PBGC Issues Updates on Participant Notices

August 31, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) has issued explanations on how the Pension Protection Act (PPA) affects how employers decide if a Participant Notice is required.

The PBGC has released an updated Model Participant Notice (Update 06-3) for plan administrators, who are required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) to let participants know the PBGC’s funding status and limits with regard to the plan. The agency republishes the document each year to reflect the latest information on maximum guaranteed benefits. The update also includes a worksheet to help administrators figure out if they need to issue a 2006 notice.

According to the notice, under the PPA (See What’s Inside the Pension Protection Act), the ERISA section that requires the notice is repealed for plan years beginning after December 31, 2006, and replaced by new disclosure mandates.

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The notice ( Update 06-4) released by the PBGC explains how the provision in the Act relating to the PBGC’s required interest rate for determining variable-rate premiums applies to certain PBGC mandates, particularly in reporting and disclosure.

July Fund Assets Tick Upward

August 30, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - The combined assets of the nation's mutual funds edged up by $40.3 billion, or 0.4%, to $9.377 trillion in July, according to the Investment Company Institute's (ICI) latest data.

class=”normal-1″> According to an ICI news release , long-term funds – stock, bond, and hybrid funds – had a net inflow of $3.7 billion in July after a $9.45 billion June outflow.

class=”normal-1″> Stock funds enjoyed a $585 million inflow in July, compared with an outflow of $8.6 billion in June. Among stock offerings, world equity funds saw an inflow of $4.84 billion for the month, much greater than the $818 million June influx. Funds that invest primarily in the US had an outflow of $4.26 billion in July after reporting an outflow of $9.42 billion in June.

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class=”normal-1″> Hybrid funds posted an $87 million outflow in July, compared with a June outflow of $489 million, ICI said.

class=”normal-1″> Moving on to bond funds, ICI data shows an inflow of $3.2 billion in July, compared to an outflow of $362 million in June. Taxable bond funds had an inflow of $2.86 billion for the month versus an outflow of $645 million in June.

class=”normal-1″> Money market funds had an inflow of $26.84 billion in July, compared with an inflow of $19.79 billion in June.

 

 

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