Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 77-3

Class Exemption Involving Mutual Fund In-House Plans Requested by the Investment Company Institute

April 8, 1977 (42 FR 18743)

Class Exemption

Agency: Department of Labor, Labor-Management Services Administration

Action: Grant of Class Exemption

Effective Date: December 31, 1974

Exemption

Effective for transactions occurring after December 31, 1974, the restrictions of sections 406 and 407(a) of the Act and the taxes imposed by section 4975 (a) and (b) of the Code, by reason of section 4975(c)(1) of the Code, shall not apply to the acquisition or sale of shares of an open-end investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 by an employee benefit plan covering only employees of such investment company, employees of the investment adviser or principal underwriter for such investment company, or employees of any affiliated person (as defined in section 2(a)(3) of the Investment Company Act of 1940) of such investment adviser or principal underwriter, provided that the following conditions are met (whether or not such investment company, investment adviser, principal underwriter or any affiliated person thereof is a fiduciary with respect to the plan):

1. The plan does not pay any investment management, investment advisory or similar fee to such investment adviser, principal underwriter or affiliated person. This condition does not preclude the payment of investment advisory fees by the investment company under the terms of its investment advisory agreement adopted in accordance with section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940.
2. The plan does not pay a redemption fee in connection with the sale by the plan to the investment company of such shares unless (1) such redemption fee is paid only to the investment company, and (2) the existence of such redemption fee is disclosed in the investment company prospectus in effect both at the time of the acquisition of such shares and at the time of such sale.
3. In the case of transactions occurring more than 60 days after the granting of this exemption, the plan does not pay a sales commission in connection with such acquisition or sale.
4. All other dealings between the plan and the investment company, the investment adviser or principal underwriter for the investment company, or any affiliated person of such investment adviser or principal underwriter, are on a basis no less favorable to the plan than such dealings are with other shareholders of the investment company.

Signed at Washington, D.C., this 31st day of March, 1977.

J. Vernon Ballard,

Acting Administrator of Pension and Welfare Benefit Programs, Department of Labor.

and

William E. Williams,

Acting Commissioner of Internal Revenue

[FR Doc. 77-10157 Filed 4-1-77; 11:44 AM]

Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption  77-4

March 31, 1977

Class Exemption

To Invest in Mutual Funds Affiliated With or Advised By a Fiduciary

Agency: Department of Labor and Internal Revenue Service.

Action: Grant of class exemption.

Effective Date: Certain retroactive exemption is given for transactions between January 1, 1975 and ninety days after the exemption is granted. Prospective exemption is granted for transactions occurring ninety days after the exemption is granted. [Since the exemption was signed 3-31-77, the prospective exemption should be effective 7-1-77.]

Section I - Retroactive.

The Retroactive portion of this Exemption covers transactions between 1-1-75 and 7-1-77. As such, it is not reprinted here.

Section II - Prospective.  Effective 90 days after the date of granting of this exemption, the restrictions of section 406 of the Act and the taxes imposed by section 4975(a) and (b) of the Code, by reason of section 4975(c)(1) of the Code, shall not apply to the purchase or sale by an employee benefit plan of shares of an open-end investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the investment adviser for which is also a fiduciary with respect to the plan (or an affiliate of such fiduciary) and is not an employer of employees covered by the plan (hereinafter referred to as "fiduciary/investment adviser"), provided that the following conditions are met:

1. The plan does not pay a sales commission in connection with such purchase or sale.
2. The plan does not pay a redemption fee in connection with the sale by the plan to the investment company of such shares, unless:

1. Such redemption fee is paid only to the investment company, and
2. The existence of such redemption fee is disclosed in the investment company prospectus in effect both at the time of the purchase of such shares and at the time of such sale.

3. The plan does not pay an investment management, investment advisory, or similar fee with respect to the plan assets invested in such shares for the entire period of such investment.

• This condition does not preclude the payment of investment advisory fees by the investment company under the terms of its investment advisory agreement adopted in accordance with section 15 of the Investment Company Act of 1940.

• This condition also does not preclude the payment of an investment advisory fee by the plan based on total plan assets from which a credit has been subtracted representing the plan's pro rata share of investment advisory fees paid by the investment company.

• If, during any fee period for which the plan prepaid its investment management, investment advisory or similar fee, the plan purchases shares of the investment company, the requirements of this paragraph (c) shall be deemed met with respect to such prepaid fee if, by a method reasonable designed to accomplish the same, the amount of the prepaid fee that constitutes the fee with respect to the plan assets invested in the investment company shares

1. Is anticipated and subtracted from the prepaid fee at the time of payment of such fee,
2. Is returned to the plan no later than during the immediately following fee period, or
3. Is offset against the prepaid fee for the immediately following fee period or for the fee period immediately following thereafter.

4. A second fiduciary with respect to the plan, who is independent of and unrelated to the fiduciary/investment adviser or any affiliate thereof, receives

• A current prospectus issued by the investment company, and

• Full and detailed written disclosure of the investment advisory and other fees charged to or paid by the plan and the investment company, including

• The nature and extent of any differential between the rates of such fees,
• The reasons why the fiduciary/investment adviser may consider such purchases to be appropriate for the plan, and
• Whether there are any limitations on the fiduciary/investment adviser with respect to which plan assets may be invested in shares of the investment company and, if so, the nature of such limitations.

1. Such second fiduciary directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or under common control with the fiduciary/investment adviser or any affiliate thereof;
2. Such second fiduciary or any officer, director, partner, employee or relative of such second fiduciary is an officer, director, partner, employee or relative of such fiduciary/investment adviser or any affiliate thereof; or
3. Such second fiduciary directly or indirectly receives any compensation or other consideration for his or his own personal account in connection with any transaction described in this exemption.

1. The choice of the plan's investment adviser,
2. The approval of any such purchase or sale between the plan and the investment company and
3. The approval of any change of fees charged to or paid by the plan,

5. On the basis of the prospectus and disclosure referred to in paragraph (d), the second fiduciary referred to in paragraph (d) approves such purchases and sales consistent with the responsibilities, obligations, and duties imposed on fiduciaries by Part 4 of Title I of the Act. Such approval may be limited solely to the investment advisory and other fees paid by the mutual fund in relation to the fees paid by the plain and need not relate to any other aspects of such investments. In addition, such approval must be either

1. Set forth in the plan documents or in the investment management agreement between the plan and the fiduciary/investment adviser,
2. Indicated in writing prior to each purchase or sale, or
3. Indicated in writing prior to the commencement of a specified purchase or sale program in the shares of such investment company.

6. The second fiduciary referred to in paragraph (d), or any successor thereto, is notified of any change in any of the rates of fees referred to in paragraph (d) and approves in writing the continuation of such purchases or sales and the continued holding of any investment company shares acquired by the plan prior to such change and still held by the change. Such approval may be limited solely to the investment advisory and other fees paid by the mutual fund in relation to the fees paid by the plan and need not relate to any other aspects of such investment.

Signed at Washington, D. C. this 31st day of March 1977.

J. Vernon Ballard,

Acting Administrator of Pension and Welfare Benefit Programs

Department of Labor.

William E. Williams

Acting Commissioner of Internal Revenue.

Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 80-26

April 29, 1980 (45 FR 28545)

Class Exemption for Certain Interest Free Loans to Employee Benefit Plans

Agency: Department of Labor.

Action: Grant of class exemption.

Summary: This class exemption permits parties in interest with respect to employee benefit plans to make interest free loans to such plans. Such loans would be prohibited by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (the Act) and the Internal Revenue Code of 1964 (the Code). The exemption affects all employee benefit plans, their participants and beneficiaries, and parties in interest with respect to those plans.

Effective Date: January 1, 1975.

Effective January 1, 1975, the restrictions of section 406(a)(1)(B) and (D) and section 406(b)(2) of the Act, and the taxes imposed by section 4975(a) and (b) of the Code by reason of section 4975(c)(1)(B) and (D) of the Code, shall not apply to the lending of money or other extension of credit from party in interest or disqualified person to an employee benefit plan, nor to the repayment of such loan or other extension of credit in accordance with its terms or written modifications thereof, if:

1. No interest or other fee is charged to the plan, and no discount for payment in cash is relinquished by the plan in connection with the loan or extension of credit;
2. The proceeds of the loan or extension of credit are used only:

1. For the payment of ordinary operating expenses of the plan, including the payment of benefits in accordance with the terms of the plan and periodic premiums under an insurance or annuity contract; or
2. For a period of not more than three days, for a purpose incidental to the ordinary operation of the plan;

3. The loan or extension of credit is unsecured; and
4. The loan or extension of credit is not directly or indirectly made by an employee benefit plan.

Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 80-51

June 25, 1980 (45 FR 49709)

Class Exemption Covering Collective Investment Funds

Agency: Department of Labor.

Action: Grant of class exemption.

Summary: This exemption allows collective investment funds that are maintained by banks and in which employee benefit plans participate to engage in certain transactions provided that specified conditions are met. In the absence of this exemption, these transactions might be prohibited by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (the Act) and the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (the Code).

Exemption

Note: This exemption has been replaced by PTE 91-38.

Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 80-83

November 4, 1980 (45 FR 73189)

Class Exemption for Certain Transactions Involving Purchase of Securities

Where Issuer May Use Proceeds To Reduce or Retire Indebtedness

To Parties in Interest

Agency: Department of Labor.

Action: Grant of Class Exemption.

Summary: This class exemption permits, under certain conditions, purchases of securities by employee benefit plans when the proceeds from the sale of such securities may be used by the issuer to reduce or retire indebtedness to persons who are parties in interest with respect to such plans. In the absence of the retroactive and prospective relief provided by this exemption, these transactions might be prohibited by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (the Act) and the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (the Code).

Effective Date: Section I(B) of this exemption is effective December 1, 1980. The remainder of this exemption is effective January 1, 1975.

1. Transactions

January 23, 1981 (46 FR 7527)

[Amended on May 19, 1987 (52 FR 18754)]

Class Exemption To Permit Certain Loans of Securities by Employee Benefit Plans

Agency: Department of Labor.

Action: Grant of class exemption.

Summary: This exemption will allow the lending of securities by employee benefit plans to banks and broker-dealers who are parties in interest with respect to such plans, if the conditions specified in the exemption are met. The exemption affects participants and beneficiaries of employee benefit plans, persons who manage the assets of such plans, and parties in interest who might engage in securities lending transactions with such plans. In the absence of this exemption, securities lending transactions between a plan and a party in interest would be prohibited by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (the Act) and the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (the Code).

