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Backup Documents 01/25/2011 Item #16E1 ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS CHECKLIST & ROUTING SLIp16 E 1 TO ACCOMPANY ALL ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS SENT TO THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OFFICE FOR SIGNATURE Print on pink paper. Attach to original document. Original documents should be hand delivered to the Board Office. The completed routing slip and original documents are to be forwarded to the Board Office only after the Board has taken action on the item.) ROUTING SLIP Complete routing lines #1 through #4 as appropriate for additional signatures, dates, and/or information needed. If the document is already complete with the exc tion ofthe Chairman's si nature, draw a line throu h routin lines #1 throu h #4, co lete the checklist, and forward to Sue Filson line #5 . Route to Addressee(s) Office Initials Date (List in routin order) 1. Colleen Greene, Assistant County Attorney 2. (The primary contact is the holder of the original document pending BCC approval. Normally the primary contact is the person who created/prepared the executive summary. Primary contact information is needed in the event one of the addressees above, including Sue Filson, need to contact staff for additional or missing information. All original documents needing the BCC Chairman's signature are to be delivered to the BCC office only after the BCC has acted to approve the item. ) Name of Primary Staff Ofelia Tallon Contact Agenda Date Item was January 25, 2011 A roved b the BCC Type of Document Attached Co 3, ..~ " \CVVl&- t~lt 4. '\ \ 252-8715 16 E 1 5 Yes (Initial) N/A (Not A licable) ,.'''-. '- 5. Ian Mitchell Executive Manager to the BCC cmb A I\Jjfr I: Forms/ County Forms/ BCC Forms/ Original Documents Routing Slip WWS Original 9.03.04, Revised 1,26.05, Revised 2.24.05 6. Minutes and Records Clerk of Court's Office PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION Phone Number Agenda Item Number Executive Summary, Resolution and Exhibits ! -l ee Number of Original Documents Attached 1. INSTRUCTIONS & CHECKLIST Initial the Yes column or mark "N/ A" in the Not Applicable column, whichever is a ro riate. Original document has been signed/initialed for legal sufficiency. (All documents to be signed by the Chairman, with the exception of most letters, must be reviewed and signed by the Office of the County Attorney. This includes signature pages from ordinances, resolutions, etc. signed by the County Attorney's Office and signature pages from contracts, agreements, etc. that have been fully executed by all parties except the BCC Chairman and Clerk to the Board and ossibl State Officials.) All handwritten strike-through and revisions have been initialed by the County Attorney's Office and all other arties exce t the BCC Chairman and the Clerk to the Board The Chairman's signature line date has been entered as the date ofBCC approval of the document or the final ne otiated contract date whichever is a licable. "Sign here" tabs are placed on the appropriate pages indicating where the Chairman's signature and initials are re uired. In most cases (some contracts are an exception), the original document and this routing slip should be provided to Ian Mitchell in the BCC office within 24 hours of BCC approval. Some documents are time sensitive and require forwarding to Tallahassee within a certain time frame or the BCC's actions are nullified. Be aware of 'our deadlines! The document was approved by the BCC on 01125/11 and all changes made during the meeting have been incorporated in the attached document. The County Attorney's Office has reviewed the chan es, if a licable. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 16El MEMORANDUM Date: January 31, 2011 To: Ofelia Tallon, Applications Analyst Human Resources Department From: Ann Jennejohn, Deputy Clerk Minutes & Records Department Re: Resolution 2011-14: Approving the addition of a "loan" option to eligible employees participating in deferred compensation plans with ICMA-RC & Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Inc., Attached for your records is a copy of the resolution referenced above, (Item #16E1) adopted by the Board of County Commissioners January 25,2011. If you have any questions, please call me at 252-8406. Thank you. Attachment 16El EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Recommendation to approve adding the loan option to the 457 Plan Agreements with ICMA-RC and Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Inc., and authorize the Chairman to execute the attached implementing Resolution and other required agreement documents. OBJECTIVE: To gain approval from the Board of County Commissioners to add the loan option to the agreements with ICMA-RC and Nationwide. This will provide the ability for active County employees to borrow, with limitations, from their individual deferred compensation plan account(s). CONSIDERATIONS: The County currently provides employees the opportunity to save for their retirement through deferred compensation plans offered by ICMA-RC and Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Inc (NRS). These plans are commonly known as a "457 Plan" to reflect the section of the IRS code that provides for the offering of such a plan. Section 457 provides that eligible governmental 457(b) plans may permit loans to Participants. This option must be approved by the Board of County Commissioners to implement the loan programs. Based on the current economic environment, Human Resources, the Plan Administrator, proposes the approval of the option of providing the employees the ability to borrow from their 457 plan accounts, with stipulations and limitations that are provided in the loan agreement. Both ICMA and Nationwide will administer and approve the loans. This will provide an additional resource for employees who are facing financial hardships and will be a means to attract, retain and motivate employees. Program highlights include: · Allows eligible employees to borrow from their 457 plan funds. · Loans will be administered by Nationwide and ICMA. · Maximum loan term is five years, Participants will be able to borrow for any cause; one outstanding loan at a time, the maximum term over which a loan may be repaid is five (5) years. · The minimum loan amount is $1,000, with a maximum of 50% of the account balance(s) or $50,000, whichever is less. · Loan repayments must be made by direct withdrawal (ACH) from employee's bank account. Payroll deduction is not available. · Terminating employees may continue to make monthly payments through ACH, unless they withdraw their entire balance. · Processing fees, administrative fees, delinquents fees, or taxable events may be incurred. · The current interest rate is Prime + 1 % for NRS and Prime + .5% for ICMA. FISCAL IMPACT: This action will have no fiscal impact to the County. 16E 1 LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: This item has been reviewed by the County Attorney's Office requires simple majority vote and is legally sufficient for Board action. - CMG GROWTH MANAGEMENT IMPACT: There is no growth management impact associated with this Executive Summary. RECOMMENDATION: That the Board approves the loan option in the County agreements with ICMA-RC and Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Inc. and authorizes the Chairman to execute the attached Resolution and other required agreement documents. Prepared By: Ofelia Tallon, Interim Manager - Compensation, Department of Human Resources Attachments: Resolution Exhibit 1, NRS Participant Loan Administrative Procedure. Exhibit 2, NRS Deferred Compensation Plan for Public Employees Loans to Participants Amendment to Plan Document Exhibit 3, ICMA 457 Plan Loan Program Implementation Packet for Employers (includes Loan Guidelines Agreement for a Retirement Plan and Loan Administration Agreement for Section 457 Deferred Compensation Plans) 16E1 RESOLUTION NO, 2011-14 A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF COLLIER COUNTY FLORIDA APPROVING THE ADDITION OF THE LOAN OPTION FOR EMPLOYEES TO THE 457 PLAN AGREEMENTS WITH ICMA-RC AND NATIONWIDE RETIREMENT SOLUTIONS, INC. WHEREAS, Collier County Government desires to be an employer of excellence; and WHEREAS, the new loan option will provide Collier County an additional resource to attract, retain and motivate employees; and WHEREAS, the Human Resources Department recommends adding the loan option to the 457 Plan Agreements with ICMA.RC and Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Inc" for the benefit of all employees under the Board of Collier County Government; and WHEREAS, the loan option will provide the Collier County employees an additional resource in order to address possible economic hardship. