IB#42

Introduction

Every year, pension plan sponsors are required to file a return with the U.S. Department of Labor. These returns, known as the Form 5500 series, contain detailed information about the plans' finances, participants, and administrators that allows government agencies to monitor compliance with the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code. The comprehensive nature of the Form 5500 series makes them a primary source for examining the state of the private pension world: from participation rates to financial health to 401(k) investment in company stock to the size of employer contributions — it is all there...

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Marric Buessing is a Research Associate at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Mauricio Soto is a Senior Research Associate at the Center. Baris Yoruk provided research assistance in the initial stages of this project.