Effective Date: January 23, 1981. For purposes solely of Prohibited Transaction Exemption 79-23 (the Grumman Corp. Pension Trust, 44 FR 31750, June 1, 1979). The final disposition of this class exemption will be deemed to occur on February 23, 1981.

Amended Exemption

Effective January 23, 1981, the restrictions of section 406(a)(1)(A) through (D) of the Act and the taxes imposed by section 4975(a) and (b) of the Code by reason of section 4975(c)(1)(A) through (D) of the Code shall not apply to the lending of securities that are assets of an employee benefit plan to a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the 1934 Act) or exempted from registration under section 15(a)(I) of the 1934 Act as a dealer in exempted Government securities (as defined in section 3(a)(12) of the 1934 Act) or to a bank, if:

1. Neither the borrower nor an affiliate of the borrower has discretionary authority or control with respect to the investment of the plan assets involved in the transaction, or renders investment advice (within the meaning of 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-21(c)) with respect to those assets;
2. The plan receives from the borrower (either by physical delivery or by, book entry in a securities depository) by the close of the lending fiduciary's business on the day in which the securities lent are delivered to the borrower, collateral consisting of cash, securities issued or guaranteed by the United States Government or its agencies, or irrevocable bank letters of credit issued by a person other than the borrower or an affiliate thereof, or any combination thereof, having, as of the close of business on the preceding business day, a market value equal to not less than 100 percent of the market value of the securities lent;
3. Prior to the making of any such loan, the borrower shall have furnished the lending fiduciary with (1) the most recent available audited statement of the borrower's financial condition, (2) the most recent available unaudited statement of its financial condition (if more recent than such audited statement), and (3) a representation that, at the time the loan is negotiated, there has been no material adverse change in its financial condition since the date of the most recent financial statement furnished to the plan that has not been disclosed to the lending fiduciary. Such representation may be made by the borrower's agreeing that each such loan shall constitute a representation by the borrower that there has been no such material adverse change;
4. The loan is made pursuant to a written loan agreement, the terms of which are at least as favorable to the plan as an arm's length transaction with an unrelated party, would be. Such agreement may be in the form of a master agreement covering a series of securities lending transactions;
5. (a) The plan (1) receives a reasonable fee that is related to the value of the borrowed securities and the duration of the loan, or (2) has the opportunity to derive compensation through the investment of cash collateral. Where the plan has that opportunity, the plan may pay a loan rebate or similar fee to the borrower, if such fee is not greater than the plan would pay in a comparable transaction with an unrelated party;

(b) The plan receives the equivalent of all distributions made to holders of the borrowed securities during the term of the loan, including, but not limited to, cash dividends, interest payments, shares of stock as a result of stock splits and rights to purchase additional securities;

6. If the market value of the collateral at the close of trading on a business day is less than 100 percent of the market value of the borrowed securities at the close of trading on that day, the borrower shall deliver, by the close of business on the following business day, an additional amount of collateral (as described in paragraph 2) the market value of which, together with the market value of all previously delivered collateral, equals at least 100 percent of the market value of all the borrowed securities as of such preceding day.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, part of the collateral may be returned to the borrower if the market value of the collateral exceeds 100 percent of the market value of the borrowed securities, as long as the market value of the remaining collateral equals at least 100 percent of the market value of the borrowed securities;

7. The loan may be terminated by the plan at any time, whereupon the borrower shall deliver certificates for securities identical to the borrowed securities (or the equivalent thereof in the event of reorganization, recapitalization or merger of the issuer of the borrowed securities) to the plan within (1) the customary delivery period for such securities, (2) five business days, or (3) the time negotiated for such delivery by the plan and the borrower, whichever is lesser; and
8. In the event the loan is terminated, and the borrower fails to return the borrowed securities or the equivalent thereof within the time described in paragraph 7 above, (i) the plan may, under the terms of the loan agreement, purchase securities, identical to the borrowed securities (or their equivalent as described above) and may apply, the collateral to the payment of the purchase price, any other obligations of the borrower under the agreement, and any expenses associated with the sale and/or purchase, and (ii) the borrower is obligated, under the terms of the loan agreement, to pay, and does pay to the plan the amount of any remaining obligations and expenses not covered by the collateral plus interest at a reasonable rate.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the borrower may, in the event the borrower fails to return borrowed securities as described above, replace non-cash collateral with an amount of cash not less than the then current market value of the collateral, provided such replacement is approved by the lending fiduciary.

If the borrower fails to comply with any condition of this exemption in the course of engaging in a securities lending transaction, the plan fiduciary who caused the plan to engage in such transaction shall not be deemed to have caused the plan to engage in a transaction prohibited by section 406(a)(1)(A) through (D) of the Act solely by reason of the borrower's failure to comply with the conditions of the exemption.

For purposes of this class exemption the term "affiliate" of another person shall include:

1. Any person directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such other person;
2. Any officer, director, or partner, employee or relative (as defined in section 3(15) of the Act) of such other person; and
3. Any corporation or partnership of which such other person is an officer, director or partner.

Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 81-8

January 23, 1981 (46 FR 7511)

[Amended on April 9, 1985 (50 FR 14043)]

Class Exemption Covering Certain Short-Term Investments

Agency: Department of Labor.

Action: Grant of class exemption.

Summary: This exemption permits employee benefit plans to engage in transactions involving certain short-term investments notwithstanding the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act). The exemption will affect participants and beneficiaries of employee benefit plans, persons who manage the assets of such plans, and other persons who provide services to such plans.

Effective Date: January 1, 1975. (Certain conditions to the availability of the exemption are effective April 23, 1981).

AmendedExemption

Effective January 1, 1975, the restrictions of sections 408(a)(1)(A) (B) and (D) of the Act, and the taxes imposed by reason of section 4975(c)(1)(A), (B) and (D) of the Code shall not apply to an investment of employee benefit plan assets which involves the purchase or other acquisition, holding, sale, exchange or redemption by or on behalf of an employee benefit plan of the following:

I. Banker's Acceptances. A banker's acceptance that is issued by a bank if:

1. The banker's acceptance has a stated maturity date of one year or less from date of issue or has a maturity date of one year or less from the date of purchase on behalf of the plan;
2. Neither the bank nor any affiliate of the bank has discretionary authority or control with respect to the investment of the plan assets involved in the transaction or renders investment advice (within the meaning of 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-21(c)) with respect to those assets;
3. The terms of the transaction are at least as favorable to the plan as those of an arm's length transaction with an unrelated party would be; and,
4. With respect to transactions occurring on or after April 23, 1981 the bank issuing the banker's acceptance is supervised by the United States or a State.

II. Commercial Paper. Commercial paper if:

1. It is not issued by an employer any of whose employees are covered by the plan or by an affiliate of such employer;
2. It has a stated maturity date of nine months or less from the date of issue, exclusive of days of grace, or is a renewal of an issue of commercial paper the maturity of which is likewise limited;
3. Neither the issuer of the commercial paper, any guarantor of the commercial paper, nor an affiliate of such issuer or guarantor, has discretionary authority or control with respect to the investment of the plan assets involved in the transaction or renders investment advice (within the meaning of 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-21(c)) with respect to those assets;
4. With respect to an acquisition or holding of commercial paper (including an acquisition by exchange) occurring on or after April 23, 1981, at the time it is acquired, the commercial paper is ranked in one of the three highest rating categories by at least one nationally recognized statistical rating services.

III. Repurchase Agreement.

A repurchase agreement (or securities or other instruments under cover of a repurchase agreement) in which the seller of the underlying securities or other instruments is a bank which is supervised by the United States or a State; a broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; or a dealer who makes primary markets in securities of the United States government or any agency thereof or in bankers acceptances and reports daily to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York its position with respect to these obligations, if each of the following conditions are satisfied.

1. The repurchase agreement is embodied in, or is entered into pursuant to a written agreement the terms of which are at least as favorable to the plan as an arm's length transaction with an unrelated party would be. For transactions occurring before April 23, 1981 a written confirmation of a repurchase agreement whose terms were at least as favorable to the plan as an arm's length transaction with an unrelated party would have been will be deemed to satisfy this condition.
2. The plan receives interest at a rate no less than that which it would receive in a comparable transaction with an unrelated party.
3. The repurchase agreement has a duration of one year or less.
4. The plan receives securities, banker's acceptances, commercial paper, or certificates of deposit having a market value equal to not less than 100 percent of the purchase price paid by the plan.
5. Upon expiration of the repurchase agreement and return of the securities or other instruments to the bank, broker-dealer or dealer (seller), the seller transfers to the plan an amount equal to the purchase price plus the appropriate interest.
6. Neither the seller nor an affiliate of the seller has discretionary authority or control with respect to the investment of the plan assets involved in the transaction or render investment advice (within the meaning of 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-21(c)) with respect to those assets.
7. The securities, banker's acceptances, commercial paper or certificates of deposit received by the plan:

1. Could be acquired directly by the plan in a transaction not covered by this section III without violating sections 406(a)(1)(E), 406(a)(2) or 407(a) of the Act; and,
2. If the securities are subject to the provisions of the Securities Act of 1933, they are obligations that are not "restricted securities" within the meaning of Rule 144 under that act.

8. With respect to transactions occurring on or after April 23, 1981:

1. If the market value of the underlying securities or other instruments falls below the purchase price at any time during the term of the agreement, the plan may, under the written agreement required by paragraph A of this section, require the seller to deliver, by the close of business on the following business day, additional securities or other instruments the market value of which, together with the market value of securities previously delivered or sold to the plan under the repurchase agreement, equals at least 100 percent of the purchase price paid by the plan;
2. If the seller does not deliver additional securities or other instruments as required above, the plan may terminate the agreement, and, if upon termination or expiration of the agreement, the amount owing is not paid to the plan, the plan may sell the securities or other instruments and apply the proceeds against the obligations of the seller under the agreement, and against any expenses associated with the sale; and,
3. The seller agrees to furnish the plan with the most recent available audited statement of its financial condition as well as its most recent available unaudited statement, agrees to furnish additional audited and unaudited statements of its financial condition as they are issued and either:

1. Agrees that each repurchase agreement transaction pursuant to the agreement shall constitute a representation by the seller that there has been no material adverse change in its financial condition since the date of the last statement furnished that has not been disclosed to the plan fiduciary with whom such written agreement is made; or
2. Prior to each repurchase agreement transaction, the seller represents that, as of the time the transaction is negotiated, there has been no material adverse change in its financial condition since the date of the last statement furnished that has not been disclosed to the plan fiduciary with whom such written agreement is made.

4. In the event of termination and sale as described in (2) above, the seller pays to the plan the amount of any remaining obligations and expenses not covered by the sale of the securities or other instruments, plus interest at a reasonable rate.