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA that: 1, The Board of County Commissioners approves the Human Resources Department recommendation to add a loan option to Collier County employees' 457 Plan Agreements with ICMA-RC and Nationwide, 2, The Board of County Commissioners hereby authorizes the Chairman to execute any 457 Plan documents necessary to include the loan option for employees subject to review and approval for legal sufliciency by the County Attorney Office, A TIEST: DWIGHT E, BROCK, CLERK BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF COLLIER COUNTY, FLORIDA ~'~W_~' ~ .' By: .. , C AIRMAN "'(, ,\~\'1' .' ~J , ""),,t,;,..-..:: .' t~lI >' '~pproved ~.to' form and legal (;i1fficl~rt&Y: ~~-m~Q' ~ olleen M. Greene '. Assistant County Attorney Item '# j(pEt 16El NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES DEFERRED COMPENSATION PROGRAM THE DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN FOR PUBLIC EMPLOYEES LOANS TO PARTICIPANTS AMENDMENT TO PLAN DOCUMENT WHEREAS, PLAN SPONSOR executed the above referenced Plan Document, as amended: and WHEREAS, effective ~4.r~()// , PLAN SPONSOR now desires to further amend the plan document. The following Section 8.06 is hereby added: 8.06 Loans to PARTICIPANTS (a) PLAN SPONSOR has elected to make loans available to PARTICIPANTS and has delegated certain administrative duties regarding loans from the PLAN to the ADMINISTRATOR. (b) Any loan by the PLAN to a PARTICIPANT under this Section shall be subject to the loan administrative procedures established by the ADMINISTRATOR as well as the following requirements: (i) Loan Eligibility. Any PARTICIPANT may apply for loan under the PLAN. A PARTICIPANT who has defaulted on a previous loan from the PLAN shall not be eligible for another loan from the PLAN until all defaulted loans are repaid in full, including accrued interest and fees. (ii) Loan Application and Loan Agreement. A PARTICIPANT must complete and return to ADMINISTRATOR a loan application. A non- refundable application fee established by ADMINISTRATOR will be deducted from the PARTICIPANT'S ACCOUNT(s) at the time ofloan origination. Before a loan is issued, the PARTICIPANT must enter into a legally enforceable loan agreement as provided for by the ADMINISTATOR. (ill) Loan Repayment. The PARTICIPANT receiving a loan shall be required to furnish to ADMINISTRATOR any information and authorization necessary to effectuate repayment of the loan prior to the commencement of a loan. In the event that a payment cannot be processed because of lack of sufficient funds, the ADMINISTRATOR shall assess an insufficient funds charge, which will be deducted from the PARTICIPANT'S ACCOUNT(s). 1 DC-3980-1102 16EI (iv) Loan Term and Interest Rate, The maximum term over which a loan may be repaid is five (5) years (fifteen (15) years if the PLAN SPONSOR permits loans for the purchase of a P ARTICIP ANT'S principal residence). Each loan shall be amortized in substantially equal payments consisting of principal and interest during the term of the loan, except that the amount of the final payment may be higher or lower. The ADMINISTRATOR shall establish the interest rate for any loan. (v) Loan Frequency. Each Participant may have only one (1) PLAN loan outstanding at any given time. A PLAN loan which is in default, even if the defaulted loan was treated as a "deemed distribution" under federal regulations, shall be treated as an outstanding loan until such PAR TICIP ANT'S account balance is offset by the amount of principal and accrued interest under the loan. A PARTICIPANT will be granted a loan no more frequently than two (2) times in any twelve (12) month period. (vi) Default. The P ARTICIP ANT must pay the full amount of each loan payment (principal and interest) on the date that it is due. Failure to make such a payment by the due date, or within any cure period established by the ADMINISTRATOR, shall cause the PARTICIPANT to be in default for the entire amount of the loan, including any accrued interest. A loan will also be in default if the PARTICIPANT either refuses to execute, revoke, or rescind any agreement necessary to comply with the provisions of this Section or the loan administrative procedures established by the ADMINISTRATOR, commences or has commenced against PARTICIPANT a bankruptcy case, or upon the death of the PARTICIPANT. (vii) Loan Security. By accepting a loan, the PARTICIPANT is giving a security interest in their vested PLAN balance as of the loan process date, together with all additions thereof, to the PLAN that shall at all times be equal to 100% of the unpaid principal balance of the loan together with accrued interest. (viii) Loan Amount. The maximum amount of any loan permitted under the PLAN is the lesser of (i) 50% of the PARTICIPANTS vested account balance less any outstanding loan balances under the PLAN or (ii) $50,000 less the highest outstanding loan balance during the preceding one-year period. The ADMINISTRATOR shall establish the minimum loan amount. The PARTICIPANT and not the ADMINISTRATOR shall at all times remain responsible for ensuring that any loan received under the PLAN is in accordance with these limits with regard to any other loans received by the PARTICIPANT under any other plans of the PARTICIPANT's employer. 2 DC-3980-1102 16E 1 (ix) Loan Maintenance Fee. Until a loan is repaid in full, an annual loan maintenance fee as established by ADMINISTRATOR will be deducted from the PARTICIPANT'S ACCOUNT(s). I- (x) Loan Default Fee. At the time when a default occurs, a loan default fee established by ADMINISTATOR will be deducted from the PARTICIPANT'S ACCOUNT(s). (c) The ADMINISTRATOR shall fix such other terms and conditions necessary to the administrative maintenance of the provisions of this Section and as necessary to comply with the IRC and regulations there under. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Amendment this day of ,20_. i30~1J #' aUN!?K. a~~ ~~/It~,(/T (Name of PLAN SPONSOR) By: L.E ~ b, a..; Sol v~. 3 OC-3980-1102 16E1 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES DEFERRED COMPENSATION PROGRAM PARTICIPANT LOAN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES Nationwide Retirement Solutions, Inc. ("NRS"), as Third Party Administrator of the National Association of Counties Deferred Compensation Program, administers your Deferred Compensation Plan for Public Employees ("Plan"). Recently issued proposed regulations under Internal Revenue Code Section 457 provide that eligible governmental 457(b) plans may permit loans to Participants. NRS recommends that you, as Plan Sponsor and/or Employer (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Plan Sponsor"), consult with your own legal advisor in determining whether you wish to add this optional feature to your Plan. In the event that you decide to offer loans from your Plan to Participants, you will need to return to NRS at Nationwide Retirement Solutions, PO Box 182797, Columbus OH 43272.8450, Attn: Loans Administrator a fully executed original of this document and a fully executed original of the enclosed Plan Document Amendment. NRS cannot begin processing Participant loans from your Plan until it receives fully executed originals of both of these documents. NRS may need from time-to-time to make changes to the administrative procedures set forth herein and in the Plan Document Amendment. In such a case, NRS will provide you with timely notice of such changes as they become necessary. The following administrative procedures shall govern the making of loans from your Plan: 1. Loan Administration. Plan Sponsor delegates to NRS certain administrative duties regarding the administration of loans from the Plan, which are set forth herein and which may be modified by NRS upon timely notice to Plan Sponsor. 