS and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. jointly will issue a Request for Information soliciting public input as the federal government reviews the effectiveness of existing reporting and disclosure requirements for retirement plans, as required by the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022.
“The Employee Benefits Security Administration is focused on empowering America’s workers and families by making it easier to understand their workplace benefits. This Request for Information is an important step to explore how the content, design and delivery of disclosures required for retirement plans may be reimagined, improved, consolidated, standardized and simplified to enhance participants’ understanding of their rights and benefits, promote greater participant engagement and improve outcomes for people across the country,” said Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security Lisa M. Gomez.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code include requirements on the information about retirement plan benefits and features that must be reported to the agencies and provided to plan participants and beneficiaries. In the SECURE 2.0 Act, Congress directed the agencies to review these ERISA and code requirements.
The agencies will report their findings and recommendations on revamping the requirements to Congress in 2025. They look forward to feedback from a range of stakeholders to inform their report to Congress and any action taken later to improve the reporting and disclosure framework for retirement plans.
The RFI, which will be posted on each agency’s website and published in the Federal Register, includes 24 questions on a broad range of topics relevant to effective reporting and disclosure. These topics include:
- Number and frequency of disclosures received by workers.
- Information disclosed and its effectiveness, accessibility and understandability, including to non-English speakers.
- How plans obtain and update contact information for workers.
- Plans’ experiences completing and filing reports and obtaining assistance from the agencies.
The RFI includes a 90-day period for public comments and instructions on how to submit them, with the easiest way being via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at www.regulations.gov.
SEE ALSO:
• DOL Proposes SECURE 2.0 Auto-Portability Regulation
• EBSA Issues FAQ Guidance for Emergency Savings Accounts
Veteran financial services industry journalist Brian Anderson joined 401(k) Specialist as Managing Editor in January 2019. He has led editorial content for a variety of well-known properties including Insurance Forums, Life Insurance Selling, National Underwriter Life & Health, and Senior Market Advisor. He has always maintained a focus on providing readers with timely, useful information intended to help them build their business.