NEW MATERIALS:

• Comment Letter to DOL from House and Senate Committee Leaders Re: Fee Disclosure Rules (September 1, 2010)
• SPARK Institute Comment Letter to DOL Re: Fee Disclosure Rules (August 30, 2010)
• Proposed EBSA Rule Regarding Prohibited Transaction Exemption Procedures (August 30, 2010)
• AICPA Alert Re: DOL Acceptance of 403(b) Plan Audit Reports (August 27, 2010)
• FASB Proposed Accounting Standards Update Re: DC Plan Loans (August 26, 2010)
• 403(b) Plans Information Sharing Data Elements Questions & Answers (Last Updated - August 25, 2010)
• DRAFT Best Practices for Multiple Vendor 403(b) Plans Form 5500 Data Aggregation - Version F5500-2.0 (August 23, 2010)
• Summary of Proposed House Bill Requiring Automatic IRAs (August 11, 2010)
• Summary of Proposed Senate Bill Requiring Automatic IRAs (August 11, 2010)
• Proposed House Bill Requiring Automatic IRAS (August 10, 2010)
• Proposed Senate Bill Requiring Automatic IRAs (August 10, 2010)
• SPARK Institute Request to Testify at DOL Lifetime Income Hearings (August 6, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• DRAFT Data Layouts for Retirement Income Solutions (July 26, 2010)
• SEC's Proposed Rule on Mutual Fund Distribution (12b-1) Fees (July 23, 2010)
• DOL 401(k) Fee Disclosure Regulations for Service Providers (July 16, 2010)
• DOL Fact Sheet on 401(k) Fee Disclosure Regulations for Service Providers (July 16, 2010)
• Pension Communications Project 2010 (June 23, 2010)
• Proposed SEC Rules re: Target Fund Names and Marketing (June 18, 2010)
• SPARK Institute Compliance Alert Re: IRS 401(k) Compliance Check (June 15, 2010)

COMMENT LETTERS:

• SPARK Institute Comment Letter to IRS Re: 401(k) Compliance Check Project (June 15, 2010)
• SPARK Institute Letter to Senate Re: Fee Disclosure Legislation (June 4, 2010)
• Treasury Department Letter re: 401(k) Plans and Lifetime Income Solutions (May 26, 2010)
• SPARK Institute Letter Re: Fee Disclosure Legislation (May 26, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Response to RFI re: Lifetime Income Solutions in Retirement Plans (May 3, 2010)
• SPARK Institute Letter to DOL Re: Proposed Investment Advice Regulations (April 29, 2010)
• ARCHIVED Comment Letters

WHITE PAPERS & PROPOSALS:

• The SPARK Institute Universal Small Employer Retirement Savings Program Proposal (March 15, 2010)
• White Paper - Valuing Retirement Plan Investment Under FAS 157 (August 11, 2009)
• White Paper - Making the Case for Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans: Fees and Expenses (May 20, 2009)
• White Paper - Making the Case for Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans: Coverage, Participation and Retirement Security (May 4, 2009)
• White Paper - Making the Case for Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans: Benefits and Accomplishments
  (April 23, 2009)

403(b) PLANS MATERIALS:  

    403(b) Best Practices     

• The SPARK Institute's 403(b) Plans Information Sharing Data Elements Best Practices - Adhering Companies
• SPARK Institute Guidelines for Multiple Vendor 403(b) Plans-2009 Form 5500 Aggregation (January 19, 2010)
• Sample File Layouts for Multiple Vendor Plans Remittance and Census Data Elements (Version RC 1.0) (January 4, 2010)
• Best Practices for Multiple Vendor Plans -- Remittance and Census Data Elements (Version RC 1.0) (June 30, 2009)
• Best Practices for 403(b) and Related Retirement Plans Information Sharing -- Minimum and Comprehensive Data Elements (Version 1.04) (June 30, 2009)
• Best Practices for 403(b) Plans Sample Files, Data Sharing Formats and Coding Pipe Delimited Data (June 30, 2009)
• 403(b) Plans Best Practices Survey Results (December 8, 2009)
• Best Practices for 403(b) Plans Information Sharing -- Loan Amount Available Data Examples
  (December 5, 2008)
• The SPARK Institute's Best Practices for 403(b) Plans Information Sharing Technology
  (Version 1.0) (September 4, 2008)