2. Loan Eligibility. Any Plan Participant is eligible for a loan from the Plan. Each Participant is entitled to one (1) loan at any time. In addition, a Participant who has defaulted on a previous loan shall not be eligible for another loan from the Plan until all defaulted loans are repaid in full, including accrued interest and fees. 3. Loan Application and Loan Agreement. In order to receive a loan from the Plan, an eligible Participant must complete a loan application and return it to NRS. A loan application fee of $50.00* will be deducted from the Participant's account(s). Before a loan is issued, the Participant must enter into a legally enforceable loan agreement as provided by NRS. If the Plan Sponsor permits loans for the purchase of the Participant's principal residence, the Participant will be required to sign a Primary Residence Certificate form and provide NRS with a copy of the contract or other documents relating to the acquisition of the dwelling unit. If the source for a single loan includes both the Participant's Deferred Compensation and Eligible Rollover Accounts, the Participant will be required to complete a loan application and loan agreement for each account which will be treated as separate and distinct for all purposes herein except that they will be considered a single loan for purposes of Sections 2, 6, and 10 herein. 4, Loan Repayment/Maximum Loan Term Repayment of any loan made to a Participant shall be made in a manner and pursuant to the terms set forth in loan agreement. The Participant receiving a loan shall be required to furnish the information and authorization necessary to effectuate the foregoing payments prior to the commencement of a loan. The maximum term over which a loan may be repaid is five (5) years (fifteen (15) years if the Plan Sponsor permits loans for the purchase of the Participant's principal residence). * These fees, rates, and minimums are subject to change by NRS upon reasonable notice to the Plan Sponsor. Loan fees will appear as administrative charges on Participant Statements. DC-3983-1102 16E1 In the event that a Participant elects to receive a distribution from the Plan (other than a distribution due to an unforeseeable emergency or other in-service withdrawal) at a time when such person has a Plan loan outstanding, the principal and any accrued interest with respect to such loan shall be taxable. 5. Loan Amortization. Each loan shall be amortized in substantially equal payments consisting of principal and interest during the term of the loan. Payments of principal and interest shall be made in a manner and pursuant to the terms set forth in the loan agreement on a monthly basis in equal amounts, except that the amount of the final payment may be higher or lower. Before the loan is made, the Participant will be notified of the date on which the first payment will be deducted and the dates on which subsequent payments are due. 6. Loan Frequency/Renegotiations. Each Participant may have only one (1) Plan loan outstanding at any given time. A Plan loan which is in default, even if the defaulted loan was treated as a "deemed distribution" under federal regulations, shall be treated as an outstanding loan until such Participant's account balance is offset by the amount of principal and accrued interest under the loan. NRS shall offset a defaulted loan at any time that is administratively practicable, including but not limited to severance from employment by the Participant or upon a request for a distribution from the Plan. A Participant will be granted a loan no more frequently than two (2) times in any twelve (12) month period. Under no circumstances may loan terms be renegotiated. A new loan shall not be granted prior to the repayment of an outstanding loan. 7, Default. The Participant must pay the full amount of each payment (principal and interest) on the date that it is due by having sufficient funds in the account designated for loan payments through the ACH process. If NRS is unable to process a payment on the date due because the Participant fails to have sufficient funds in the account on that date, NRS will assess a fee of $25.00 that will be deducted from Participant's account(s) and will send written notification to the Participant. The Participant shall be in default for the entire amount of the loan UNLESS the Participant does each of the following: 1) contacts NRS at the Deferred Compensation Service Center, 2) mutually agrees with NRS on a date, which is within 30 days of the missed payment on which funds sufficient to cover the missed payment will be in the account and; 3) actually pays the missed payment. Failure to make such a payment through mutually agreeable terms shall cause the Participant to be in default for the entire amount of the loan. The loan also shall be defaulted upon the death of the Participant or if the Participant commences or has commenced against Participant a bankruptcy case. No additional loans shall be made to a Participant who has defaulted on a Plan loan and who has not repaid all defaulted loans in full, including accrued interest and fees. 8. Loan Prepayment. The entire amount of a loan, including outstanding principal and any accrued interest, may be paid without penalty prior to the end of the term of the loan in the manner prescribed by NRS. However, payments made that are less than the remaining principal amount of the loan and any accrued interest with respect to the loan, or which are not paid in the form prescribed by NRS, are not permitted. 9. Loan Security. By accepting a loan, the Participant is giving a security interest in his or her vested Plan balance as of the date of the Loan Process Date, together with all additions thereof, to the Plan that shall at all times be equal to 100% of the unpaid principal balance of the loan together with accrued interest. 10. Maximum/Minimum Loan Amount. The maximum amount of any loan permitted under the Plan is the lesser of (i) 50% of the Participant's vested account balance (not including any value attributable to applicable life insurance or deemed IRA account) less any outstanding loan balances under the Plan or (ii) $50,000 less, the highest outstanding loan balance during the preceding one-year period. The minimum loan amount' permitted is $1,000.00*. Loans shall be made in accordance with these limits and those limits imposed under federal regulations without regard to any other loans received by the Participant from any other investment provider under the Plan or any other plan of the employer. The Participant and not NRS shall at all times remain responsible for ensuring that any loan received under the Plan is in accordance with regard to any other loans received by the Participant under any other plans of the Participant's employer. Any tax reporting required as a * These fees, rates, and minimums are subject to change by NRS upon reasonable notice to the Plan Sponsor. Loan fees will appear as administrative charges on Participant Statements. DC-3983-1102 16El result of the receipt by a Participant of a loan that exceeds the limits imposed by federal regulations shall not be the responsibility of NRS, unless it is determined that such limits were exceeded solely as a result of a loan made through NRS as service provider. Consequently, NRS shall not be required to account for loans made pursuant to a plan other than this Plan or loans made under this Plan that are made by an investment provider other than Nationwide Life Insurance Company. 11. Suspension of Loan Payments. NRS may suspend a Participant's obligation to repay any loan under the Plan during the period in which the Participant is performing service in the uniformed services as may be required by law. At the expiration of any suspension of loan payments period, the outstanding loan balance, including any accrued interest and fees, will be re-amortized and the Participant will be required to execute an amended Loan Agreement. 