Volume 41 | Issue 68
Download this FYI as a printable PDF
Last year, DOL overhauled its website. If your electronic or printed participant communications link to DOL materials, you may need to revise those communications so your participants will be directed to the appropriate pages on the revamped DOL site.
Background
DOL provides an assortment of useful material on their website that plan sponsors present to employees using links for easy access. For example, in their Field Assistance Bulletin 2006-03 (FAB), DOL provides a link for sources of information on individual investing and diversification as required by PPA 2006 for defined contribution plans that allow participants to direct their own investments. The FAB tells plan administrators that they will be deemed to satisfy this requirement if they send participants to the following site: www.dol.gov/ebsa/investing.html.
New Links
Last year, DOL relocated materials on their website and did not include “redirects” for old links. For example, if your plan materials still use www.dol.gov/ebsa/investing.html (the web address included in the original version of FAB 2006-03 described above), your participants will encounter a “page not found” message. They should be directed to this page instead: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/laws-and-regulations/laws/pension-protection-act/investing-and-diversification. To fix problems like these, plan materials will need to be updated with replacement links.
Examples of other participant-facing communications that contain DOL website references that may need to be updated include the following (link goes to updated page):
- Model Comparative Chart in Appendix to ERISA 2550.404a-5 annual disclosure about fees and plan investment options in defined contribution plans with participant-directed investments – link about 401(k) plan fees
- ERISA 4233.17 regulatory model participant notices for multiemployer defined benefit plans applying for plan partitions – link to 5500 info search page
- IRC Reg. 54.9815-1251 HIPAA notices for grandfathered plans – link to DOL website that describes protections that do and do not apply to grandfathered plans under the Affordable Care Act
In Closing
In addition to updating the links described above, double check all other links and make replacements as warranted. You can generally find the correct website address by searching for the title of the document you want to include in your link.