If a seller involved in a repurchase agreement covered by this exemption fails to comply with any condition of this exemption in the course of engaging in the repurchase agreement, the plan fiduciary who caused the plan to engage in such repurchase agreement shall not be deemed to have caused the plan to engage in a transaction prohibited by section 406(a)(1)(A) through (D) of the Act solely by reason of the seller's failure to comply with the conditions of the exemption.

IV. Certificates of Deposit.

A certificate of deposit that is issued by a bank which is supervised by the United States or a State if neither the bank nor any affiliate of the bank has discretionary authority or control with respect to the investment of the plan assets involved in the transaction or renders investment advice (within the meaning of 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-21(c)) with respect to those assets.

For purposes of this exemption the term affiliate is defined in 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-21(e).

V. Securities of Banks.

A security issued by a bank or an affiliate of the bank if:

Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 82-63

April 6, 1982 (47 FR 14804)

Class Exemption to Permit Payment of Compensation to Plan Fiduciaries

for the Provision of Securities Lending Services

Agency: Office of Pension and Welfare Benefit Programs, Labor.

Action: Grant of class exemption.

Summary: This exemption will allow certain compensation arrangements to be made for the provision by a fiduciary of securities lending services to an employee benefit plan, if the conditions specified in the exemption are met. The exemption affects participants and beneficiaries of employee benefit plans and fiduciaries who provide securities lending services to such plans. In the absence of this exemption, certain compensation arrangements for the provision of securities lending services by a plan fiduciary to an employee benefit plan would be subject to the prohibitions of section 406(b)(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (the Act) and the taxes imposed by section 4975(a) and (b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (the Code) by reason of section 4975(c)(1)(E) of the Code.

Effective Date: April 6, 1982.

The Explanatory Preamble, together with the full Exemption, are available in the PREAMBLE document.

1. Transactions

Effective April 6, 1982, the restrictions of section 406(b)(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (the Act) and the taxes imposed by section 4975(a) and (b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (the Code) by reason of section 4975(c)(1)(E) of the Code shall not apply to the payment to a fiduciary (the "lending fiduciary") of compensation for services rendered in connection with loans of plan assets that are securities, provided that:

1. The loan of securities is not prohibited by section 406(a) of the Act;
2. The lending fiduciary is authorized to engage in securities lending transactions on behalf of the plan;
3. The compensation is reasonable and is paid in accordance with the terms of a written instrument, which may be in the form of a master agreement covering a series of securities lending transactions;
4. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (f), the arrangement under which the compensation is paid (1) is subject to the prior written authorization of a plan fiduciary (the "authorizing fiduciary"), who is (other than in the case of a plan covering only employees of the lending fiduciary or affiliates of such fiduciary) independent of the lending fiduciary and of any affiliate thereof, and (2) may be terminated by the authorizing fiduciary within (i) the time negotiated for such notice of termination by the plan and the lending fiduciary, or (ii) five business days, whichever is lesser, in either case without penalty to the plan;
5. No such authorization is made or renewed unless the lending fiduciary shall have furnished the authorizing fiduciary with any reasonably available information which the lending fiduciary reasonably believes to be necessary to determine whether such authorization should be made or renewed, and any other reasonably available information regarding the matter that the authorizing fiduciary may reasonably request; and
6. (Special Rule for Commingled Investment Funds) In the case of a pooled separate account maintained by an insurance company qualified to do business in a state or, a common or collective trust fund maintained by a bank or trust company supervised by a state or federal agency, the requirements of paragraph (d) of this exemption shall not apply: Provided, that -

1. The information described in paragraph (e) (including information with respect to any material change in the arrangement) shall be furnished by the lending fiduciary to the authorizing fiduciary described in paragraph (d) with respect to each plan whose assets are invested in the account or fund, not less than 30 days prior to implementation of the arrangement or material change thereto, and, where requested, upon the reasonable request of the authorizing fiduciary;
2. In the event any such authorizing fiduciary submits a notice in writing to the lending fiduciary objecting to the implementation of, material change in, or continuation of the arrangement, the plan on whose behalf the objection was tendered is given the opportunity to terminate its investment in the account or fund, without penalty to the plan, within such time as may he necessary to effect such withdrawal in an orderly manner that is equitable to all withdrawing plans and to the nonwithdrawing plans. In the case of a plan that elects to withdraw pursuant to the foregoing, such withdrawal shall be effected prior to the implementation of, or material change in, the arrangement, but an existing arrangement need not be discontinued by reason of a plan electing to withdraw; and
3. In the case of a plan whose assets are proposed to be invested in the account or fund subsequent to the implementation of the compensation arrangement and which has not authorized the arrangement in the manner described in paragraphs (f)(1) and (f)(2), the plan's investment in the account or fund shall be authorized in the manner described in paragraph (d)(1).

Definitions

For purposes of this exemption, the term, "affiliate" of another person means:

1. Any person directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such other person;
2. Any officer, director, partner, employee, relative (as defined in section 3(15) of the Act) of such other person, and
3. Any corporation or partnership of which such other person is an officer, director or partner.

For purposes of this paragraph, the term "control" means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a person other than an individual.

Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 82-87

May 18, 1982 (47 FR 21331)

Class Exemption for Transactions Involving

Certain Residential Mortgage Financing Arrangements

Agency: Department of Labor.

Action: Grant of class exemption.

Summary: This document contains a final exemption from certain of the prohibited transactions provisions of the Employee Retirement Security Income Act of 1974 (the Act) and the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (the Code). The exemption involves the issuance of commitments for the provision of mortgage financing to purchasers of residential dwelling units, the receipt of a fee in exchange for the issuance of such commitment, the making or purchase of loans or participation interests therein pursuant to such commitments, and the direct making, purchase, sale, exchange or transfer of mortgage loans or participation interests therein by employee benefit plans, if the conditions specified in the exemption are met. The exemption affects participants and beneficiaries of employee benefit plans involved in such transactions, certain employers who contribute to such plans and other persons who engage in the described transactions. In the absence of this exemption, certain purchase and sale transactions between the plan and parties in interest and certain extensions of credit transactions between the plan and other parties in interest would be prohibited by the Act and the Code.

Effective Date: January 1, 1975. [Certain conditions, as specified herein, are applicable effective June 17, 1982.]

I. Transactions

Accordingly, the following exemption is hereby granted under the authority of section 408(a) of the Act and section 4975(c)(2) of the Code and in accordance with the procedure set forth in ERISA Procedure 75-1.

Effective January 1, 1975, the restrictions of section 406(a) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (the Act) and the taxes imposed by section 4975(a) and (b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (Code) by reason of section 4975(c)(1)(A) through (D) of the Code shall not apply to the following transactions if the conditions set forth in Part II below are met:

1. The issuance of a commitment by one or more employee benefit plans to provide mortgage financing to purchasers of residential dwelling units, either by making or participating in loans directly to purchasers or by purchasing mortgage loans or participation interests in mortgage loans originated by a third party;
2. The receipt by the plan of a fee in exchange for issuing such commitment;
3. The actual making or purchase of a mortgage loan or participation interest therein pursuant to such commitment;
4. The direct making or purchase by one or more employee benefit plans of a mortgage loan or a participation interest therein other than where a commitment has been issued; and
5. The sale, exchange or transfer of a mortgage loan or participation interest therein by an employee benefit plan prior to the maturity date of such instrument whether or not acquired pursuant to this exemption, provided that the ownership interest sold, exchanged or transferred represents the plan's entire interest in such investment.

II. Conditions

1. Effective January 1, 1975, the exemption provided for transactions described in Part I is available only if each of the following conditions, as applicable, is met:

1. General Conditions

1. Any mortgage loan to be acquired must be a "recognized mortgage loan" (as defined in Section D of Part III) or a participation interest in such loan for the purchase of a "residential dwelling unit" (as defined in Section E of Part III)
2. Any mortgage loan must be originated (either directly for the plan or by the origination-purchase process) by an "established mortgage lender" (as defined in Section B of Part III) -

1. Who qualifies the recipient, and
2. As to which neither the plan, nor an employer or group of employers contributing to the plan, nor an employee organization any of whose members are covered by the plan, has the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of such "established mortgage lender";

3. The price paid or received by the plan must be at least as favorable to the plan as a similar transaction involving unrelated parties; and
4. No person who is a developer or a builder involved in the development or construction of the units, or a lender who is associated with the construction financing arrangement for the units, or who, at the time the decision to purchase is made by the plan (whether directly or pursuant to a commitment) is the owner of a mortgage or a participation interest therein which is subsequently sold to the plan, shall have exercised any discretionary authority or control or rendered any investment advice that would make that person a fiduciary with respect to the plan's decision to purchase, or to commit to purchase, a mortgage loan or a participation interest therein or setting the terms thereof.

2. Specific Conditions Applicable to Commitments. Where the decision by the plan involves a commitment to purchase either a mortgage loan or participation interest therein:

1. The commitment must be in writing and must be at least as favorable to the plan as a commitment involving unrelated parties and consistent with customary practices in the residential finance industry; and
2. The commitment must provide for the use of underwriting guidelines and mortgage instruments which will ensure that all mortgage loans originated pursuant to such commitment will result in a "recognized mortgage loan";

3. Specific Conditions Applicable to Participations Where the acquisition by the plan involves a participation interest in a mortgage loan(s) (whether directly or pursuant to a commitment):

1. the participation agreement governing such transaction must provide that:

1. The rights and interests evidenced by such participation interest not be subordinated to the rights and interests of other holders of the same participation agreement,
2. The majority interest in the participation agreement must be owned by parties independent of and not controlled by the person selling the participation interest and servicing the underlying mortgage(s), and
3. In the event of an inability to obtain collections on any mortgage loan(s) underlying the participation agreement, decisions regarding foreclosure options must be directed by persons other than the seller/service; and

2. Such participation agreement must be in writing and must be at least as favorable to the plan as a participation agreement involving unrelated parties and consistent with customary practices in the residential finance industry.