• SPARK Institute 403(b) Task Force June 2010 Meeting Minutes (June 21, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute 403(b) Task Force May 2010 Meeting Minutes (May 20, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute 403(b) Task Force April 2010 Meeting Minutes (April 22, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute 403(b) Task Force March 2010 Meeting Minutes (March 25, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute 403(b) Task Force February 2010 Meeting Minutes (February 25, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute 403(b) Task Force January 2010 Meeting Minutes (January 22, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)

    403(b) Other Materials

• AICPA 403(b) Plan Audit FAQs (March 5, 2010)
• New SPARK Institute Best Practices for 403(b) Plans - Webinar Recording (February 25, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• DOL FAB 2010-1 Re:  Annual Reporting and ERISA Coverage for 403(b) Plans (February 22, 2010)
• IRS Announcement Re: Remedial Amendment Period for 403(b) Plans (December 10, 2009)
• SPARK Institute Letter Re: Transition Issues for 403(b) Plans under FAB 2009-02 (September 4, 2009)
• Non-ERISA-Covered 403(b) Plans Request for Proposal Guide 1st Edition (July 14, 2008) 
• Sample 403(b) Information Sharing Agreement (May 7, 2008) (This document may be freely distributed and may be revised periodically, as needed)
• ARCHIVED 403(b) Plans Materials

MEETING MINUTES:  

  Government Relations Committee     

• SPARK Institute Government Relations Committee July 2010 Meeting Minutes (July 12, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Government Relations Committee June 2010 Meeting Minutes (June 15, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Government Relations Committee May 2010 Meeting Minutes (May 13, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Government Relations Committee April 2010 Meeting Minutes (April 14, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Government Relations Committee March 2010 Meeting Minutes (March 11, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Government Relations Committee February 2010 Meeting Minutes (February 12, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Government Relations Committee January 2010 Meeting Minutes (January 14, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Government Relations Committee December 2009 Meeting Minutes (December 9, 2009) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Government Relations Committee November 2009 Meeting Minutes (November 10, 2009) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Government Relations Committee September 2009 Meeting Minutes (September 29, 2009) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Government Relations Committee November Meeting Minutes (December 2, 2009) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Government Relations Committee September Meeting Minutes (October 5, 2009) (MEMBERS ONLY)

    Lifetime Income Solutions

• SPARK Institute Lifetime Income Solutions Task Force April 2010 Meeting Minutes (April 20, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Lifetime Income Solutions Carriers March 2010 Meeting Minutes (March 19, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Lifetime Income Solutions Carriers and Subgroups Conference Call March 2010 Meeting Minutes (March 25, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Lifetime Income Solutions Working Team February 2010 Call Minutes (February 19, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)

OTHER MATERIALS:

• Final DOL Rule Re: Time and Order of Issuance of QRDOs (June 9, 2010)
• Proposed Fee Disclosure Legislation in H.R. 4213 (May 24, 2010)
• Final IRS Rules Re: Diversification Requirements for DC Plans (May 18, 2010)
• IRS 401(k) Plans Compliance Check Questionnaire (May 17, 2010)
• Link to IRS website information re: 401(k) Plans Compliance Check Questionnaire Project (May 17, 2010)
• DOL / SEC Investor Bulletin re: Target Date Retirement Funds (May 7, 2010)
• SPARK Institute Board of Directors and DOL RFI Task Force April Meeting Minutes (April 29, 2010) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• The Small Businesses Add Value for Employees ("SAVE") Act (March 11, 2010)
• Highlights of the Annual Report of White House Task Force on the Middle Class (February 26, 2010)
• DOL Proposed Investment Advice Regulations (February 26, 2010)
• DOL Retirement Income RFI (February 2, 2010)
• Obama Administration Initiatives for Retirement Security (January 26, 2010)
• DOL Final Plan Contributions Safe Harbor (January 13, 2010)
• DOL FAQs re: Form 5500 Schedule C (October 23, 2009; revised February 2010) 
• ARCHIVED Other Materials

MEMBER SURVEYS:

• SPARK Institute 5500 Schedule C Survey and Analysis (March 26, 2009)
• Analysis of SPARK Institute Member Survey Results - Form 5500 Schedule C Reporting (March 24, 2009) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Member Survey - Form 5500 Schedule C Reporting (February 12, 2009) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Member Fee Disclosure Compliance Survey Memo (October 17, 2008) (MEMBERS ONLY)
• SPARK Institute Member Loan Survey Results Memo (July 29, 2008) (MEMBERS ONLY)

FAIR FUNDS SETTLEMENTS:

• ARCHIVED Fair Funds Settlements Material