Important Pension Changes From D.C. - What Do You Need to Know?

Important Pension Changes From D.C. - What Do You Need to Know? Marcia S. Wagner, Esq.

Transforming the Retirement System • Regulatory landscape is changing. • DOL is rolling out new rules for 2012. • Fee disclosures for plan sponsors • Participant-level fee disclosures • Participant investment advice • Proposed Rulemaking • DOL Interaction with White House • Working with White House’s Middle Class Task Force • Coordinated actions to improve retirement security

1. Fee Disclosures to Participants2. Participant Investment Advice3. 408(b)(2) Disclosures4. Broader “Fiduciary” Definition 5. Lifetime Income Options

DOL Finalizes Participant Fee Disclosure Regulations • DOL issues final reg’s on Oct. 14, 2010. • DOL press release explained that existing law did not require plans to provide necessary information. • New rule requires comparison of plan’s investments. • Types of plans covered • New reg’s apply to DC plans with participant-directed investments. • Covers plan even if not designed to comply with ERISA Section 404(c). • Coverage of participants • New reg’s apply to all eligible employees.

Annual and Quarterly Disclosure of Plan-Related Information • Must disclose general info about plan. • Must include explanation of general admin. service fees and individual expenses on annual basis. • Must disclose dollar amount of fees/expenses charged to participant accounts on quarterly basis. • Disclosure only required for fees/expenses not embedded in expenses of investments. • If service provider only receives indirect compensation from investments, provider’s fees are not subject to this disclosure requirement. • But must disclose that a portion of general admin. service fees is paid from expenses of investments.

Annual Disclosure of Investment-Related Information • Must disclose fee and performance-related info for plan’s investment alternatives. • This disclosure must be in comparative format. • Must be provided on annual basis. • Required information for disclosure in comparative format includes: • Name and type of investment option • Investment performance data • Benchmark performance data • Total annual operating expenses for each investment and any extra shareholder-type fees. • Internet website address

Other Requirements • Info that must be available upon request • Prospectuses, shareholder reports and financial statements provided to plan. • Form of disclosure • Must be understood by average participant. • Impact on sponsor’s other fiduciary duties • No relief for duty to prudently select/monitor plan’s providers and investments. • New reg’s modify ERISA 404(c) disclosures. • Effective date • Plan years beginning on or after Nov. 1, 2011. • Initial disclosures due May 31, 2012 for calendar year plans.

Fee Disclosures to Participants Practical Implications • Automatic delivery of fund prospectuses will no longer be required under ERISA 404(c). • Participant Education • New rules become effective May 31, 2012 for calendar year plans. • Participants should be educated before then. • Participants are likely to scrutinize plan’s investments and fees.

Fee Disclosures to ParticipantsPractical Implications Advisers can help sponsors prepare. • Complete the investment portion of comparative table (e.g., investment and benchmark performance data). • Discuss with plan’s recordkeeper the impact of the new rules on existing fee disclosures. • Meet with participants and review investment and fee information through educational sessions. • If plan sponsor has fee-related concerns, remind plan sponsor that its fiduciary review process can be enhanced.

How Can Inv. Advice Be Conflicted? • Non-fiduciary provider receives variable compensation from plan’s investments. • Broker-dealer receives different 12b-1 fees. • Fund platform offers proprietary funds to plan clients. • Provider has incentive to steer participants. • Can not provide fiduciary advice to participants. • Conflicted advice triggers prohibited transaction (PT). • PT occurs even if advice provided in good faith.

DOL Final Rules for Participant Advice • Pension Protection Act included statutory exemption for participant-level advice. • Fiduciary Adviser must be RIA, bank, insurer or broker-dealer. • Eligible Investment Advice Arrangement must have: (1) Fee-Leveling (Fiduciary Adviser’s fees do not vary) (2) Computer Model certified by expert. • Other conditions for exemption. • Authorization from separate plan fiduciary. • Annual review by independent auditor. • Advance notice to participants with disclosures for fees and material affiliations of parties (i.e., conflicts).

Fee-Leveling Arrangement • Fiduciary Adviser’s fee must not vary. • Fiduciary Adviser’s employee/rep must receive level compensation. • Fiduciary Adviser’s affiliate may receive variable compensation. • Example: ABC Fund Platform for Plan Clients • Plan invests in ABC Funds and third party funds. • ABC Fund Manager cannot give participant advice (due to incentive to steer participants to ABC Funds). • New affiliate, ABC Fiduciary Adviser, is created to provide advice to participants. • DOL imposes fee-leveling on ABC Fiduciary Adviser. • But ABC Fund Manager can earn compensation that varies with participants’ allocation decisions.

