[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 241 (Friday, December 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75588-75589]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-21441]


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PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION


Required Interest Rate Assumption for Determining Variable-Rate 
Premium for Single-Employer Plans; Interest Assumptions for 
Multiemployer Plan Valuations Following Mass Withdrawal

AGENCY: Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

ACTION: Notice of interest rates and assumptions.

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SUMMARY: This notice informs the public of the interest rates and 
assumptions to be used under certain Pension Benefit Guaranty 
Corporation regulations. These rates and assumptions are published 
elsewhere (or can be derived from rates published elsewhere), but are 
collected and published in this notice for the convenience of the 
public. Interest rates are also published on the PBGC's Web site 
(http://www.pbgc.gov).

DATES: The required interest rate for determining the variable-rate 
premium under part 4006 applies to premium payment years beginning in 
December 2006. The interest assumptions for performing multiemployer 
plan valuations following mass withdrawal

[[Page 75589]]

under part 4281 apply to valuation dates occurring in January 2007.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine B. Klion, Manager, 
Regulatory and Policy Division, Legislative and Regulatory Department, 
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, 1200 K Street, NW., Washington, 
DC 20005, 202-326-4024. (TTY/TDD users may call the Federal relay 
service toll-free at 1-800-877-8339 and ask to be connected to 202-326-
4024.)

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Variable-Rate Premiums

    Section 4006(a)(3)(E)(iii)(II) of the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and Sec.  4006.4(b)(1) of the PBGC's 
regulation on Premium Rates (29 CFR part 4006) prescribe use of an 
assumed interest rate (the ``required interest rate'') in determining a 
single-employer plan's variable-rate premium. Pursuant to the Pension 
Protection Act of 2006, for premium payment years beginning in 2006 or 
2007, the required interest rate is the ``applicable percentage'' 
(currently 85 percent) of the annual rate of interest determined by the 
Secretary of the Treasury on amounts invested conservatively in long-
term investment grade corporate bonds for the month preceding the 
beginning of the plan year for which premiums are being paid (the 
``premium payment year''). Thus, the required interest rate to be used 
in determining variable-rate premiums for premium payment years 
beginning in December 2006 is 4.90 percent (i.e., 85 percent of the 
5.77 percent composite corporate bond rate for November 2006 as 
determined by the Treasury).
    The following table lists the required interest rates to be used in 
determining variable-rate premiums for premium payment years beginning 
between January 2006 and December 2006.

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                                                        The required
      For premium payment years beginning in:         interest rate is:
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January 2006......................................                  4.86
February 2006.....................................                  4.80
March 2006........................................                  4.87
April 2006........................................                  5.01
May 2006..........................................                  5.25
June 2006.........................................                  5.35
July 2006.........................................                  5.36
August 2006.......................................                  5.36
September 2006....................................                  5.19
October 2006......................................                  5.06
November 2006.....................................                  5.05
December 2006.....................................                  4.90
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Multiemployer Plan Valuations Following Mass Withdrawal

    The PBGC's regulation on Duties of Plan Sponsor Following Mass 
Withdrawal (29 CFR part 4281) prescribes the use of interest 
assumptions under the PBGC's regulation on Allocation of Assets in 
Single-Employer Plans (29 CFR part 4044). The interest assumptions 
applicable to valuation dates in January 2007 under part 4044 are 
contained in an amendment to part 4044 published elsewhere in today's 
Federal Register. Tables showing the assumptions applicable to prior 
periods are codified in appendix B to 29 CFR part 4044.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on this 12th day of December 2006.
Vincent K. Snowbarger,
Interim Director, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.
 [FR Doc. E6-21441 Filed 12-14-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7709-01-P