12. Loan Interest Rate. The interest rate for any loan shall be established by NRS. These interest rates shall commensurate with interest rates being charged by entities in the business of lending money under similar circumstances. Generally, the rate assumed will be Prime Rate + 1.00%*. The Prime Rate shall be the prime rate published by the Wall Street Journal two weeks prior to the end of the most recent calendar-year quarter, NRS may adjust the loan interest rate for Participants entering active duty in the military services as may be required by law. 13. Annual Loan Maintenance and Asset Fees. An annual loan maintenance fee of $50.00* will also be deducted from the Participant's account until the loan is repaid in full. The amount of the outstanding loan balance will be subject to the Asset Fee equal to the maximum Variable Account Annual Expense Fee applicable under the Plan at the time the loan is issued. 14. Loan Default Fee. At the time when a default occurs, a $50.00* loan default fee will be deducted from the Participant's account. This charge will only affect Participants who fail to make a required loan payment. 15. Loans for the Purchase of a Principal Residence. All loans issued by the Plan will be general loans to be repaid in five (5) years unless the Plan Sponsor affirmatively elects to offer loans for the purchase of the Participant's principal residence, which may be repaid in fifteen (15) years. Such loans shall be solely secured by the Participant's vested account balance. All administrative procedures set forth herein shall apply to such loans. If the Plan Sponsor elects to permit loans for the purchase of the Participant's principal residence, please check this box. 0 The undersigned Plan Sponsor hereby adopts these Participant Loan Administrative Procedures, effective for loans issued on or after the effective date set forth in the Loans to Participants Amendment to Plan Document, and instructs NRS to administer loans made to Plan Participants in accordance with these terms. The Plan Sponsor acknowledges the following: (i) that the Plan Sponsor has decided to offer loans under the Plan and is instructing NRS to administers loans under the Plan; (ii) that it understands that, as a result of offering loans under the Plan, the Plan Sponsor, its Participants, and/or the Plan could be subject to adverse tax consequences; (Hi) that the Plan Sponsor has independently weighed this risk and has determined that offering loans under the Plan is in the best interest of the Plan Sponsor, its Participants, and the Plan; and (iv) NRS shall not be liable for any adverse tax consequences described in (ii), except as specifically stated under paragraph 10 herein, resulting from the Plan Sponsor's decision to offer loans under the Plan. * These fees, rates, and minimums are subject to change by NRS upon reasonable notice to the Plan Sponsor. Loan fees will appear as administrative charges on Participant Statements. DC-3983-1102 16E1 Plan Sponsor or Employer: Street Address: 60A-~l) e/f! (1 <..-tJ I ~ r!.oVN"1 ~03 e, IA-th 'Il-rn" TItA-J. L. 60 V"'PJl..l\1 m eA..J T City, State, Zip Code: NP.(J Le~, ~J.,c)~Jhf+ Plan Name: f,!)()IM.O uP f!t;LUelf{ totJlVTf 61JYt!1eh'd1€A/T ./)e P'J#~eLJ ~~J9.'T;~ r2.;t;-4! Entity No.: t) ~.3 ~ "1 3 () 00 / Plan Entity: J!JOFJ-/ZlJ lJP ~U-.I~ &VA/ry ;tdY~l'C,...,rneN r By: /l'J1\. 1. e oE(5c!, S, vI<. . Its: (0 U oN ''Hj m /9'71//96 e K E-mail Address: OpeLIA- 779e. LOA.,) (fJ i-OL.c/e~t::.6VI /Ve.~ pL.J:bJ ~oI<-0/1l1,.q/a~ Date: * These fees, rates, and minimums are subject to change by NRS upon reasonable notice to the Plan Sponsor. Loan fees will appear as administrative charges on Participant Statements. DC-3983-1102 A ICMARC Building Retirement Security 16E 1 LOAN PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION AT-A-GLANCE In this Loan Program Implementation Package, you will find: · A Guide to Implementing a Loan Program - This brochure details the issues you should consider in design- ing your loan program. · Loan Guidelines Agreement for a Retirement Plan - These guidelines must be completed before loans can be made from your retirement plan. This document enables you to establish the features of your loan program. · Suggested Resolution for a Legislative Body Relating to Amending a Retirement Plan to Permit Loans - We have included one version that can be used for any plan type - Section 457 Deferred Compensation plans, Section 401 Money Purchase plans, and Section 401 Profit-Sharing plans. If your governing body requires that a resolution be passed when amendments are made to the plan, we have included a suggested resolution for your use. If your governing body does not require that a resolution be passed, please disre- gard the suggested resolution. · Loan Administration Agreement for 457 Plans - This document applies only to 457 plans where more than one provider is involved in loan administration. If you have adopted a single 457 plan document under which ICMA-RC and one or more other providers must operate, you may ultimately have to self-admin- ister your loan program unless you agree to the requirements specified in this Agreement. · Amendment to 401 Plan Adoption Agreement - This document applies to 401 plans only and amends your current plan to allow loans. Steps to Implement a Loan Program for your ICMA-RC Retirement Plan: (1) Carefully read A Guide to Implementing a Loan Program. (2) Complete the Loan Guidelines Agreement. (3) Using the Suggested Resolution as a guide, obtain a resolution from your governing body to adopt the loan provision (if required). (4) Execute the Loan Administration Agreement (457 plans only) or the Amendment to Adoption Agreement (401 plans only). (5) Return the completed Loan Guidelines Agreement, a copy of the resolution (if required by your entity), and either the Loan Administration Agreement (457 plans) or the Amendment to Adoption Agreement (401 plans) to: ICMA-RC Attention: New Business Analyst 777 North Capitol Street NE Washington, DC 20002-4240 Please allow 10 business days to set up your plan to allow loans. Please contact our Client Services Team at 1-800-326-7272 if you have any questions about implementing your Re- tirement Plan Loan Program. 16E 1 ' A GUIDE TO IMPLEMENTING A LOAN PROGRAM IcMARC Bui/Jing Retirement Security ICMA-RC 16E1 A loan program in your retirement plan provides eligible plan participants the ability to borrow funds from their plan account balance. Adding loans to your retirement plan is a big step. As the administrator of your loan program, ICMA-RC will at- tempt to minimize the amount of resources you need to devote to the program. However, there are administrative and fiduciary responsibil- ities associated with offering loans which, as a practical mat- ter, cannot be delegated to ICMA-RC. For this reason, before you design a program that is right for you and your employees, there are several issues you may wish to consider. And the deci- sions you make in designing your loan program will determine the resources you, as the plan sponsor, will have to commit to that program. This brochure details the issues you should consider in design- ing your retirement plan loan program. LOAN GUIDELINES In order to offer loans from a retirement plan, the Internal Rev- enue Code (the Code) requires that you establish written guide- lines that govern the granting of loans. Included in this packet is the Loan Guidelines Agreement that you must complete and formally adopt to establish your loan program. Along with completing the Loan Guidelines Agreement, you must amend your plan document to allow loans. You will need to send to ICMA-RC a statement executed by a designated official or resolution approved by your governing body, as applicable to your plan. In addition, if you are adding a loan provision to a 401 plan, the adoption agreement applying to that plan must be amended, A sample resolution and an adop- tion agreement amendment form are included in this package. If you have any questions about amending your plan document to allow for loans, please call our Client Services Team toll-free at 1-800-326-7272. The Code provides you with some flexibility when establishing your Loan Guidelines as long as the guidelines are consistent with the plan document provisions on loans and with section 72(p) of the Code. 1. Eligibility (Section II in Loan Guidelines Agreement) You may allow a loan to be taken from (1) vested employer contributions and/or (2) participant account balances, You may designate whether or not a loan may be taken (A) for all purposes or (B) only in the case of hardship or other certain specified financial situations. 