2. Effective 30 days after date of publication of this notice in the Federal Register the exemption provided for transactions described in Part I is available only if each of the following conditions is satisfied in addition to each of the applicable conditions described in Section A of this Part II:

1. The decision to purchase or sell the mortgage loan or participation interest therein, or to issue a commitment to do so, must be made on behalf of the plan by a "qualified real estate manager" (as defined in Section C of Part III) as to which neither the plan, nor an employer or group of employers contributing to the plan, nor an employee organization any of whose members are covered by the plan, has the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of such "qualified real estate manager."
2. (a) The plan shall maintain for the duration of any loan made pursuant to this exemption records necessary to enable the persons described in paragraph (b) of this subsection to determine whether the conditions of this exemption have been met, except that,

1. A prohibited transaction will not be deemed to have occurred, if due to circumstances beyond the control of the fiduciaries of the plan, records are lost or destroyed prior to the termination of the loan and,
2. No party in interest shall be subject to the civil penalty which may be assessed under section 502(i) of ERISA, or to the taxes imposed by section 4975(a) and (b) of the Code, if the records are not maintained or are not available for examination as required by sub-paragraph (b) below.

2. Notwithstanding any provisions of subsection (a)(2) and (b) of section 504 of the Act, the records referred to in sub-paragraph (a) of this paragraph must be unconditionally available at their customary location for examination during normal business hours by: any trustee, investment manager, participant or beneficiary of the plan, or any duly authorized employee or representative of such person or of the Department or the Internal Revenue Service.

III. Definitions.

For purposes of this exemption:

1. References to persons described in this exemption includes their affiliates. An affiliate is defined as:

1. Any person directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controlling, controlled by, or under common control with such person;
2. Any officer, director, partner, employee or relative (as defined in section 3(15) of the Act) of such person; and
3. Any corporation or partnership of which such person is an officer, director or partner.

2. An "established mortgage lender" means an organized business enterprise which has as one of its principal purposes in the normal course of business the origination of loans secured by real estate mortgages or deeds of trust and which has satisfied the qualification requirements of one of the following categories:

1. Approval by the Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development for participation in any mortgage insurance program under the National Housing Act;
2. Approval by the Federal National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation as a qualified Seller/Servicer; or
3. A State agency or independent State authority empowered by State law to raise capital to provide financing for residential dwelling units.

3. A "qualified real estate manager" means a fiduciary as defined in section 3(21) of the Act who:

1. Is a financial institution or business organization, which in the normal course of business advises institutional investors regarding investments similar to those in which the plan desires to engage and which are described in Part I of this exemption; and
2. Acknowledges in writing to the plan that it will make decisions regarding plan investments in mortgage loans or participation interests therein in its capacity as a fiduciary of such plan.

4. A "recognized mortgage loan" is any mortgage loan on a "residential dwelling unit" which, at the time of its origination, was eligible, through an established program, for purchase by the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Government National Mortgage Association or the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation;
5. A "residential dwelling unit" or "unit" means:

1. Owner occupied non-farm property comprising one to four dwelling units, including detached houses, townhouses, manufactured housing, condominiums, units in a housing cooperative, or a unit in a multi unit subdivision (planned unit development) restricted by recorded documents which limit the use of the unit to residential purposes and provide for maintenance of common facilities; or
2. Certain non-owner occupied units where such unit complies with the uniform underwriting standards required for investor loans to qualify as a "recognized mortgage loan" under this exemption.

Signed at Washington, D.C. this 13th day of May 1982.

Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 84-14

March 13, 1984 (49 FR 9494)

[Amended on October 10, 1985 (50 FR 41430)]

Class Exemption 84-14

for Plan Asset Transactions Determined by

Independent Qualified Professional Asset Managers

Agency: Department of Labor

Action: Grant of Class Exemption.

Summary: This document contains a final exemption from certain prohibited transactions restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and from certain taxes imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (the Code). The exemption permits various parties who are related to employee benefit plans to engage in transactions involving plan assets if, among other conditions, the assets are managed by persons, defined for purposes of this exemption as "qualified professional asset managers" (QPAMs), which are independent of the parties in interest and which meet specified financial standards. Additional exemptive relief is provided for employers to furnish limited amounts of goods and services in the ordinary course of business. Limited relief is also provided for leases of office or commercial space between managed funds and QPAMs or contributing employers. The exemption will affect participants and beneficiaries of employee benefit plans, the sponsoring employers of such plans, QPAMs and other persons engaging in the described transactions.

Effective Date: December 21, 1982.

The Explanatory Preamble for the original PTE 84-14, together with the full Amended Exemption, are available in the PREAMBLE document. The Preamble for the Amendment appears in the PREAMBLE documents, immediately following the Amended Exemption.

Amended Exemption

Part I. General Exemption. Effective December 21, 1982, the restrictions of ERISA section 406(a)(1)(A) through (D) and the taxes imposed by Code section 4975(a) and (b), by reason of Code section 4975(c)(I)(A) through (D), shall not apply to a transaction between a party in interest with respect to an employee benefit plan and an investment fund (as defined in section V(b)) in which the plan has an interest, and which is managed by a qualified professional asset manager (QPAM) (as defined in section V(a)), if the following conditions are satisfied:

1. At the time of the transaction (as defined in section V(i)) the party in interest, or its affiliate (as defined in section V(c)), does not have, and during the immediately preceding one year has not exercised, the authority to -

1. Appoint or terminate the QPAM as a manager of any of the plan's assets or
2. Negotiate the terms of the management agreement with the QPAM (including renewals or modifications thereof) on behalf of the plan;

2. The transaction is not described in -

1. Prohibited Transaction Exemption 81-6 (46 FR 7527; January 23, 1981) (relating to securities lending arrangements),
2. Prohibited Transaction Exemption 83-1 (28 FR 895; January 7, 1983) (relating to acquisitions by plans of interests in mortgage pools), or
3. Prohibited Transaction Exemption 82-87 (47 FR 21331; May 18,1982) (relating to certain mortgage financing arrangements);

3. The terms of the transaction are negotiated on behalf of the investment fund by, or under the authority and general direction of, the QPAM, and either the QPAM, or (so long as the QPAM retains full fiduciary responsibility with respect to the transaction) a property manager acting in accordance with written guidelines established and administered by the QPAM, makes the decision on behalf of the investment fund to enter into the transaction, provided that the transaction is not part of an agreement, arrangement or understanding designed to benefit a party in interest;
4. The party in interest dealing with the investment fund is neither the QPAM nor a person related to the QPAM (within the meaning of section V(h));
5. The transaction is not entered into with a party in interest with respect to any plan whose assets managed by the QPAM, when combined with the assets of other plans established or maintained by the same employer (or affiliate thereof described in section V(c)(1) of this exemption) or by the same employee organization, and managed by the QPAM, represent more than 20 percent of the total client assets managed by the QPAM at the time of the transaction;
6. At the time the transaction is entered into, and at the time of any subsequent renewal or modification thereof that requires the consent of the QPAM, the terms of the transaction are at least as favorable to the investment fund as the terms generally available in arm's length transactions between unrelated parties;
7. Neither the QPAM nor any affiliate thereof (as defined in section V(d)), nor any owner, direct or indirect, of a 5 percent or more interest in the QPAM is a person who within the 10 years immediately preceding the transaction has been either convicted or released from imprisonment, whichever is later, as a result of any felony involving abuse or misuse of such person's employee benefit plan position or employment, or position or employment with a labor organization; any felony arising out of the conduct of the business of a broker, dealer, investment adviser, bank, insurance company or fiduciary; income tax evasion; any felony involving the larceny, theft, robbery, extortion, forgery, counterfeiting, fraudulent concealment, embezzlement, fraudulent conversion, or misappropriation of funds or securities; conspiracy or attempt to commit any such crimes or a crime in which any of the foregoing crimes is an element; or any other crime described in section 411 of ERISA. For purposes of this section (g), a person shall be deemed to have been "convicted" from the date of the judgment of the trial court, regardless of whether that judgment remains under appeal.

Part II. Specific Exemptions for Employers. Effective December 21, 1982, the restrictions of sections 406(a), 406(b)(1) and 407(a) of ERISA and the taxes imposed by section 4975(a) and (b) of the Code, by reason of Code section 4975(e)(1)(A) through (E), shall not apply to:

1. The sale, leasing, or servicing of goods (as defined in section V(j)), or to the furnishing of services, to an investment fund managed by a QPAM by a party in interest with respect to a plan having an interest in the fund, if -

1. The party in interest is an employer any of whose employees are covered by the plan or is a person who is a party in interest by virtue of a relationship to such an employer described in section V(c),
2. The transaction is necessary for the administration or management of the investment fund,
3. The transaction takes place in the ordinary course of a business engaged in by the party in interest with the general public,
4. Effective for taxable years of the party in interest furnishing goods and services after the date this exemption is granted, the amount attributable in any taxable year of the party in interest to transactions engaged in with an investment fund pursuant to section II(a) of this exemption does not exceed one (1) percent of the gross receipts derived from all sources for the prior taxable year of the party in interest, and
5. The requirements of sections I(c) through (g) are satisfied with respect to the transaction;

2. The leasing of office or commercial space by an investment fund managed by a QPAM to a party in interest with respect to a plan having an interest in the investment fund, if -

1. The party in interest is an employer any of whose employees are covered by the plan or is a person who is a party in interest by virtue of a relationship to such an employer described in section V(c),
2. No commission or other fee is paid by the investment fund to the QPAM or to the employer, or to an affiliate of the QPAM or employer (as defined in section V(c)), in connection with the transaction,
3. Any unit of space leased to the party in interest by the investment fund is suitable (or adaptable without excessive cost) for use by different tenants,
4. The amount of space covered by the lease does not exceed fifteen (15) percent of the rentable space of the office building, integrated office park, or of the commercial center (if the lease does not pertain to office space),
5. In the case of a plan that is not an eligible individual account plan (as defined in section 407(d)(3) of ERISA), immediately after the transaction is entered into, the aggregate fair market value of employer real property and employer securities held by investment funds of the QPAM in which the plan has an interest does not exceed 10 percent of the fair market value of the assets of the plan held in those investment funds. In determining the aggregate fair market value of employer real property and employer securities as described herein, a plan shall be considered to own the same proportionate undivided interest in each asset of the investment fund or funds as its proportionate interest in the total assets of the investment fund(s). For purposes of this requirement, the term "employer real property" means real property leased to, and the term "employer securities" means securities issued by, an employer any of whose employees are covered by the plan or a party in interest of the plan by reason of a relationship to the employer described in subparagraphs (E) or (G) of ERISA section 3(14), and
6. The requirements of sections I(c) through (g) are satisfied with respect to the transaction.

