[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 162 (Wednesday, August 20, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49221-49222]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-19233]


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DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employee Benefits Security Administration


Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and Pension Benefit Plans; 
Notice of Meeting

    Pursuant to the authority contained in Section 512 of the Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), 29 U.S.C. 1142, the 
143rd open meeting of the full Advisory Council on Employee Welfare and 
Pension Benefit Plans will be held on September 10, 2008. In addition, 
the Working Groups assigned by the Advisory Council to study the issues 
of (1) Phased retirement, (2), spend-down of retirement assets, and (3) 
hard to value assets/target date funds, will hold public meetings on 
September 9, 10, and 11. All of the meetings will take place in Room 
S3215 A-B, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue NW., 
Washington, DC 20210.
    The purpose of the open meeting of the full Council, which will run 
from 8:30 a.m. to approximately 9 a.m., is for members to be updated on 
activities of the Employee Benefits Security Administration and for 
chairs of this year's Working Groups to provide progress reports on 
their individual study topics.
    The purpose of the open Working Group meetings, which each day will 
run from 9 a.m. to approximately 5 p.m., with a one hour break for 
lunch, is for Working Group members to hear testimony from invited 
witnesses and for discussions of possible recommendations based on the 
testimony. The focus of the Working Group meeting on September 9 will 
be on phased retirement, including issues

[[Page 49222]]

facing employers who wish to create phased retirement plans, as well as 
the issues facing employees who wish to take part in phased retirement 
programs, and whether there are any legal impediments that discourage 
American workers from continuing to work in their retirement years. The 
focus of the Working Group meeting on September 10 will be on spending 
down retirement assets, including the issues and barriers facing plan 
fiduciaries, plan sponsors, and plan participants as they attempt to 
evaluate approaches that guarantee periodic income levels at 
retirement. The focus of the Working Group meeting on September 11 will 
be on hard to value assets and target date funds, including potential 
risks and the roles of fiduciaries, trustees, investment managers, 
accountants/auditors and participants when employee benefit plans 
invest in hard to value assets, a review of regulatory policy involving 
assets for which there is not a generally recognized market, and 
challenges and risks associated with plans' use of target date funds.
    Organizations or members of the public wishing to submit a written 
statement for any of the meetings may do so by submitting 30 copies on 
or before September 2, 2008 to Larry Good, Executive Secretary, ERISA 
Advisory Council, U.S. Department of Labor, Suite N-5623, 200 
Constitution Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20210. Statements also may be 
submitted electronically to [email protected]. Statements received on 
or before September 2 will be included in the record of the relevant 
meeting. Oral presentations will be limited to 10 minutes, time 
permitting, but an extended statement may be submitted for the record. 
Individuals with disabilities, who need special accommodations, should 
contact Larry Good by September 2 at the address indicated. All 
individuals who plan to attend the meeting should contact Larry Good by 
September 8 to expedite building access.

    Signed at Washington, DC, this 14th day of August, 2008.
Bradford P. Campbell,
Assistant Secretary, Employee Benefits Security Administration.
[FR Doc. E8-19233 Filed 8-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4510-29-P