Computer Model Arrangement • Advice must be from computer model. • Model must be certified by investment expert. • Must consider participant’s personal info. • Fiduciary Adviser may receive variable compensation. • Does DOL favor index funds? • Proposed rules suggested that model should favor cheapest menu option in each asset class. • Fortunately, DOL backed away from this approach. • Can a Computer Model be used for IRAs? • DOL permits it. • But are Computer Models capable of advising IRA owners? • DOL rules became effective on Dec. 27, 2011.

Participant Investment Advice Practical Implications • Most advisors will continue to rely on pre-PPA DOL guidance. • Benefit platform providers may find the fee-leveling exemption useful: • RIA receives level fees. • Affiliated recordkeepers receive variable fees from funds in a plan’s menu. • Individual advisors dislike computer model advice: • Model portfolio creation is advisor’s job. • It should not be delegated to a computer program.

When Are Service Providers Conflicted? • Plan sponsor is looking for provider of administrative services. • Provider offers two options: • Services ordered a la carte: $10,000.00 • Pre-packaged services and menu: $ 4,000.00 • Plan sponsor may incorrectly conclude pre-packaged option is best for participants. • Doesn’t realize that provider receives “hidden” compensation from funds and fund managers. • Full compensation may be more than $10,000. • Hidden cost is actually shifted to participants. • Provider has incentive to steer uninformed clients to more profitable option.

Retirement Security Initiative • Improving transparency of 401(k) fees. • Administration’s goal is to make sure workers and plan sponsors are getting services at a fair price. • Pushing to “finalize” interim final reg’s this year. • Rationale for interim 408(b)(2) reg’s. • DOL efforts to educate plan sponsors about 401(k) plan fees started with Nov’ 97 hearing. • Plan sponsors still not asking the right questions. • DOL will now require providers to furnish the fee info sponsors should be requesting.

Covered Providers and Disclosures • Covered Service Providers • Fiduciaries (including ERISA fiduciary or RIA). • Providers of recordkeeping and brokerage services. • Providers of accounting, actuarial, legal and other professional services if they receive indirect fees. • Required to disclose compensation in writing. • Must be provided before entering into contract. • Formal contract not required. • Indirect compensation requires more detailed disclosure. • Service-by-service disclosure of fees is generally not required.

Disclosure of Compensation • Format and manner of disclosure • Dollar amount, formula, percentage of plan assets, per capita charge, or any other reasonable method. • Whether fees will be billed or deducted and any other manner of receipt must be disclosed. • Compensation shared among related parties • Generally, compensation paid to affiliates or subcontractors does not have to be disclosed. • But must disclose if payment flows to related party on transactional basis (e.g., commissions, 12b-1 fees). • Special Rules for Platform Providers • Must provide basic fee information for each investment alternative. • Requirement can be met by passing through fund prospectuses.

Timing of 408(b)(2) Disclosures • Required Deadlines • Disclosure must be made reasonably in advance of starting or renewing services. • Changes to info must be made no later than 60 days after provider becomes aware of change. • Erroneous info will not result in violation if provider has acted in good faith and with diligence. • Errors and omissions must be disclosed within 30 days after coming to light.

Prohibited Transactions and Interim 408(b)(2) Regulations • If provider fails to make disclosure, plan’s payment of fees is a prohibited transaction. • Disclosure failures can be cured. • Plan must make written request for information, and provider must respond within 90 days. • Refusal or inability to comply with request requires plan fiduciary to notify DOL. • No fiduciary conflicts permitted. • 408(b)(2) disclosure does not cure self-dealing violations. • Outlook • Effective date delayed from July 16, 2011 to April 1, 2012.

408(b)(2) DisclosuresPractical Implications • Providers must furnish detailed fee disclosures by April 1, 2012. • Vendors, including platform providers, are responding in different ways: • Some are bundling all services (e.g., RIA and B-D), • Some are merely disclosing their own fees, without reference to other providers. • Some providers are subcontracting this disclosure responsibility . • The FA should determine who is responsible for disclosure and who is making which disclosures. • Financial advisors can add value by “quarterbacking” to make sure all providers know and make disclosures, and keep their plan sponsors informed as to what they will be receiving and from whom.