Part III. Specific Lease Exemption for QPAMs. Effective December 21, 1982, the restrictions of section 406(a)(1)(A) through (D) and 406(b)(1) and (2) of ERISA and the taxes imposed by Code section 4975(a) and (b), by reason of Code section 4975(c)(1)(A) through (E), shall not apply to the leasing of office or commercial space by an investment fund managed by a QPAM to the QPAM, a person who is a party in interest of a plan by virtue of a relationship to such QPAM described in subparagraphs (G), (H), or (I) of ERISA section 3(14) or a person not eligible for the General Exemption of Part I by reason of section I(a), if -

1. The amount of space covered by the lease does not exceed the greater of 7500 square feet or one (1) percent of the rentable space of the office building, integrated office park or of the commercial center in which the investment fund has the investment,
2. The unit of space subject to the lease is suitable (or adaptable without excessive cost) for use by different tenants,
3. At the time the transaction is entered into, and at the time of any subsequent renewal or modification thereof that requires the consent of the QPAM, the terms of the transaction are not more favorable to the lessee than the terms generally available in arm's length transactions between unrelated parties, and
4. No commission or other fee is paid by the investment fund to the QPAM, any person possessing the disqualifying, powers described in section I(a), or any affiliate of such persons (as defined in section V(c)), in connection with the transaction.

Part IV. Transactions Involving Places of Public Accommodation. Effective December 21, 1982, the restrictions of section 406(a)(1)(A) through (D) and 406(b)(1) and (2) of ERISA and the taxes imposed by Code section 4975(a) and (b), by reason of Code section 4975(c)(1)(A) through (E), shall not apply to the furnishing of services and facilities (and goods incidental thereto) by a place of public accommodation owned by an investment fund managed by a QPAM to a party in interest with respect to a plan having an interest in the investment fund, if the services and facilities (and incidental goods) are furnished on a comparable basis to the general public.

Part V. Definitions and General Rules. For the purposes of this exemption:

1. The term "qualified professional asset manager" or "QPAM" means -

1. A bank, as described in section 202(a)(2) of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 that has the power to manage, acquire or dispose of assets of a plan, which bank has, as of the last day of its most recent fiscal year, equity capital (as defined in section V(k)) in excess of $1,000,000, or
2. A savings and loan association, the accounts of which are insured by the Federal Savings and Loan Insurance Corporation, that has made application for and been granted trust powers to manage, acquire or dispose of assets of a plan by a State or Federal authority having supervision over savings and loan associations, which savings and loan association has, as of the last day of its most recent fiscal year, equity capital (as defined in section V(k)) or net worth (as defined in section V(I)) in excess of $1,000,000, or
3. An insurance company which is qualified under the laws of more than one State to manage, acquire, or dispose of any assets of a plan, which company has, as of the last day of its most recent fiscal year, net worth (as defined in section V(I)) in excess of $1,000,000 and which is subject to supervision and examination by a State authority having supervision over insurance companies, or
4. An investment adviser registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 that has, as of the last day of its most recent fiscal year, total client assets under its management and control in excess of $50,000,000, and either (A) shareholders' or partners' equity (as defined in section V(m)) in excess of $750,000, or (B) payment of all of its liabilities including any liabilities that may arise by reason of a breach or violation of a duty described in sections 404 or 406 of ERISA is unconditionally guaranteed by -

1. A person with a relationship to such investment adviser described in section V(c)(l) if the investment adviser and such affiliate have, as of the last day of their most recent fiscal year, shareholders' or partners' equity, in the aggregate, in excess of $750,000, or
2. A person described in (a)(1), (a)(2) or (a)(3) of section V above, or
3. A broker-dealer registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that has, as of the last day of its most recent fiscal year, net worth in excess of $750,000;

Provided that such bank, savings and loan association, insurance company or investment adviser has acknowledged in a written management agreement that it is a fiduciary with respect to each plan that has retained the QPAM.

2. An "investment fund" includes single customer and pooled separate accounts maintained by an insurance company, individual trusts and common, collective or group trusts maintained by a bank, and any other account or fund to the extent that the disposition of its assets (whether or not in the custody of the QPAM) is subject to the discretionary authority of the QPAM.
3. For purposes of section I(a) and Part II, and "affiliate" of a person means -

1. Any person directly or indirectly, through one or more intermediaries, controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the person,
2. Any corporation, partnership, trust or unincorporated enterprise of which such person is an officer, director, 5 percent or more partner, or employee (but only if the employer of such employee is the plan sponsor), and
3. Any director of the person or any employee of the person who is a highly compensated employee, as defined in section 4975(e)(2)(H) of the Code, or who has direct or indirect authority, responsibility or control regarding the custody, management or disposition of plan assets. A named fiduciary (within the meaning of section 402(a)(2) of ERISA) of a plan and an employer any of whose employees are covered by the plan will also be considered affiliates with respect to each other for purposes of section I(a) if such employer or an affiliate of such employer has the authority, alone or shared with others, to appoint or terminate the named fiduciary or otherwise negotiate the terms of the named fiduciary's employment agreement.

4. For purposes of section I(g) an "affiliate" of a person means -

1. Any person directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the person,
2. Any director of, relative of, or partner in, any such person,
3. Any corporation, partnership, trust or unincorporated enterprise of which such person is an officer, director, or a 5 percent or more partner or owner, and
4. Any employee or officer of the person who -

1. Is a highly compensated employee (as defined in section 4975(e)(2)(H) of the Code) or officer (earning 10 percent or more of the yearly wages of such person), or
2. Has direct or indirect authority, responsibility or control regarding the custody, management or disposition of plan assets.

5. The term "control" means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a person other than an individual.
6. The term "party in interest" means a person described in ERISA section 3(14) and includes a "disqualified person," as defined in Code section 4975(e)(2).
7. The term "relative" means a relative as that term is defined in ERISA section 3(15), or a brother, a sister, or a spouse of a brother or sister.
8. A QPAM is "related" to a party in interest for purposes of section I(d) of this exemption if the party in interest (or a person controlling, or controlled by, the party in interest) owns a five percent or more interest in the QPAM or if the QPAM (or a person controlling, or controlled by, the QPAM) owns a five percent or more interest in the party in interest. For purposes of this definition:

1. The term "interest" means with respect to ownership of an entity -

1. The combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote or the total value of the shares of all classes of stock of the entity if the entity is a corporation,
2. The capital interest or the profits interest of the entity if the entity is a partnership, or
3. The beneficial interest of the entity if the entity is a trust or unincorporated enterprise; and

2. A person is considered to own an interest held in any capacity if the person has or shares the authority -

1. To exercise any voting rights or to direct some other person to exercise the voting rights relating to such interest, or
2. To dispose or to direct the disposition of such interest.

9. The time as of which any transaction occurs is the date upon which the transaction is entered into. In addition, in the case of a transaction that is continuing, the transaction shall be deemed to occur until it is terminated. If any transaction is entered into on or after December 21, 1982, or a renewal that requires the consent of the QPAM occurs on or after December 21, 1982 and the requirements of this exemption are satisfied at the time the transaction is entered into or renewed, respectively, the requirements will continue to be satisfied thereafter with respect to the transaction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this exemption shall cease to apply to a transaction exempt by virtue of Part I or Part II at such time as the percentage requirement contained in section I(e) is exceeded, unless no portion of such excess results from an increase in the assets transferred for discretionary management to a QPAM. For this purpose, assets transferred do not include the reinvestment of earnings attributable to those plan assets already under the discretionary management of the QPAM. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as exempting a transaction entered into by an investment fund which becomes a transaction described in section 406 of ERISA or section 4975 of the Code while the transaction is continuing, unless the conditions of this exemption were met either at the time the transaction was entered into or at the time the transaction would have become prohibited but for this exemption.
10. The term "goods" includes all things which are movable or which are fixtures used by an investment fund but does not include securities, commodities, commodities futures, money, documents, instruments, accounts, chattel paper, contract rights and any other property, tangible or intangible, which, under the relevant facts and circumstances, is held primarily for investment.
11. For purposes of section V(a)(1) and (2), the term "equity capital" means stock (common and preferred), surplus, undivided profits, contingency reserves and o her capital reserves.
12. For purposes of section V(a)(3), the term "net worth" means capital, paid-in and contributed surplus, unassigned surplus, contingency reserves, group contingency reserves, and special reserves.
13. For purposes of section V(a)(4), the term "shareholders' or partners' equity" means the equity shown in the most recent balance sheet prepared within the two years immediately preceding a transaction undertaken pursuant to this exemption, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 86-128

November 18, 1986 (51 FR 41686)

Replaces Temporary PTE 79-9, March 23, 1979 (44 FR 17819)

Class Exemption Covering Securities Transactions with Brokers

Agency: Department of Labor.

Action: Grant of class exemption.

Summary: This document contains an exemption which allows persons who serve as fiduciaries for employee benefit plans to effect or execute securities transactions under certain circumstances. The exemption also allows sponsors of pooled separate accounts and other pooled investment funds to use their affiliates to effect or execute securities transactions for such accounts when certain conditions are met. The exemption will replace Prohibited Transaction Exemption 79-1 and Prohibited Transaction Exemption 84-46. It affects participants and beneficiaries of, and fiduciaries with respect to, employee benefit plans which invest in securities, and other persons who engage in the described transactions.

Effective Date: The later of December 18, 1986, or the date on which the Office of Management and Budget approves the information collection requests contained in this exemption under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980.

In accordance with section 408(a) of the Act and section 4975(c)(2) of the Code, and based upon the entire record including the written comments submitted in response to the notice of January 24, 1985, the Department makes the following determinations:

1. The class exemption set forth herein is administratively feasible;
2. It is in the interests of plans and of their participants and beneficiaries; and
3. It is protective of the rights of participants and beneficiaries of plans.

Accordingly, the following exemption is hereby granted under the authority of section 408(a) of the Act and section 4975(c)(2) of the Code and in accordance with the procedures set forth in ERISA Procedure 75-1.

Section I

Definitions and Special Rules

The following definitions and special rules apply to this exemption:

1. The term "person" includes the person and affiliates of the person.
2. An "affiliate" of a person includes the following:

1. Any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, the person
2. Any officer, director, partner, employee, relative (as defined in section 3(15) of ERISA), brother, sister, or spouse of a brother or sister, of the person;
3. Any corporation or partnership of which the person is an officer, director or partner.

A person is not an affiliate of another person solely because one of them has investment discretion over the other's assets. The term "control" means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a person other than an individual.