401 Plans: Under the Code, only employers can authorize a hardship for loan purposes. Upon request, ICMA-RC will provide an opinion to you concerning the likely compli- ance of the hardship within the requirements of the Code and regulations. Normally, for loan purposes, hardship and other specified situations include, but are not limited to: unreimbursed medical expenses, buying or rehabilitating the participant's principal residence, and paying for college education for the participant or his/her dependents. Car loan, car repairs, and the purchase or repair of a vacation or rental property would not be included in the hardship definition. The option you choose to define "loan purpose" in the Eli- gibility section will have a significant impact on the number of loans made from your plan. Obviously, if you choose "for all purposes," more of your employees will request loans than if you select "hardship or other specified financial situ- ations only." 457 Plans: Loans must be coordinated with unforesee- able emergency withdrawals. The emergency withdrawal regulations under Section 457 of the Code require that an emergency withdrawal be a resource of the "last resort." If the participant is able to take a loan from your ICMA-RC 457 plan or any other plan you sponsor, the participant has resources available to meet, or partially meet, the financial need. Therefore, a participant will be required to take a loan before taking an emergency withdrawal. Many emergency withdrawals are not approved because the financial need, while serious, may not meet the conditions itemized in the 457 regulations, The ability to take a loan will allow participants access to money that is not otherwise available. And the repayment provisions for loans ensures that participants replenish their accounts, thereby preserv- ing their retirement savings. 2. Frequency of Loans (Section III in Loan Guidelines Agreement) Participants may receive only one loan per calendar year. However, you may elect to allow participants to have either (A) only one loan outstanding at a time or (B) no more than five loans outstanding at one time. The option you choose under Frequency of Loans will have an impact on the number of loans made from your plan. It may also have a direct impact on your payroll system if you select Payroll Deduction as a repayment option for your participants. Each loan repayment for each pay period must be accounted for separately. Repayments of multiple loans are a much larger burden on your payroll system (and personnel) than a repayment of a single loan. 2 A Guide to Implementing a Loan Program 16El 3. Length of Loan (Section V in Loan Guidelines Agreement) Generally, all loans must be repaid within five years from the date the loan is made. There is an exception for loans used to buy, but not to improve or repair, a principal resi- dence. In the case of a loan for buying a principal residence, you may specify the number of years, not to exceed 30, over which the loan must be repaid. In determining the maximum repayment period for res i- dentialloans, you should be mindful that the loan term may extend beyond the period the participant is employed by you. If you allow employees to continue to pay their loans after they separate from service (see Acceleration of Loan Repayment on the next page), repayments would continue by the participant, through you, for the entire term of the loan (e.g., 30 years). Every payroll period, the participant (former employee) will be required to give you a check for the periodic loan repayment amount. You then include this amount with your next contribution submittal to ICMA-RC Loan repayments may not be made directly to ICMA-RC by the participant, unless you choose ACH debit as a repayment option. 4. Loan Repayment Process (Section VI in Loan Guidelines Agreement) All loans must be repaid either through payroll deduction or through ACH debit as long as the employee is actively employed by you. For payroll deducted payments, ICMA-RC's media used for remitting contribution detail (e.g. EZLink, magnetic tape, or diskette) allow for the inclusion of loan repayment detail. Participants may pay off their loans early by requesting that you submit a larger repayment amount from their pay on their regularly sched- uled repayment dates through your contribution submittals to ICMA-RC Please note that no payment date may be "skipped" even if the employee has made a large payment or submitted multiple payments. The enclosed Loan Guidelines Agreement form allows your plan to offer a participant the option of making loan repayments via direct debit of the employee's bank account, Direct debit is authorized by the participant and allows ICMA-RC to debit loan repayments from the participant's bank account via Automated Clearing House (ACH). With this feature, you are free of the burden of establishing and monitoring payroll deduction and submitting of repay- ments to ICMA-RC Please note that you will not be notified directly when a participant's bank account has insufficient funds for a complete loan repayment. The EZLink loan reports that will be available to you online will provide this informa- tion. It is possible that participant loans may default more often for lack of repayment when participants choose ACH repayment rather than payroll deduction, You may choose to restrict certain participants to payroll deduction for this reason. In implementing a loan program you should be aware that some employers who offer loans through their retirement plan have had to contend with the inability of some partici- pants to repay their loan(s). You should be aware that you may not stop taking loan repayments from the employee's paycheck - even if the employee asks that repayments be stopped. Failure to payroll-deduct loan repayments on sched- ule could both jeopardize the eligibility or qualification of the entire plan as well as create a taxable event for the participant. Likewise, if an employee is repaying the loan through ACH debit of his/her bank account, and the employee fails to make payments, this could jeopardize the eligibility of your retirement plan. Employers are ultimately responsible for ensuring that loans are repaid according to the loan terms. ICMA-RC assists you by notifying both you and the em- ployee if a payment has not been received. Your plan may allow terminated employees to continue to repay their loans either through ACH debit of their bank account, or by giving/sending you a check each repayment period (refer to Acceleration of Loan Repayment section on page three), If you adopt this latter repayment method, you will include the repayment amount given to you by the former employee in your next regular employee contribu- tion remittance to ICMA-RC If a participant has more than one loan outstanding at any one time, then each loan repayment must be separately reported to ICMA-RC 5. Loan Application Procedures (Section VIII in Loan Guidelines Agreement) (A) Active Employees Only - Loans are available only to active employees. Former employees, beneficiaries, and alternate payees may not take a loan. (B) Request Submittal- Loan requests may be submitted by participants through the Direct Application (writ- ten form) or on Account Access, ICMA-RC's online account program. To offer these features, the employer pre-authorizes ICMA-RC to approve loan requests. Otherwise, all loan requests must be in writing, signed by the participant, and approved by you, the employer. Under the Code, the amount of the loan may not exceed a maximum amount. The amount available for a loan is affected by all other loans the participant may have outstanding or has recently paid off .from your ICMA-RC retirement plan, and any other retirement plans you spon- sor. Please refer to page 7 for a worksheet illustrating how maximum loan amounts are calculated. The loan modeling program in Account Access incorporates this calculation automatically. 