ComplianceJanuary 19, 2010

SPARK Releases Form 5500 Guidelines for 403(b)s

The SPARK Institute has released the final version of its guidelines on Form 5500 Aggregation for multiple-vendor 403(b) plans.

Reported by Rebecca Moore

“These new guidelines for Form 5500 reporting will help ensure that investment providers deliver the data clients need in a consistent and timely fashion,” said Paul J. Gallagher, managing director of Product Development at TIAA-CREF, in a press release.

A draft version of the guidelines was released in December for public review and comment so that the final version would reflect input from the entire 403(b) community (see “SPARK Seeks Comments on Form 5500 Data Guidelines for 403(b)s”). “We were pleased to receive feedback from other industry players that was incorporated into the final document,” said Larry H. Goldbrum, SPARK General Counsel, in the press release.

The guidelines are available for free at www.sparkinstitute.org/comments-and-materials.php.