408(b)(2) Disclosures Practical Implications • Plan sponsors have duty to ensure plan’s fees are reasonable under ERISA. • Plans sponsors are likely to need assistance in light of complexity of plan arrangements. • Advisors can assist with: • Prudent evaluation of fees, • Negotiating lower fees and/or expanded services, and • Search for alternative arrangements, if necessary.

DOL’s Campaign to Expose Conflicts • DOL Strategy • Roll out new fee disclosure rules. • Impose fiduciary status on more providers. • Force non-fiduciary advisors to make disclaimers. • DOL releases proposed reg’s on Oct. 21, 2010. • Broadens “investment advice fiduciary” definition. • Withdrawn on September 19, 2011. • To be re-proposed with more input from public. • If you provide investment advice, you are automatically deemed a fiduciary. • DOL’s current definition for investment advice is based on 5-factor test.

Overview of DOL’s Initial Proposal • Existing Definition • Advice may be investment advice if it is primary basis for plan decisions and given on regular basis. • DOL’s Initial Proposal • Include any advice that may be considered by plan. • May include casual advice or one-time advice. • Non-fiduciary advisors must make disclaimer: (1) advisor is acting as seller of securities. (2) advisor’s interests are adverse to client. (3) advice is not impartial.

Broader “Fiduciary” DefinitionPractical Implications • Non-Fiduciary Advisors • Would need to change service model. • Must disclose they are not providing impartial advice. • Or they could accept fiduciary status and become subject to ERISA. • Re-proposed Rule in 2012 • New definition to include individualized advice only. • Will be similar in approach to DOL’s initial proposal. • DOL is coordinating with SEC.

Broader “Fiduciary” DefinitionPractical Implications • DOL proposal likely to pressure advisors to provide fiduciary services for level fees. • Advisors unwilling to serve plan clients on these terms may be forced out of retirement space. • Advisors, especially non-fiduciaries, should re-evaluate business model for plan clients. • Explore working with recordkeeping platforms that have ability to offer level payouts. • Explore use of ERISA fee recapture accounts to ensure advisor retains level fee only. • Consider becoming “dual registrant” and charge level asset-based fee as RIA. • No easy “one size fits all” solution for firms.

Retirement Security and Annuitization • Obama Administration believes lifetime income options facilitate retirement security. • Initiative to reduce barriers to annuitization of 401(k) plan assets. • DOL / IRS issued a joint release with requests for information on Feb 2, 2010. • RFI addresses education, disclosure, tax rules, selection of annuity providers, 404(c) and QDIAs. • The Retirement Security Project • Released 2 white papers on DC plan annuitization. • Proposed use of annuities as default investment.

Other Recent Developments in DC Plan Annuitization • Two types of legislative proposals. • Encourage annuitization with tax breaks: Lifetime Pension Annuity for You Act, Retirement Security for Life Act. • Annual disclosure of what 401(k) plan balance would be worth as annuity: Lifetime Income Disclosure Act. • IRS addressed qualification requirements for DC plans in PLR 200951039. • Variable group annuity investment options • No “surprise” interpretations on age 70 ½ minimum distribution and QJSA rules.

Lifetime Income Hearing bySenate Special Committee on Aging • Senate hearing held on June 16, 2010. • The Retirement Challenge: Making Savings Last a Lifetime. • Start of legislative debate on lifetime income options. • DOL and Treasury provide early analysis on RFI concerning lifetime income options. • More than 800 responses to RFI. • Concerns expressed against government takeover of 401(k) plans. • DOL and Senator Kohl clarify that there is no interest in mandating lifetime income options.

Joint Hearing by DOL, IRS and Treasury in September 2010 • Purpose is to investigate 5 focused topics. • 2 areas of general policy-related interest. • Specific concerns raised by participants. • Alternative designs of in-plan and distribution lifetime income options. • 3 areas of specific interest. • Fostering “education” to help participants make informed retirement income decisions. • Disclosure of account balances as monthly income streams. • Modifying fiduciary safe harbor for selection of issuer or product.

Lifetime Income Options Practical Implications • Anticipate future legislation or regulation. • Most likely: DC plans must disclose monthly or yearly lifetime income that account balance can provide through annuity purchase. • Also possible: DC plans must offer life annuities as benefit distribution option.

Important Pension Changes From D.C. - What Do You Need to Know? Marcia S. Wagner, Esq. 99 Summer Street, 13th Floor Boston, MA 02110 Tel: (617) 357-5200 Fax: (617) 357-5250 Website: www.wagnerlawgroup.com marcia@wagnerlawgroup.com A0068441

Important Pension Changes From D.C. - What Do You Need to Know?