3 16El 4 ICMA-RC (C) Check Issuance - Unless you select Direct Application or online (Account Access) application, the participant is required to sign acceptance of a promissory note evidencing the loan and a disclosure statement, which includes an amortization schedule. Upon receipt of an approved loan application, ICMA-RC will prepare these loan documents and send them, along with the loan check. The loan check may not be given to the participant until all of these loan documents have been signed by the participant. Once the loan documents are signed, you return them to ICMA-RC. Because the promissory note is considered a plan asset, all loan documents must be complete and preserved by ICMA-RC for at least the life of the loan. With online loans or Direct Application, ICMA-RC sends loan documents with the check to the partici- pant. When the participant endorses the check, that signifies acceptance of terms. For payroll-deducted loan repayments, once a loan is issued, your payroll department must ensure that loan repayments are withheld from the employee's paycheck each pay period, in the amount specified or the amor- tization schedule, until the loan is repaid in fulL It is essential that the amortization schedule coincide with your payroll cycle. ICMA-RC can help you determine the first pay date on which you should withhold loan repayments. 6. Acceleration of Loan Repayment (Section X in Loan Guidelines Agreement) You have three options for determining how outstanding loans are accelerated: A. All loans are due and payable in full upon the employ- ee's separation from service. The employee may not continue to pay off his/her loan once he or she sepa- rates from service. B. Mter separation from service, all loans are due and pay- able in full as soon as the participant takes a withdrawal of any amount from the plan. C. Mter separation from service, all loans are due and pay- able in full only when the participant withdraws his/her entire account balance, You should consider these options carefully, since each pro- vision could result in a taxable event for the participant. If a participant does not repay the outstanding loan amount at the time it is due, the loan is "foreclosed." This means that the outstanding loan amount must be reported by the plan administrator (ICMA-RC) as a taxable distribution in the year of the foreclosure. On the other hand, given the burdens associated with col- lecting loan repayments from former employees, you may not wish to maintain a potentially long term "relationship" with former employees (especially in the case of residential loans). You should carefully consider the level of responsibility each option entails. 7. Deemed Distribution of Delinquent Loans (Section XIV in Loan Guidelines Agreement) Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations governing participant loans issued after December 31, 2001, have provided clarification on requirements for loan processing. The regulations have always established loan criteria such as term and borrowing limitations. However, the regulations now specifically illustrate how plan sponsors should treat delinquent loans, which violate the special rules allowing loans to be made from retirement plan assets. A loan typically becomes a deemed distribution when scheduled payments are not made in adherence with the granted "cure period." The maximum allowable cure period is the end of the calendar quarter following the cal- endar quarter in which the payment was due. For example, if a participant's loan payment is due February 1st, the maximum cure period for the repayment is June 30th. If the total amount of all delinquent payments is not received by the end of the cure period, the loan is deemed a distri- bution, The principal balance, in addition to any accrued interest, is reported as a distribution to the IRS. However, the taxable distribution is not the only event in conjunction with a deemed distribution. The following negative conse- quences occur as a result of deemed distribution. · The deemed distribution is a taxable event. However, it is not an actual distribution and therefore remains an asset of the participant's account. The outstanding loan balance and accrued interest are reported on the participant's account statement. · Repayment of a deemed distribution will not change or reverse the taxable event, · The loan continues to be considered outstanding until it is repaid or "offset" using the participant's account balance. An offset can occur only if the participant is eligible to receive a distribution from the plan as out- lined in your plan document. · ICMA-RC requires participants to repay any outstand- ing deemed distributed loan before they can become eligible for a new loan. The deemed distributed loan and any interest accrued since the date it became a tax- able event is taken into account when determining the maximum amount available for a new loan. · A recent IRS ruling requires that a participant who has had a prior deemed distribution must make repayments 4 A Guide to Implementing a Loan Program 16E I to a new loan through payroll deduction, or provide proof of adequate security. Employers, as plan sponsors and fiduciaries, have an obliga- tion to comply with plan document and loan guideline requirements applicable to participant loans. In this regard, loan payments must be made in accordance with the plan document, plan loan guidelines, and as reRected in the promissory note signed by the participant. Employers retain this obligation if there is a loan program associated with their retirement plan, even if participants apply for loans online, and regardless of the method of repayment - whether participants are repaying their loans through ACH debit or payroll deduction. Employers who do not ensure proper loan repayment practices in their retirement loan programs risk not only having individual participant loans being deemed distribu- tions, but also potentially jeopardize the tax-favored status of the entire plan. In the extreme, plans with mismanaged loan programs - a high occurrence of deemed distributed loans, and/or program participants in default, for example - may be disqualified (in the case of 40 1 plans) or classified as ineligible (for 457 plans) by the IRS. Disqualification results in the loss of tax-deferred status for all contributions and a possible increase in the taxable income for participat- ing employees. It is a plan sponsor's and plan administrator's fiduciary obli- gation to properly manage the retirement plan and its ben- efits. Mismanagement of a loan program may be considered failure to meet this fiduciary obligation and may expose a plan sponsor to litigation, in addition to being in violation of applicable laws and regulations. To assist plan sponsors whose plan options include loans, ICMA-RC will provide reports of participants with pay- ments delinquent by 30 to 89 days, 90 or more days but not yet deemed, and those whose loans have been deemed distributed. ICMA-RC is committed to supporting employ- ers who request assistance with their loan programs in order to reduce the number of delinquent loans and decrease the occurrence of deemed distributions. SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES If you have more than one retirement plan, ICMA-RC will ad- minister your loan program, but you will have to perform some loan verification activities. You will also have to perform these activities if loans are available to your employees from several like retirement plans, such as two different qualified plans, or if you have different types of retirement plans (e.g. Section 457 deferred compensation and section 401 qualified plan). The degree of your involvement will depend on your situation. 