DOL Issues Enforcement Guidance for Pension Benefit Statements
On May 12, 2026, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)’s Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) issued Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB) No. 2026-02 addressing its temporary enforcement policy regarding pension benefit statements under Section 105(a)(2)(E) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA). 0:00 6:26 Quick Hits On May 12, 2026, the DOL announced temporary enforcement relief for retirement plan administrators that make good faith efforts to follow the new paper pension benefit statement rules. The policy allows plan administrators to rely on reasonable interpretations of the proposed rules until the DOL issues final guidance. Plan sponsors using electronic delivery may want to consider giving newly eligible participants an initial paper notice about their right to request paper documents. Background Section 105(a)(2) of ERISA through Section 338(a) of the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (SECURE 2.0) requires that defined contribution plans furnish at least one pension...