3. An "agency cross transaction" is a securities transaction in which the same person acts as agent for both any seller and any buyer for the purchase or sale of a security.
4. The term "covered transaction" means an action described in section II(a), (b) or (c) of this exemption.
5. The term "effecting or executing a securities transaction" means the execution of a securities transaction as agent for another person and/or the performance of clearance, settlement, custodial or other functions ancillary thereto.
6. A plan fiduciary is independent of a person only if the fiduciary has no relationship to or interest in such person that might affect the exercise of such fiduciary's best judgment as a fiduciary.
7. The term "profit" includes all charges relating to effecting or executing securities transactions, less reasonable and necessary expenses including reasonable indirect expenses (such as overhead costs) properly allocated to the performance of these transactions under generally accepted accounting principles.
8. The term "securities transaction" means the purchase or sale of securities.
9. The term "nondiscretionary trustee" of a plan means a trustee or custodian whose powers and duties with respect to any assets of the plan are limited to -

1. The provision of nondiscretionary trust services to the plan, and
2. Duties imposed on the trustee by any provision or provisions of the Act or the Code.

The term "nondiscretionary trust services" means custodial services and services ancillary to custodial services, none of which services are discretionary. For purposes of this exemption, a person does not fail to be a nondiscretionary trustee solely by reason of having been delegated, by the sponsor of a master or prototype plan, the power to amend such plan.

Section II

Covered transactions

Effective the later of December 18, 1986, or the date on which the Office of Management and Budget approves the information collection requests contained in this exemption under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980, if each condition of section III of this exemption is either satisfied or not applicable under section IV, the restrictions of section 406(b) of ERISA and the taxes imposed by sections 4975(a) and (b) of the Code by reason of section 4975(c)(1)(E) or (F) of the Code shall not apply to

1. A plan fiduciary's using its authority to cause a plan to pay a fee for effecting or executing securities transactions to that person as agent for the plan, but only to the extent that such transactions are not excessive, under the circumstances, in either amount or frequency;
2. A plan fiduciary's acting as the agent in an agency cross transaction for both the plan and one or more other parties to the transaction; or
3. The receipt by a plan fiduciary of reasonable compensation for effecting or executing an agency cross transaction to which a plan is a party from one or more other parties to the transaction.

Section III

Conditions

Except to the extent otherwise provided in section IV of this exemption, section II of this exemption applies only if the following conditions are satisfied:

1. The person engaging in the covered transaction is not a trustee (other than a nondiscretionary trustee) or an administrator of the plan, or an employer any of whose employees are covered by the plan.
2. The covered transaction is performed under a written authorization executed in advance by a fiduciary of each plan whose assets are involved in the transaction, which plan fiduciary is independent of the person engaging in the covered transaction.
3. The authorization referred to in paragraph (b) of this section is terminable at will by the plan, without penalty to the plan, upon receipt by the authorized person of written notice of termination. A form expressly providing an election to terminate the authorization described in paragraph (b) of this section with instructions on the use of the form must be supplied to the authorizing fiduciary no less than annually. The instructions for such form must include the following information:

1. The authorization is terminable at will by the plan, without penalty to the plan, upon receipt by the authorized person of written notice from the authorizing fiduciary or other plan official having authority to terminate the authorization; and
2. Failure to return the form will result in the continued authorization of the authorized person to engage in the covered transactions on behalf of the plan.

4. Within three months before an authorization is made, the authorizing fiduciary is furnished with any reasonably available information that the person seeking authorization reasonably believes to be necessary for the authorizing fiduciary to determine whether the authorization should be made, including (but not limited to) a copy of this exemption, the form for termination of authorization described in section III(c), a description of the person's brokerage placement practices, and any other reasonably available information regarding the matter that the authorizing fiduciary requests.
5. The person engaging in a covered transaction furnishes the authorizing fiduciary with either:

1. A confirmation slip for each securities transaction underlying a covered transaction within ten business days of the securities transaction containing the information described in Rule 10b-10(a)(1-7) under Securities Exchange Act of 1934, 17 C.F.R. 240.10b-10; or
2. At least once every three months and not later than 45 days following the period to which it relates, a report disclosing:

1. A compilation of the information that would be provided to the plan pursuant to subparagraph (e)(1) of this section during the three-month period covered by the report;
2. The total of all securities transaction-related charges incurred by the plan during such period in connection with such covered transactions; and
3. The amount of the securities transaction-related charges retained by such person and the amount of such charges paid to other persons for execution or other services.

For purposes of this paragraph (e), the words "incurred by the plan" shall be construed to mean "incurred by the pooled fund" when such person engages in covered transactions on behalf of a pooled fund in which the plan participates.

6. The authorizing fiduciary is furnished with a summary of the information required under paragraph (e)(1) of this section at least once per year. The summary must be furnished within 45 days after the end of the period to which it relates, and must contain the following:

1. The total of all securities transaction-related charges incurred by the plan during the period in connection with covered securities transactions.
2. The amount of the securities transaction-related charges retained by the authorized person and the amount of these charges paid to other persons for execution or other services.
3. A description of the person's brokerage placement practices, if such practices have materially changed during the period covered by the summary.
4. (i)A portfolio turnover ratio, calculated in a manner which is reasonably designed to provide the authorizing fiduciary with the information needed to assist in discharging its duty of prudence. The requirements of this paragraph (f)(4)(i) will be met if the "annualized portfolio turnover ratio", calculated in the manner described in paragraph (f)(4)(ii), is contained in the summary.

1. The "annualized portfolio turnover ratio" shall be calculated as a percentage of the plan assets consisting of securities or cash over which the authorized person had discretionary investment authority, or with respect to which such person rendered, or had any responsibility to render, investment advice (the "portfolio") at any time or times ("management period(s)") during the period covered by the report. First, the "portfolio turnover ratio" (not annualized) is obtained by dividing (A) the lesser of the aggregate dollar amounts of purchases or sales of portfolio securities during the management period(s) by (B) the monthly average of the market value of the portfolio securities during all management period(s). Such monthly average is calculated by totaling the market values of the portfolio securities as of the beginning and end of each management period and as of the end of each month that ends within such period(s), and dividing the sum by the number of valuation dates so used. For purposes of this calculation, all debt securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less are excluded from both the numerator and the denominator.

The "annualized portfolio turnover ratio" is then derived by multiplying the "portfolio turnover ratio" by an annualizing factor. The annualizing factor is obtained by dividing (C) the number twelve by (D) the aggregate duration of the management period(s) expressed in months (and fractions thereof).

Examples of the use of this formula are provided in section V of this exemption.

2. The information described in this paragraph (f)(4) is not required to be furnished in any case where the authorized person has not exercised discretionary authority over trading in the plan's account during the period covered by the report.

For purposes of this paragraph (f), the words "incurred by the plan" shall be construed to mean "incurred by the pooled fund" when such person engages in covered transactions on behalf of a pooled fund in which the plan participates.

7. If an agency cross transaction to which section IV(b) does not apply is involved, the following conditions must also be satisfied:

1. The information required under section III(d) or IV(d)(1)(B) of this exemption includes a statement to the effect that with respect to agency cross transactions the person effecting or executing the transactions will have a potentially conflicting division of loyalties and responsibilities regarding the parties to the transactions;
2. The summary required under section III(f) of this exemption includes a statement identifying the total number of agency cross transactions during the period covered by the summary and the total amount of all commissions or other remuneration received or to be received from all sources by the person engaging in the transactions in connection with those transactions during the period;
3. The person effecting or executing the agency cross transaction has the discretionary authority to act on behalf of, and/or provide investment advice to, either (A) one or more sellers or (B) one or more buyers with respect to the transaction, but not both.
4. The agency cross transaction is a purchase or sale, for no consideration other than cash payment against prompt delivery of a security for which market quotations are readily available; and
5. The agency cross transaction is executed or effected at a price that is at or between the independent bid and independent ask prices for the security prevailing at the time of the transaction.

Section IV

Exceptions from conditions

1. Certain plans not covering employees. Section III of this exemption does not apply to covered transactions to the extent they are engaged in on behalf of individual retirement accounts meeting the conditions of 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-2(d), or plans, other than training programs, that cover no employees within the meaning of 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-3.
2. Certain agency cross transactions. Section III of this exemption does not apply in the case of an agency cross transaction, provided that the person effecting or executing the transaction

1. Does not render investment advice to any plan for a fee within the meaning of section 3(21)(A)(ii) of ERISA with respect to the transaction;
2. Is not otherwise a fiduciary who has investment discretion with respect to any plan assets involved in the transaction, see 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-21(d); and
3. Does not have the authority to engage, retain or discharge any person who is or is proposed to be a fiduciary regarding any such plan assets.

3. Recapture of profits. Section III(a) of this exemption does not apply in any case where the person engaging in a covered transaction returns or credits to the plan all profits earned by that person in connection with the securities transactions associated with the covered transaction.
4. Special rules for pooled funds. In the case of a person engaging in a covered transaction on behalf of an account or fund for the collective investment of the assets of more than one plan (pooled fund):

1. Sections III(b), (c) and (d) of this exemption do not apply if -

1. The arrangement under which the covered transaction is performed is subject to the prior and continuing authorization, in the manner described in this paragraph (d)(1), of a plan fiduciary with respect to each plan whose assets are invested in the pooled fund who is independent of the person. The requirement that the authorizing fiduciary be independent of the person shall not apply in the case of a plan covering only employees of the person, if the requirements of section IV(d)(2)(A) and (B) are met.
2. The authorizing fiduciary is furnished with any reasonably available information that the person engaging or proposing to engage in the covered transactions reasonably believes to be necessary to determine whether the authorization should be given or continued, not less than 30 days prior to implementation of the arrangement or material change thereto, including (but not limited to) a description of the person's brokerage placement practices, and, where requested, any reasonably available information regarding the matter upon the reasonable request of the authorizing fiduciary at any time.
3. In the event an authorizing fiduciary submits a notice in writing to the person engaging in or proposing to engage in the covered transaction objecting to the implementation of, material change in, or continuation of, the arrangement, the plan on whose behalf the objection was tendered is given the opportunity to terminate its investment in the pooled fund, without penalty to the plan, within such time as may be necessary to effect the withdrawal in an orderly manner that is equitable to all withdrawing plans and to the nonwithdrawing plans. In the case of a plan that elects to withdraw under this subparagraph (d)(1)(C), the withdrawal shall be effected prior to the implementation of, or material change in, the arrangement; but an existing arrangement need not be discontinued by reason of a plan electing to withdraw.
4. In the case of a plan whose assets are proposed to be invested in the pooled fund subsequent to the implementation of the arrangement and that has not authorized the arrangement in the manner described in subparagraphs (d)(1)(B) and (C) of this section, the plan's investment in the pooled fund is subject to the prior written authorization of an authorizing fiduciary who satisfies the requirements of subparagraph (d)(1)(A).

