On October 20, 2010, long-awaited Department of Labor (DOL) rules were released in their final form. The new rules require plan fiduciaries, specifically the companies sponsoring 401(k) plans, to make detailed disclosures to plan participants. The rule officially takes effect on December 20, 2010; however, the new disclosure obligations will only be enforced beginning with plans having a fiscal yearend on or after November 1, 2011. Accordingly, plans with a fiscal yearend of December 31st must make the new, required disclosures beginning January 1, 2012.
As it applies to 401(k) administrators, the rule requires:
- Quarterly statements of the plan’s fees and expenses deducted from participants’ accounts
- Administrators to give participants information about investments available under their plan, including the cost of these investments
- Performance data regarding the various mutual funds offered under the plan, including one-year, five-year, and ten-year returns. Also, appropriate benchmarks must also be provided for those time periods in order to enable investors to determine the overall performance of the offered funds
- Administrators must use standard mythologies when calculating expenses and returning information
- The information must be presented in an easy to understand format in order to enable workers to compare the various investment options available under the plan
- The explanation of fees and expenses associated with the funds a worker chooses must be explained as a percentage of assets held, and also expressed as a dollar amount for each $1,000 invested.
For more information regarding the required disclosures for plan administrators under this rule, contact us at (619) 278-0020 to schedule your consultation.