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Guidance Document Database
The documents listed below are PBGC’s 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 76-106 | 9-3-1976 | PBGC Op Let 76-106 | Professional service employer plan, Coverage | Physician-secretary is a Professional Service Employer plan exempt from Title IV coverage. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 76-109 | 9-14-1976 | PBGC Op Let 76-109 | Coverage | A trust under a plan must be "created or organized" in the "United States" and be "maintained at all times as a |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 75-04 | 3-20-1975 | PBGC Op Let 75-4 | Individual account plan, Coverage | Plan is not an Individual account plan and is not exempt from coverage under Title IV. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 75-55 | 11-10-1975 | PBGC Op Let 75-55 | plan document, Coverage | A plan without a written plan document is not a qualified plan and is excluded from coverage. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 85-05 | 1-30-1985 | PBGC Op Let 85-05 | Construction industry, Multiemployer, Withdrawal Liability | Addresses whether the construction industry exception to withdrawal applies where a contractor terminates its CBA, its employees do not perform any more work for which the contractor was previously required to make contributions, but the contractor subcontracts for the performance of such work. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 91-01 | 1-14-1991 | PBGC Op Let 91-1 | Termination, annuities | Once irrevocable commitments are purchased, PBGC no longer guarantees the benefits. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 82-14 | 4-20-1982 | PBGC Op Let 82-14 | Multiemployer, Unfunded vested benefits | Addresses the contribution periods used in calculating an employer’s allocable share of a multiemployer plan’s unfunded vested benefits for the last plan year ending before April 29, 1980. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 92-03 | 5-1-1992 | PBGC Op Let 92-03 | Asset Sale Exception, Multiemployer | Addresses the bond requirement under section 4204 in the event the seller liquidates or distributes its assets subsequent to the sale. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 83-20 | 9-2-1983 | PBGC Op Let 83-20 | Partial Withdrawal, Multiemployer | Addresses whether a partial withdrawal occurs when an employer that operates two terminals in a metropolitan area, each under a separate collective bargaining agreement requiring contributions to the same multiemployer plan, closes one terminal but continues to perform the work of the closed terminal through the remaining terminal and other outlying terminals. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 86-08 | 3-24-1986 | PBGC Op Let 86-8 | Employer, Controlled groups | Addresses the proper method for determining withdrawal liability when the liable employer is a group of trades or businesses under common control within the meaning of section 4001. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 77-145 | 5-24-1977 | PBGC Op Let 77-145 | Professional service employer plan, Coverage | Employer providing consulting services in bio-mechanics, forensic physics, traffic reconstruction, injury analysis, and automotive and traffic safety is a Professional Services Employer and is exempt under Title IV. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 82-37 | 12-9-1982 | PBGC Op Let 82-37 | Employer, Multiemployer, Withdrawal Liability | Addresses the definition of employer in the context of building cleaners at an office building. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 76-12 | 1-27-1976 | PBGC Op Let 76-12 | Individual account plan | Amendment of a plan from a defined benefit plans to an individual account plan results in the plan’s termination. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 86-10 | 4-10-1986 | PBGC Op Let 86-10 | Joint employers, Multiemployer, Withdrawal Liability | Addresses calculation of withdrawal liability for a "joint employer” that is no longer required to contribute. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 76-56 | 4-21-1976 | PBGC Op Let 76-56 | Coverage | Plan must be communicated to eligible participants to be tax qualified and a Title IV covered plan. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 76-03 | 1-8-1976 | PBGC Op Let 76-3 | Allocation of assets, Termination | Plan administrator must allocate assets to participant receiving early retirement benefits and may not allocate assets to participants whose benefit claims had been fully satisfied prior to termination of plan. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 74-25 | 11-8-1974 | PBGC Op Let 74-25 | Nonresident aliens, Coverage | Plan of Canadian company with mostly Canadian participants is not covered under Title IV. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 84-04 | 4-20-1984 | PBGC Op Let 84-4 | Benefit guarantee | Benefits which became vested solely on account of termination are not guaranteed. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 81-9 | 4-30-1981 | PBGC Op Let 81-9 | Successor liability | Asset purchaser assuming some pension plans not successor corporation to the seller with respect to plans left with the seller; purchaser is liable for plans it assumed; liability to PBGC is not limited by any agreement between seller and purchaser as to the amount of liability purchaser was willing to assume. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 89-05 | 8-1-1989 | PBGC Op Let 89-05 | Termination, Multiemployer, Withdrawal Liability | This opinion letter addresses whether an QPSAs and other benefits are nonforfeitable after termination of a multiemployer plan such that they should be considered in determining withdrawal liability. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 94-02 | 7-26-1994 | PBGC Op Let 94-02 | Interest, Multiemployer, Premiums, Penalties | Whether interest and penalties assessed by PBGC for the late payment of premiums respecting a multiemployer plan can be paid from plan assets. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 90-02 | 4-20-1990 | PBGC Op Let 90-02 | Multiemployer, Withdrawal Liability | Addresses (1) the calculation of annual withdrawal liability payments where an employer contributes to a multiemployer plan under multiple collective bargaining agreements requiring different contribution rates (the "contract-by-contract" approach); (2) using the contract-by-contract approach to calculate an employer's required contribution rate following plan termination by amendment; (3) whether alternate interest rates may be used to calculate the value of benefits under the plan following a mass withdrawal; (4) the correction of prior errors in valuation when calculating withdrawal liability. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 83-07 | 3-21-1983 | PBGC Op Let 83-07 | Expenses, Multiemployer | Addresses a request to use employer contributions, PBGC financial assistance, and other monies received by a plan to pay union dues for retirees and beneficiaries. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 80-10 | 6-9-1980 | PBGC Op Let 80-10 | Professional service employer plan, Coverage | Food broker is not a professional individual for purposes of the Professional Service Employer plan exemption. |
2-28-2020 |
Opinion Letter 78-25 | 10-31-1978 | PBGC Op Let 78-25 | Governmental plan, Coverage | Plan is a Governmental plan; water authority created by statute; board appt by town's council, funded by water assessments, fund pays for plan including deficits upon termination, participants are water authority's employees |
2-28-2020 |