1. Multiple Plans If you offer several retirement plans, each with its own plan document and provisions unique to each administrator, ICMA-RC and your other administrators should be able to administer loans because these are distinct plans and the loan provision applies at the plan level. However, the Code sets a maximum on the aggregate of all loans from all retirement plans in which the employee participates. No provider will be able to calculate, by itself, the maximum amount that a participant may borrow at any point in time. Since only you, the employer, can determine the cur- rent outstanding loan balance and the highest outstanding loan balance in the past 12 months from all loans from any retirement plans, you will have to calculate the maximum amount that may be borrowed. This will involve obtain- ing all loan amounts currently outstanding and repaid in the last 12 months. For your convenience, ICMA-RC has developed a worksheet to illustrate the maximum loan amount available. [See Page 7, "Calculating the Amount Available for a Loan,"] If you elect online loans, participants are asked to input all outstanding loan balances in their online worksheet so that the program can properly calculate the maximum amount. Participants are on the "honor system" when they enter other loan amounts; ICMA-RC is unable to verify any loan amounts associated with plans administered by other pro- viders. However, if there are any outstanding loans in other plans administered by ICMA-RC, our online program will take them into account, 2. Single Retirement Plan/Multiple Providers If you have adopted a single retirement plan with one master plan document under which ICMA-RC and your other administrator(s) must operate, then you may ulti- mately have to self-administer your loan program, unless you requite: · that the maximum that may be borrowed from any provider is 50 percent of the balance with that provider and · that the loan must be repaid only to the provider from which the loan was made. If you do nor impose these requirements, you may have to self-administer your loan program. This is because of: · Problems calculating the loan amount. The amount available for a loan is based, in part, on the total account balance in the plan. Since employees may have balances with more than one of the admin- istrators, only you, the employer, can determine the actual account balance by aggregating the balance for each administrator. 5 ICMA-RC 16El The Code sets a maximum on the aggregate of all loans from all retirement plans in which the participant par- ticipates. Since only you can determine the current out- standing loan balance and the highest outstanding loan balance in the past 12 months from all loans from any retirement plans, you will have to calculate the maxi- mum amount that may be borrowed. This will involve obtaining all loan amounts currently outstanding and repaid in the last 12 months. For your convenience, ICMA-RC has developed a worksheet to illustrate the maximum loan amount available. [See Page 7, "Calcu- lating the Amount Available for a Loan."] · Problems preparing loan documents. Each loan has terms and conditions that are reflected in the promissory note, disclosure statement and amortiza- tion schedule for the loan. Other providers may be able to prepare these documents if given all the pertinent information about the loan by you. However, the other provider may be reluctant to provide documents for a loan to which it is not a party. And it may be difficult for the other provider's system to provide documents for a loan in an amount that exceeds what its system shows is available. · Problems keeping accurate loan records, Since loans are generally made and recordkept on a plan level basis, theoretically, a participant could take a loan in the amount of his/her entire balance with one administrator because the loan is collateralized by the balance with another administrator. And the partici- pant may elect to allocate loan repayments either be- tween administrators or to an administrator other than the administrator who made the loan. Unless a loan is unique to one of the administrators, both in amount and repayment terms, only you, the employer, will be able to track loan repayments, especially if repayments are being made to more than one administrator. 3. Multiple Types of Retirement Plans/Multiple Providers If you make loans available to your employees from all of your retirement plans (e,g. Section 457 deferred compen- sation plan and Section 401 qualified plan), each plan administrator should be able to administer loans because these are distinct plans and the loan provision applies at the plan level. However, no administrator will be able to calculate, by itself, the maximum amount that a partici- pant may borrow at any point in time. This is because the Code sets a maximum on the aggregate of all loans from all 401 and 457 plans in which the participant partici- pates. Since only you, the employer, can determine the current outstanding loan balance and the highest out- standing loan balance in the past 12 months from all loans from any 401 or 457 plans, you will have to calculate the maximum amount that may be borrowed, This will involve obtaining all loan amounts currently outstanding and repaid in the last 12 months. For your convenience, RC has developed a worksheet to illustrate the maximum loan amount available. [See Page 7, "Calculating the Amount Available for a Loan."] Many 457 plans are what are referred to as "co-adminis- tered" plans. There are actually two different types of ar- rangement both of which are referred to as co-administered or co-provider plans: (1) multiple 457 plans offered by an employer through two or more administrators, each administrator having its own plan document and features. (2) a single 457 plan with multiple administrators provid- ing essentially different investment options. In both of these situations, it will be difficult for an ad- ministrator to correctly administer a loan provision across multiple plans. It will also be difficult for you to correctly administer a loan's provisions in situations where you make loans available to employees from your 457 plan(s) and another retirement plan (e.g. Section 401 money purchase or profit sharing plan). CONCLUSION You may be able to minimize your involvement in administer- ing a loan program under either a single plan/multiple provider arrangement or a multiple plan arrangement. However, you cannot avoid having to determine whether each loan amount requested is consistent with the aggregate maximum. The above information is intended to provide an overview of the issues and complexities of establishing and maintaining a loan program under the most common types of retirement plan arrangements. It is not intended to be all inclusive. Other issues may arise and some issues may be mitigated by a plan's indi- vidual design. Special situations and/or solutions not discussed above will have to be analyzed on a case-by-case basis. Please contact ICMA-RC's Client Services Team at 1-800-326-7272 with any questions related to these issues. 6 A Guide to Implementing a Loan Program 16El CALCULATING THE AMOUNT AVAILABLE FOR A LOAN The minimum loan amount is $1,000. The maximum amount of all loans to the participant from the Plan and all other plans sponsored by the Employer that are qualified employer plans under section 72(p)(4) of the Code is the lesser of: (1) $50,000, reduced by the highest outstanding balance of all loans from any 401 or 457 plans for that participant during the one-year period ending on the day before the date a loan is to be made, or (2) 50% of the participant's vested account balance, reduced by the current outstanding balance of all 401 and 457 loans from all plans for that participant. If a participant has any loans outstanding at the time a new loan is requested, the new loan will be limited to the maxi- mum amount calculated above reduced by the total of the outstanding loans. In addition, each loan must be collateralized, at the time it is made, by one half of the participant's vested account bal- ance in the plan from which the loan is being made. Therefore, the actual amount a participant may take as a loan is the LESSER of the maximum dollar amount described above or 50 percent of the account balance. Maximum Loan Amount Worksheet iR"lllllld lllldel dll IlIllllllil\e\llllll l "d, I To estimate the maximum amount of a loan for which a participant may be eligible, calculate each step and select the lesser of the total of Step 1 or Step 2. If the participant has had no outstanding 401 or 457 plan loans in the last 12 months, you may enter $50,000 as the total in Step 1 and proceed to Step 2. Step 1. $50,000 A. $50,000 is the maximum. B. Enter the highest outstanding loan balance during the previous 12 months from 457 and 401 plan loans. Step 2. C. Enter 50% of the present value of the total account balance in the plan from which the loan will be issued, including any outstanding loan balance. D. Enter the current outstanding 401 and/or 457 plan loan balance(s). The actual amount that may be borrowed will be calculated using the participants account balance on the day the loan ;s made. 7 16El LOAN GUIDELINES AGREEMENT FOR A RETIREMENT PLAN ICMARC Building Retirement Security ICMA-RC 16El INSTRUCTIONS (Please refer to the previous section, .. A Guide to Implementing a Loan Program") These Loan Guidelines must be completed before loans can be made from your retirement plan. You should consider each option carefully before making your selections because your selections will apply to all loans made while the selection is in effect. If you later change any provision, the changes will apply only to loans made after the change is adopted. Loans in existence at the time of any future changes will continue to operate under the guidelines that were in effect at the time the loan was originally made. Note: Ifloans are available to your employees from other plans (e,g. other Section 457 deferred compensation plans or other Sec- tion 401 plans), calculation of the maximum loan amount must consider the aggregate of all loans from all 401 and 457 plans in which the employee participates. See the Maximum Loan Amount Worksheet on page 7 of A Guide to Implementing a Loan Program, found in this packet. 