2. Section III(a) of this exemption, to the extent that it prohibits the person from being the employer of employees covered by a plan investing in a pool managed by the person does not apply if -

1. The person is an "investment manager" as defined in section 3(38) of ERISA, and
2. Either (i) the person returns or credits to the pooled fund all profits earned by the person in connection with all covered transactions engaged in by the person on behalf of the fund, or (ii) the pooled fund satisfies the requirements of paragraph IV(d)(3).

3. A pooled fund satisfies the requirements of this paragraph for a fiscal year of the fund if -

Section V

Examples illustrating the use of the annualized portfolio turnover ratio described in Section III(F)(4)(ii)

(Note: This section containing examples has been omitted.)

Section VI

Effective dates and Transitional Rule

1. This exemption will be effective on the later of December 18, 1986, or the date on which the Office of Management and Budget approves the information collection requests contained in this exemption under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980.
2. PTE 79-1 and PTE 84-46 are revoked effective April 1, 1987.

Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 91-38

July 12, 1991 (56 FR 31966)

Class Exemption

Amendment to Prohibited Transaction Exemption (PTE) 80-51

Involving Bank Collective Investment Funds

Agency: Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, Labor Department.

Internal Revenue Service.

Action: Adoption of amendment to PTE 80-51, and redesignation as PTE 91-38.

Summary: This document amends PTE 80-51, a class exemption that permits Bank Collective Investment Funds, in which employee benefit plans have an interest, to engage in certain transactions, provided specified conditions are met. The amendment affects, among others, participants, beneficiaries and fiduciaries of plans that invest in the collective investment funds, banks, and other persons engaging in the described transactions.

Effective Date: The amendment to section I(a)(1)(A) of PTE 80-51 is effective as of July 1, 1990.

For the sake of convenience, the entire text of PTE 80-51, as amended, has been reprinted with this notice. The Department has redesignated the exemption as PTE 91-38.

Section I

Exemption for Certain Transactions Involving Bank Collective Investment Funds

1. Transactions between parties in interest and bank collective investment funds: General. Any transaction between a party in interest with respect to a plan and a collective investment fund that is maintained by a bank and in which the plan has an interest, or any acquisition or holding by the collective investment fund of employer securities or employer real property, if the party in interest is not the bank that maintains the collective investment fund, any other collective fund maintained by the bank or any affiliate of the bank, and if, at the time of the transaction, acquisition or holding, either -

1. The interest of the plan together with the interests of any other plans maintained by the same employer or employee organization in the collective investment fund does not exceed -

1. 10 percent of the total of all interests in the collective investment fund, if the transaction occurs prior to October 23, 1980; or
2. 5 percent of the total of all assets in the collective investment fund, if the transaction occurs on or after October 23, 1980, and on or before June 30, 1990; or
3. 10 percent of the total of all assets in the collective investment fund, if the transaction occurs on or after July 1, 1990; or

2. The collective investment fund is a specialized fund that has a policy of investing, and invests, substantially all of its assets in short-term obligations (having a stated maturity date of one year or less or having a maturity date of one year or less from the date of acquisition by such specialized fund), including but not necessarily limited to --

1. Corporate or governmental obligations or related repurchase agreements;
2. Certificates of deposit;
3. Bankers' acceptances; or
4. Variable amount notes of borrowers of prime credit.

2. Special transactions not meeting the criteria of section I(a)(1)(A) between employers of employees covered by a multiple employer plan and collective investment funds. Any transaction between an employer (or an affiliate of an employer) of employees covered by a multiple employer plan and a collective investment fund maintained by a bank in which the plan has an interest, or any acquisition or holding by the collective investment fund of employer securities or employer real property, if at the time of the transaction, acquisition or holding --

1. In the case of a transaction occurring prior to October 23, 1980, the employer is not a "substantial employer" with respect to the plan (within the meaning of section 4001(a)(2) of the Act); or
2. In the case of a transaction occurring on or after October 23, 1980:

1. The interest of the multiple employer plan in the collective investment fund does not exceed 10 percent of the total assets in the collective investment fund, and the employer is not a "substantial employer" with respect to the plan (within the meaning of section 4001(a)(2) of the Act); or
2. The interest of the multiple employer plan in the collective investment fund exceeds 10 percent of the total assets in the collective investment fund, but the employer is not a "substantial employer" with respect to the plan and would not be a "substantial employer" within the meaning of section 4001(a)(2) of the Act if "5 percent" were substituted for "10 percent" in that definition.

3. Acquisition, sale or holding of employer securities and employer real property.

1. Except as provided in subsection (B) of this section (3), any acquisition, sale or holding of employer securities and any acquisition, sale or holding of employer real property by a collective investment fund in which a plan has an interest and which does not meet the requirements of paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section, if no commission is paid to the bank or to the employer or any affiliate of the bank or the employer in connection with the acquisition or sale of employer securities or the acquisition, sale or lease of employer real property; and

1. In the case of employer real property --

(aa) Each parcel of employer real property and the improvements thereon held by the collective investment fund are suitable (or adaptable without excessive cost) for use by different tenants, and

(bb) The property of the collective investment fund that is leased or held for lease to others, in the aggregate, is dispersed geographically.

2. In the case of employer securities --

(aa) The bank in whose collective investment fund the security is held is not an affiliate of the issuer of the security, and

(bb) If the security is an obligation of the issuer, either

1. The collective investment fund owns the obligation at the time the plan acquires an interest in the collective investment fund, and interests in the collective fund are offered and redeemed in accordance with valuation procedures of the collective investment fund applied on a uniform or consistent basis, or
2. Immediately after acquisition of the obligation: (a) Not more than 25 percent of the aggregate amount of obligations issued in the issue and outstanding at the time of acquisition is held by such plan, and (b) in the case of an obligation that is a restricted security within the meaning of rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, at least 50 percent of the aggregate amount of obligations issued in the issue and outstanding at the time of acquisition is held by persons independent of the issuer. The bank, its affiliates and any collective investment fund maintained by the bank shall be considered to be persons independent of the issuer if the bank is not an affiliate of the issuer.

1. Transactions with persons who are parties in interest with respect to the plan solely by virtue of being certain service providers or certain affiliates of service providers. Any transaction between a collective investment fund and a person who is a party in interest with respect to a plan that has an interest in the collective investment fund, if --

1. The person is a party in interest (including a fiduciary) solely by reason of providing services to the plan, or solely by reason of a relationship to a service provider described in section 3(14) (F), (G), (H) or (I) of the Act, or both and the person neither exercised nor has any discretionary authority, control, responsibility or influence with respect to the investment of plan assets in, or held by, the collective investment fund, and
2. The person is not an affiliate of the bank maintaining the collective investment fund.

2. Certain leases and goods. The furnishing of goods to a collective investment fund by a party in interest with respect to a plan participating in the collective investment fund, or the leasing of real property owned by the collective investment fund to such party in interest and the incidental furnishing of goods to such party in interest by the collective investment fund, if--

1. In the case of goods, they are furnished to or by the collective investment fund in connection with real property owned by the collective investment fund;
2. The party in interest is not the bank maintaining the collective investment fund, or any affiliate of the bank, or any other collective investment fund maintained by the bank; and
3. The amount involved in the furnishing of goods or leasing of real property in any calendar year (including the amount under any other lease or arrangement for the furnishing of goods in connection with the real property investments of the collective investment fund with the same party in interest or any affiliate thereof) does not exceed the greater of $25,000 or 0.5 percent of the fair market value of the assets of the collective investment fund on the most recent valuation date of the fund prior to the transaction.

3. Management of real property. Any services provided to a collective investment fund in which a plan has an interest by the bank maintaining that fund or by an affiliate of that bank in connection with the management of the real property owned by the collective investment fund, if the compensation paid to the bank or its affiliate does not exceed the cost of the services to the bank or its affiliate.
4. Transactions involving places of public accommodation. The furnishing of services, facilities and any goods incidental to such services and facilities by a place of public accommodation owned by a bank collective investment fund, to a party in interest with respect to a plan, which plan has an interest in the collective investment fund, if the services, facilities and incidental goods are furnished on a comparable basis to the general public.

Section II

Excess Holdings Exemption for Employee Benefit Plans

1. Effective January 1, 1975, the restrictions of sections 406(a), 406(b)(2) and 407(a) of the Act and the taxes imposed by section 4975(a) and (b) of the Code by reason of section 4975(c)(1)(A), (B), (C) or (D) of the Code shall not apply to any acquisition or holding of qualifying employer securities or qualifying employer real property (other than through a collective investment fund), if -

1. The acquisition or holding contravenes the restrictions of sections 406(a)(1)(E), 406(a)(2) and 407(a) of the Act solely by reason of being aggregated with employer securities or employer real property held by a collective investment fund in which the plan has an interest;
2. The requirements of either paragraph (a)(1) or paragraph (a)(2) of section I of this exemption are met; and
3. The applicable conditions set forth in section III of this exemption are met.

Section III

General conditions

1. a prohibited transaction will not be considered to have occurred if, due to circumstances beyond the bank's control, the records are lost or destroyed prior to the end of the six-year period; and
2. no party in interest other than the bank shall be subject to the civil penalty that may be assessed under 502(i) of the Act, or to the taxes imposed by section 4975(a) and (b) of the Code, if the records are not maintained, or are not available for examination as required by paragraph (c) below.

3. (1)Except as provided in subsection 2 of this paragraph and notwithstanding any provisions of subsections (a)(2) and (b) of section 504 of the Act, the records referred to in paragraph (b) of this section are unconditionally available at their customary location for examination during normal business hours by:

1. Any duly authorized employee or representative of the Department of Labor or the Internal Revenue Service,
2. Any fiduciary of a plan who has authority to acquire or dispose of the interests of the plan in the collective investment fund, or any duly authorized employee or representative of such fiduciary.
3. Any contributing employer to any plan that has an interest in the collective investment fund or any duly authorized employee or representative of such employer.
4. Any participant or beneficiary of any plan that has an interest in the collective investment fund, or any duly authorized employee or representative of such participant or beneficiary.

(2) None of the persons described in subparagraphs (B) through (D) of this paragraph shall be authorized to examine a bank's trade secrets or commercial or financial information which is privileged or confidential.

Section IV

Definitions and General Rules

For the purposes of this exemption,

1. An "affiliate" of a person includes -

1. Any person directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controlling, controlled by, or under common control with the person;
2. Any officer, director, employee, relative of, or partner in any such person; and
3. Any corporation or partnership of which such person is an officer, director, partner or employee.

2. The term "control" means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a person other than an individual.
3. The term "party in interest" includes a "disqualified person" as defined in section 4975(e)(2) of the Code.
4. The term "relative" means a "relative" as that term is defined in section 3(15) of the Act (or a "member of the family" as that term is defined in section 4975(e)(6) of the Code), or a brother, a sister, or a spouse of a brother or sister.
5. (1)Except as provided in subparagraph (2) of this paragraph, the term "collective investment fund" means a common or collective trust fund or pooled investment fund maintained by a bank or a trust company.

