Guidance Document Database
The documents listed below are PBGCโs guidance documents. The contents of these documents do not have the force and effect of law, unless expressly authorized by statute or incorporated into a contract, and are not meant to bind the public in any way. These documents are intended only to provide clarity to the public regarding existing requirements under the law or agency policies.
If you would like to comment on an existing guidance document, please submit your comment, including your contact information, to the General Counsel at GuidanceComments@pbgc.gov or at Regulatory Affairs Division, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Office of the General Counsel, 445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024-2101.
Title | Issuance Date | Agency Identifier (indexed field) | Topics | Summary | Posted Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Opinion Letter 77-139 | 4-13-1977 | PBGC Op Let 77-139 | Substantial owners plan, Coverage | A plan with a participant who is the sole stockholder meets the Substantial Owner exemption from plan coverage under Title IV. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 80-16 | 9-23-1980 | PBGC Op Let 80-16 | Successor liability | Discusses successor plan requirements. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 93-02 | 7-7-1993 | PBGC Op Let 93-02 | Partial Withdrawal, Multiemployer | Discusses the calculation of partial withdrawal liability following a 70 percent decline in contributions. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 89-09 | 11-28-1989 | PBGC Op Let 89-9 | Tribal plan, Coverage | Plan does not meet Title IV coverage exemption since activities covered by the plan were off-reservation commercial activities carried on for profit. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 75-54 | 6-23-1975 | PBGC Op Let 75-45 | Coverage | Title IV does not cover deposits made into a Keogh Trust. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 76-76 | 6-8-1976 | PBGC Op Let 76-76 | Termination | Addresses a planโs notice of intent to terminate, date of plan termination, and the ability to terminate the plan by agreement. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 85-15 | 5-31-1985 | PBGC Op Let 85-15 | Avoidance transactions, sale of assets, Multiemployer, Withdrawal Liability | Addresses whether the rule against transactions with a principal purpose to avoid withdrawal liability can apply when a transaction meets the sale of assets exception requirements. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 75-2 | 4-4-1975 | PBGC Op Let 75-2 | Individual account plan, Coverage | Individual account plan is exempt from coverage under Title IV. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 78-17 | 7-17-1978 | PBGC Op Let 78-17 | Individual account plan, Coverage | Defined benefit plan was not terminated before enactment of ERISA and is covered by Title IV. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 86-03 | 2-14-1986 | PBGC Op Let 86-3 | Residual assets, Allocation of assets | PBGC cannot approve a transaction that would allow an employer to recover excess assets without termination. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 83-19 | 8-11-1983 | PBGC Op Let 83-19 | Multiemployer, Withdrawal Liability | Addresses whether, under the presumptive method of allocating withdrawal liability, if a plan's assets exceed its vested liabilities, the unfunded vested benefit amount is zero. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 82-05 | 2-18-1982 | PBGC Op Let 82-5 | Partial Withdrawal, Multiemployer | Discusses partial withdrawals from a multiemployer plan. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 77-141 | 4-28-1977 | PBGC Op Let 77-141 | Benefit guarantee | Actuarially equivalent monthly benefit of a lump sum benefit is guaranteed. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 76-111 | 9-16-1976 | PBGC Op Let 76-111 | Employer liability | Asset purchaser assuming some plans was not a successor corporation for plans that it did not assume. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 89-02 | 2-14-1989 | PBGC Op Let 89-02 | Reciprocity agreement, Multiemployer, Withdrawal Liability | Addresses (1) whether transfers of contributions between multiemployer plans under a reciprocity agreement are covered by rules on transfers of assets; and (2) whether a reciprocity agreement can create withdrawal liability obligations. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 95-02 | 8-18-1995 | PBGC Op Let 95-02 | Construction industry, Multiemployer | Addresses the interpretation of the special rule for partial withdrawals for certain employers and plans in the building and construction industry. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 91-04 | 5-3-1991 | PBGC Op Let 91-4 | Benefits | A plan sponsor has no liability for the benefits in a terminated plan that were provided to plan participants through the distribution of irrevocable commitments purchased from an insurance company. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 81-07 | 4-2-1981 | PBGC Op Let 81-7 | tax qualification, Coverage, Benefit guarantee | Following a restructuring of three pension plans maintained by one company, each restructured plan remains a Title IV covered plan, each plan qualifies as a successor plan, and the plan sponsor would be liable to PBGC for any funding deficiency at termination. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 80-15 | 6-20-1980 | PBGC Op Let 80-15 | Professional service employer plan, Coverage | River pilot is not a professional individual for purposes of the Professional Service Employer exemption. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 78-2 | 2-21-1978 | PBGC Op Let 78-2 | Residual assets, Allocation of assets | Whether the language in a plan document providing for the reversion of residual assets to the employer complies with the law. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 74-18 | 12-5-1974 | PBGC Op Let 74-18 | tax qualification, Coverage | Plan that is tax-qualified under IRC 401(a) is covered by Title IV. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 96-02 | 7-8-1996 | PBGC Op Let 96-2 | Governmental plan, Coverage | Plan does not meet the Governmental plan exemption from coverage. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 85-06 | 2-1-1985 | PBGC Op Let 85-6 | Premiums | Each plan of an employer is obligated to pay premiums to PBGC when an individual participant actively earns service credit in multiple plans of the employer. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 76-74 | 6-3-1976 | PBGC Op Let 76-74 | Coverage | Plan is not an individual account plan. Plan is not be exempt from Title IV coverage. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 83-17 | 8-1-1983 | PBGC Op Let 83-17 | Multiemployer, Withdrawal Liability | Pending regulations, plans have the ability to adopt reasonable rules to abate an employerโs withdrawal liability. |
2-28-2020 |