ABA Seeks Views on Retirement-Plan Audit Proposal

The American Bankers Association is asking its members to help it take a stand on a Department of Labor plan to change the way it audits retirement plans.

The Department of Labor is seeking to do away with so-called "limited- scope audits." With these audits, companies sponsoring retirement plans can rely on certified statements by their bank trustees or custodians to get information about the assets in their plans.

The Department of Labor, however, has proposed legislation that would require plan sponsors to use audits prepared for their trustees by an independent public accountant.

"Tell the ABA what position to take on this issue," the ABA senior trust counsel Judith A. McCormick asked attendees of the trade group's 401(k) conference here Tuesday. "You tell us what you want us to do."

Ms. McCormick outlined three positions the banking industries could take on the Department of Labor's plan.

First, the industry could support the department's move to do away with limited-scope audits. Second, it could oppose the proposal, arguing that it would force banks to buy costly audits from big accounting firms. Third, the industry could propose working with the department on valuing plan assets.

Ms. McCormick said the department's main concern with limited-scope audits is that they do not properly value plan assets.

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