pension

On May 27, 2020, the Department of Labor (“DOL” or “Department”) published a final rule providing an alternative safe harbor for furnishing ERISA pension plan disclosures electronically on a website or via email.  We previously blogged about the proposed rule here.  This post provides an overview of the final rule and highlights some key changes from the proposed rule.

As we previously noted, electronic disclosure has been permitted since 2002 under a safe harbor that allows plan administrators to electronically disclose ERISA documents to individuals who are “wired at work” or individuals who have affirmatively consented to electronic delivery.  This new safe harbor is an alternative to the 2002 safe harbor.  Plan administrators of pension plans may rely on either the new safe harbor, the 2002 safe harbor, both, or neither.  Significantly, however, the new safe harbor is limited to pension plans.  The 2002 safe harbor remains available for welfare plans.Continue Reading Electronic Disclosure Rule for Pension Plans Finalized

An eight-year transition period for U.S. tax-qualified retirement plans covering Puerto Rico residents is set to end in 2015.  Employers that cover Puerto Rico residents under U.S. tax-qualified plans should consider spinning off the Puerto Rico portion of the plan in 2015, to avoid subjecting Puerto Rico residents to U.S. federal income tax.


Continue Reading Action Required for Retirement Plans Covering Puerto Rico Residents

The PBGC is proceeding with an initiative to collect information on what it calls “risk transfer activity” in defined benefit pension plans — essentially certain de-risking transactions — as part of the filing plan sponsors make when they pay PBGC premiums.  If approved by the Office of Management and Budget, the PBGC’s draft new premium form will require plan sponsors to report certain “Lump Sum Windows” and “Annuity Purchases” offered during the current or the preceding year.  As a result, the proposal would require reporting of certain transactions that occurred in 2014 or may occur in early 2015.
Continue Reading PBGC Proceeds With Proposal to Collect Information on Pension Risk Transfers

Seems like we’ve written this before, but this time we (actually a federal district court) really means it:  the court in Lee v. Verizon granted last Friday Verizon’s motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit challenging its transfer in late 2012 of $7.5 billion of pension liabilities to Prudential (Lee v. Verizon, N.D.

A federal appeals court recently ruled that a private equity fund might be responsible for the unfunded pension liabilities of its bankrupt portfolio company.  This ruling could have broader repercussions for private investment funds and the companies they own.  If the companies are considered to be related employers under the rules that govern employee benefits, they might acquire other unexpected obligations, such as the obligation to provide health care to their employees.
Continue Reading Private Investment Funds Face Potential Liability for Portfolio Companies’ Employee Benefits

Earlier today, a federal district court granted Verizon’s motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit challenging its recent transfer of $7.5 billion of pension liabilities to Prudential (Lee v. Verizon, N.D. Tex.).  The court concluded that plaintiffs had failed to state a claim that the transaction violated ERISA’s disclosure and fiduciary obligations.  The

Private equity and other investment fund managers can exhale (at least a little bit) following a recent court ruling that investment funds are not liable for the ERISA obligations of their portfolio companies.  The ruling expressly rejects a 2007 Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (“PBGC”) letter ruling and contradicts an earlier court decision that supported the PBGC’s position that a private equity fund could be liable for the pension liabilities of one of its portfolio companies.  While the new ruling by no means settles the issue, investment fund managers should welcome this development.
Continue Reading Investment Funds Not Liable for Pension Plans of Portfolio Companies, Court Rules

Earlier today, a federal district judge rejected an attempt by two Verizon retirees to block the $7.5 billion transfer of pension liabilities to Prudential (Lee v. Verizon, N.D. Tex.).  The court denied plaintiffs’ request for a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction, finding that the plaintiffs did not establish a substantial likelihood of success on their claims that the transaction would violate ERISA.
Continue Reading Verizon May Proceed with $7.5 Billion Pension Settlement, Court Rules

Yesterday, Verizon announced that it will transfer $7.5 billion of pension liabilities to Prudential.  As we previously discussed in this blog, many sponsors of defined benefit plans, especially frozen plans, are considering ways to “de-risk” by reducing or eliminating the volatility associated with their pension obligations for financial accounting and pension funding purposes.  In