Brief Case
Pension Resource

29 C.F.R. § 4050.303

Options and duties of plan administrator.
eCFR editorial change effective 2018-01-22 · current
PrintCompare datesAsk AI about this sectionOfficial source ↗
(a) Options. The plan administrator of a subpart C plan that is closing out upon plan termination may (but need not), by filing under § 4050.305, elect that the subpart C plan—
(1) Will be a “transferring plan,” that is, will pay a benefit transfer amount to PBGC for each distributee who is missing upon close-out of the subpart C plan and will be bound by the provisions of this subpart C to the extent that they apply to transferring plans, or
(2) Will be a “notifying plan,” that is, will notify PBGC of the disposition of the benefits of each distributee identified in the filing who is missing upon close-out of the plan and will, with respect to those distributees, be bound by the provisions of this subpart C to the extent that they apply to notifying plans.
(b) Diligent search
(1) In general. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(2) of this section, for each distributee whose location the plan administrator does not know with reasonable certainty upon close-out of a subpart C plan, the plan administrator must have conducted a diligent search as described in § 4050.304.
(2) Notifying plans. For a notifying plan, the requirement of paragraph (b)(1) of this section applies only to distributees identified in the filing with PBGC.
(c) Filing with PBGC
(1) In general. Except as provided in paragraph (c)(2) of this section, for each distributee who is missing upon close-out of a subpart C plan, the plan administrator must file with PBGC as described in § 4050.305.
(2) Notifying plans. For a notifying plan, the requirement of paragraph (c)(1) of this section applies only to distributees identified in the filing with PBGC.
(d) Benefit transfer amount. The benefit transfer amount for a missing distributee is the amount determined by the plan administrator as of the benefit determination date using whichever one of the following three methods applies:
(1) De minimis. If the single sum actuarial equivalent of the distributee's benefits (including any payments missed in the past) determined using plan lump sum assumptions is de minimis, then the missing distributee's benefit transfer amount is equal to that single sum.
(2) Non-de minimis; single sum payment cannot be elected. If the single sum actuarial equivalent of the distributee's benefits (including any payments missed in the past) determined using plan lump sum assumptions is not de minimis, and a single sum payment cannot be elected, then the missing distributee's benefit transfer amount is the present value of the distributee's accrued benefit determined using PBGC missing participants assumptions, plus
(i) For a missing distributee not in pay status whose normal retirement date (or accrual cessation date if later) precedes the benefit determination date, the aggregate value of payments of the straight life annuity that would have been payable beginning on the normal retirement date (or accrual cessation date if later), accumulated at the missing participants interest rate from the date each payment would have been made to the benefit determination date, assuming that the distributee survived to the benefit determination date, as determined by the plan administrator; or
(ii) For a missing distributee in pay status, the aggregate value of payments of the pay status annuity due but not made, accumulated at the missing participants interest rate from each payment due date to the benefit determination date, assuming that the distributee survived to the benefit determination date.
(3) Non-de minimis; single sum payment can be elected. If the single sum actuarial equivalent of the distributee's benefits (including any payments missed in the past) determined using plan lump sum assumptions is not de minimis, and a single sum payment can be elected, then the missing distributee's benefit transfer amount is the greater of the amounts determined using the methodology in paragraph (d)(1) or (d)(2) of this section.
29 C.F.R. § 4050.303 — Options and duties of plan administrator. · eCFR editorial change effective 2018-01-22 · https://pensionresource.website/EAMain?content=EAMain.Law&id=cfr29-4050.303 · printed Oct 16, 2026
On this page
  • (a) Options.
  • (b) Diligent search
  • (c) Filing with PBGC
  • (d) Benefit transfer amount.
Implements
ERISA § 4050 (29 U.S.C. § 1350) Missing participants
Cited by (code & regs)
Guidance addressing this section

No documents are primarily about this section.

Also cited in 2 other documents
PBGC
Final Rules
Proposed Rules
  • 81 FR 64700Proposed Sep 20, 2016 — Missing Participants Comments due Nov 21, 2016 (c)(1)

No court rulings in the library cite this provision yet.

No private letter rulings in the library cite this provision yet.

Each row is a version of the text as published by the official source. Code dates are the edition/release point that first reflected the change; regulation dates are eCFR effective dates. The library checks the official sources automatically, so new versions appear here on their own; “run” opens the sync that recorded a version.

EffectiveThroughSourceAmended by
Jan 22, 2018currenteCFR editorial change effective 2018-01-22 run 2View
Provision-level history (blame)