(2) In the case of a common or collective trust fund or pooled investment fund maintained by a bank or trust company that consists of separate investment accounts, each separate investment account of that fund, rather than the entire fund, shall be considered to be a separate "collective investment fund" for purposes of this exemption.

6. The term "multiple employer plan" means an employee benefit plan that satisfies at least the requirements of section 3(37)(A)(i), (ii) and (v) of the Act and section 414(f)(1)(A), (B) and (E) of the Code.
7. The term "obligation" means a bond, debenture, note, certificate, or other evidence of indebtedness.
8. The time as of which any transaction, acquisition or holding occurs is the date upon which the transaction is entered into, the acquisition is made or the holding commences. In addition, in the case of a transaction that is continuing, the transaction shall be deemed to occur until it is terminated. If any transaction is entered into, or an acquisition is made, on or after January 1, 1975, or a renewal that requires the consent of the bank occurs on or after January 1, 1975, and the requirements of this exemption are satisfied at the time the transaction is entered into or renewed, respectively, or at the time the acquisition is made, the requirements will continue to be satisfied thereafter with respect to the transaction or acquisition and the exemption shall apply thereafter to the continued holding of the securities or property so acquired. This exemption also applies to any transaction or acquisition entered into, or holding commencing prior to January 1, 1975, if either the requirements of this exemption would have been satisfied on the date the transaction was entered into or acquisition was made (or on which the holding commenced), or the requirements would have been satisfied on January 1, 1975, if the transaction had been entered into, the acquisition was made, or the holding had commenced, on January 1, 1975. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this exemption shall cease to apply to a holding exempt by virtue of section I(a)(1) at such time as the interest of the plan in the collective investment fund exceeds the percentage interest limitation of section I(a)(1), unless no portion of such excess results from an increase in the assets allocated to the collective investment fund by the plan. For this purpose, assets allocated do not include the reinvestment of fund earnings. Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as exempting a transaction entered into by a collective investment fund which becomes a transaction described in section 406 of the Act or section 4975 of the Code while the transaction is continuing, unless the conditions of the exemption were met either at the time the transaction was entered into or at the time the transaction would have become prohibited but for this exemption.
9. Each plan participating in a collective investment fund shall be considered to own the same proportionate undivided interest in each asset of the collective investment fund as its proportionate interest in the total assets of the collective investment fund as calculated on the most recent preceding valuation date of the fund.
10. Where any of the assets of a collective investment fund are invested in another collective investment fund, the interest of the plan in the second fund arising from its investment in the first fund shall be established by multiplying the percentage interest of the plan in the first fund by the percentage interest of the first fund in the second fund, such computation to be continued similarly in the event that further investments are made by the second investment fund in one or more other collective investment funds.

Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 91-55

September 27, 1991 (56 FR 49209)

Class Exemption

Transactions Between Individual Retirement Accounts

and Authorized Purchasers of American Eagle Coins

Agency: Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, Labor Department.

Internal Revenue Service.

Action: Grant of class exemption.

Summary: This document contains a final class exemption from certain taxes imposed by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code). The exemption permits purchases and sales by certain "individual retirement accounts," as defined in Code section 408 ("IRAs"), of American Eagle bullion coins ("Coins") in principal transactions from or to broker-dealers in Coins which are "authorized purchasers" of Coins in bulk quantities from the United States Mint (the "Mint") and which are also "disqualified persons," within the meaning of Code section 4975(e)(2), with respect to the IRAs. The exemption would also permit the interest-free extension of credit in connection with such purchases and sales. The exemption affects persons with an interest in the investments of IRAs, including IRA depositors and their beneficiaries, as well as persons who provide custodial services to IRAs.

Effective Date: January 1, 1987.

The Explanatory Preamble, together with the full Exemption, are available in the PREAMBLE document.

Section I: Definitions and Special Rules

The following definitions apply to this exemption:

1. "Authorized purchasers" are banks or other persons referenced in section 408(a)(2) or (h) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Code) that are approved by the United States Mint (the Mint), for eligibility to purchase the American Eagle U.S. gold or silver bullion coins which are described in section 5112(a)(7), (8), (9), and (10) or section (e) of Title 31 of the United States Code (Coins), directly from the Mint in bulk quantities.
2. The term "covered transaction" means a transaction described in section II of this exemption.
3. "IRA" means an individual retirement account described in Code section 408 with respect to which the authorized purchaser is a disqualified person.
4. An "affiliate" of a person includes the following:

1. Any person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with, the person;
2. Any officer, director, partner, employee, member of the family (as defined in Code section 4975(e)(6)), brother, sister, or spouse of a brother or sister, of the person;
3. Any corporation or partnership of which the person is an officer, director or partner.

5. The term "execution" means the acceptance of an offer to purchase or sell a Coin in a covered transaction such that both the IRA and the authorized purchaser are legally obligated to complete the transaction as directed.
6. The term "accredited person" means any duly authorized employee of the Department of Labor or the Internal Revenue Service or the person directing the investments of an IRA.
7. The term "independent third party" excludes the authorized purchaser and any person affiliated therewith.

Section II. Covered Transactions

Effective January 1, 1987, if each condition of section III of this exemption is satisfied, the taxes imposed by section 4975(a) and (b) of the Code by reason of section 4975(c)(1)(A), (B) or (D) of the Code shall not apply to -

1. The purchase of Coins by an IRA from an authorized purchaser; or
2. The sale by an IRA of Coins to be authorized purchaser;
3. The extension of credit in connection with the settlement of transactions described in (a) or (b).

Section III. Conditions

1. In the case of an IRA with is an employee benefit plan covered by Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the covered transaction is the type of transaction described in section 404(c) of ERISA.
2. The transaction is directed either by the individual for whose benefit the IRA is maintained or by an independent third party appointed by such individual.
3. Neither the authorized purchaser nor any affiliate thereof has any discretionary authority or control respecting the management or disposition of the IRA assets involved in the transaction, or renders investment advice (within the meaning of 26 C.F.R. 54.4975-9(c)) respecting those assets.
4. Each denomination of Coins offered to IRAs pursuant to this exemption is purchased and sold by the authorized purchaser in transactions with unrelated parties in the ordinary course of its business with customers other than IRAs.
5. At the time the transaction is executed, the terms of the transaction must be not less favorable to the IRA than the terms afforded by the disqualified person or any affiliate thereof in comparable Coin transactions involving unrelated parties.
6. Payment for, and delivery of, Coins in settlement of a covered transaction is made simultaneously and in no event more than 10 business days after execution of the transaction involved, and no interest is charged for the period of time between execution and settlement.
7. The disqualified person provides current price quotations to the person directing the investments of the IRA immediately prior to the time a covered transaction is executed so that such person will know the exact price at which the purchase or sale will occur.
8. A separate written confirmation statement is issued with respect to each covered transaction to the person who directs the transaction for the IRA. The confirmation shall disclose the date, quantity, and price of the Coins bought or sold as well as the fact that the disqualified person acted as a principal in the transaction. The confirmation shall be issued in no event more than 10 business days after the execution of the transaction.
9. With regard to transactions entered into subsequent to (enter date 90 days after grant of the final exemption), prior to its engaging in covered transactions the disqualified person prepares and provides to the person directing the investments of the IRA material information regarding transactions in Coins, and furnishes supplemental information to the person directing the investments of IRAs which have invested in Coins if material changes occur. This information must include:

1. A general description of the manner in which Coins are priced in the market.
2. Disclosure of any fees for services or special or minimum transaction costs that will be incurred as the result of the purchase or sale of Coins by an IRA.
3. Any minimum quantity of Coins which must be brought or sold.
4. Disclosure of the role of the disqualified person as a principal in the transaction.
5. An explanation that the purchase or sale of Coins between the IRA and the authorized purchaser would be prohibited in the absence of an exemption, a discussion of the arm's-length pricing standard of this exemption and disclosure that records are accessible which would enable the person directing investments of the IRA to determine whether the conditions of this exemption have been met.

10. The disqualified person maintains or causes to be maintained for a period of at least six years from the date of settlement of a covered transaction such records as are necessary to allow accredited persons to determine whether the conditions of the exemption have been met. The records shall include daily information indicating each customer (including each IRA and each other client) with whom a transaction involving Coins was consummated, the price and number of Coins involved, and the date and the time at which the transaction was executed. The persons directing the investments of an IRA are not authorized to examine a disqualified person's trade secrets or financial information which is privileged or confidential. The records must be reasonably accessible and must be available for examination during normal business hours. Notwithstanding these recordkeeping requirements, a prohibited transaction will not be deemed to have occurred if, due to circumstances beyond the control of the disqualified person, such records are lost or destroyed prior to the end of the six year period.

Amendment to Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption 93-33 [Formerly PTE 93-2]

Receipt of Services by Individuals for Whose Benefit IRAs or Retirement Plans for Self-Employed Individuals are Established

May 11, 1993

Class Exemption

Receipt of Services by an IRA or Keogh Plan from a Bank

Agency: Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration, U.S. Department of Labor.

Action: Adoption of Amendment to PTE 93-33.

Effective Date: The amendment is effective January 1, 1998.

Exemption

Accordingly, PTE 93-33 is amended under the authority of section 408(a) of ERISA and section 4975(c)(2) of the Code and in accordance with the procedures set forth in 29 CFR Part 2570, Subpart B (55 FR 32836, August 10, 1990).

Section I: Covered Transactions

Effective January 1, 1998, the restrictions of sections 406(a)(1)(D) and 406(b) of ERISA and the sanctions resulting from the application of section 4975 of the Code, including the loss of exemption of an individual retirement account (IRA) pursuant to section 408(e)(2)(A) of the Code, by reason of section 4975(c)(1)(D), (E) and (F) of the Code, shall not apply to the receipt of services at reduced or no cost by an individual for whose benefit an IRA, or, if self-employed, a Keogh Plan, is established or maintained, or by members of his or her family, from a bank pursuant to an arrangement in which the account balance in the IRA or Keogh Plan is taken into account for purposes of determining eligibility to receive such services, provided that each condition of Section II of this exemption is satisfied.

Section II: Conditions

Section III: Definitions

The following definitions apply to this exemption:

Signed at Washington, DC this 26th day of February 1999.

Alan D. Lebowitz,

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Operations, Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration

U.S. Department of Labor.

[FR Doc. 99-5572 Filed 3-5-99]

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