2 Loan Guidelines Agreement 16E 1 Name of Plan (please state the Employer's complete name, includingstate): .&A'-A'..(\ c/P &u"..1 ~ eo 1/ AI '"Y &0 1"~/("'/11e.I\JT (e""/ut. ~v""~. P/.,O/f-IO",",) Plan Type: 0 401 (a) Money Purchase Plan 0 401 Profit-Sharing Plan ~ 457 Deferred Compensation Plan ICMA-RC Plan Number: 30~A 01 I. Purpose The purpose of these guidelines is to establish the terms and conditions under which the Employer will grant loans to participants. This is the only official Loan Provision Document of the above named Plan. II. Eligibility Loans are available to all active employees. Loans will not be granted to participants who have an existing loan in default. Loans will be pro-rated among all the funds in which the participant is invested at the time the loan is made. For 401 plans only: Loans are available from the following sources: [select one or both] o Employer Contribution Account (vested balances only) o Participant Contribution Accounts (pre- and post-tax, if applicable, including Employee Mandatory, Employee Voluntary, Employer Rollover, and Portable Benefits Accounts, but excluding the Deductible Employee Contribution/Qualified Volun- tary Employee Contribution Account) For Roth 401(k) plans on~: A participant's Designated Roth Account balance can be used to secure a participant loan. Designated Roth Account balances [select one] o will not (default option) be available as a source for loans under the Plan, o will be available as a source for loans under the Plan, (Note: Using the Roth source for loans may have negative tax con- sequences for participants.) For all plan types: Loans are available for the following purposes: [select one] ~ All purposes o Loans shall only be granted in the event of a participant's hardship or for the purpose of enabling a participant to meet certain specified financial situations. The employer shall approve the participant's loan application after determining, based on all relevant facts and circumstances, that the amount of the loan is not in excess of the amount required to relieve the fi- nancial need. For this purpose, financial need shall include, but not be limited to: unreimbursed medical expenses of the par- ticipant or members of the participant's immediate family, establishing or substantially rehabilitating the principal residence of the participant, or paying for a college education (including graduate studies) for the participant or his/her dependents. 3 ICMA-HC 16E 1 III. Frequency of loans [select one] ~ Participants may receive one loan per calendar year. Moreover, participants may have only one (1) outstanding loan at a time. o Participants may receive one loan per calendar year. Moreover, no participant may have more than five (5) loans outstanding at one tIme. IV. Loan amount The minimum loan amount is $1,000. The maximum amount of all loans to the participant from the plan and all other plans sponsored by the Employer that are qualified employer plans under section n(p) (4) of the Code is the lesser of: (1) $50,000, reduced by the highest outstanding balance of all loans from any 401 or 457 plans for that participant during the one-year period ending on the day before the date a loan is to be made, or (2) one half of the participant's vested account balance, reduced by the current outstanding balance of all 401 and 457 loans from all plans for that participant. If a participant has any loans outstanding at the time a new loan is requested, the new loan will be limited to the maximum amount calcu- lated above reduced by the total of the outstanding loans. A loan cannot be issued for more than the above amount. The participant's requested loan amount is subject to downward adjustment without notice due to market fluctuation between the time of application and the time the loan is made. V. Length of loan A loan must be repaid in substantially equal installments of principal and interest, at least monthly, over a period that does not exceed five (5) years. Loans for a principal residence must be repaid in substantially equal installments of principal and interest, at least monthly, over a period that does not exceed [state number of years] years (maximum 30 years). VI. Loan repayment process Loan repayments for active employees must be through (choose one): o Payroll deduction only. PL642(2) = 2 ~ ACH debit only. PL642(2) = 0 o Employee may choose either payroll deduction or ACH debit. PL642(2) = I If payroll deduction repayment is allowed, and the employee wishes to use this method, the employee must notify the Employer so that the Employer can ensure that repayment will begin as soon as practicable on a date determined by the Employer's payroll cycle. Failure to begin payroll deduction in a timely way could lead to the employee's loan entering delinquenCy status. Payroll deduction should begin within two payroll cycles following the employee's receipt of the loan. 4 Loan Guidelines Agreement 16EI Repayments through payroll deduction will be sent via check or wire by the Employer to ICMA-RC on the following cycle (choose one): o Weekly (52 per year) OBi-weekly (26 per year) o Semi-monthly (24 per year) o Monthly (12 per year) If ACH debit repayment is allowed, debits from the employee's designated bank account will begin approximately one month fol- lowing the date the employee's signed ACH authorization form is received and processed by ICMA-RC, or, in the case of online loans, approximately one month following the date the loan check has been cleared for payment, Debits will normally be made on a monthly basis, Loans outstanding for former employees or employees on a leave of absence must be repaid on the same schedule as if payroll deductions were still being made unless they reamortize their loans and establish a new repayment schedule that provides that sub- stantially equal payments are made at least monthly over the remaining period of the loan. Loan payments, including loan payments from former employees, are allocated to the participant's current election of investment options on file with ICMA-RC The participant may payoff all or a portion of the principal and interest early without penalty or additional fee. Extra payments are applied forward to both principal and interest as specified in the original repayment schedule, unless the additional payment is for the balance due. VII. Loan interest rate The rate of interest for loans of five (5) years or less will be based on prime plus 0.5%. The rate of interest for loans for a principal residence will be based on the FHAlVA rate. Interest rates are determined on the last business day of the month preceding the month the loan is disbursed. The interest rate is locked in at the time a loan is approved and remains constant throughout the life of the loan. The prime interest rate is determined on the last business day of each month using www.nfsn.com as the source. The FHAlVA interest rate is also determined on the last business day of each month using www/bankofamerica.com as the source. Loan interest rates for new loans taken in different months may fluctuate upward or downward monthly, depending on the move- ment of the prime and FHANA interest rates. The employer may modifY the manner in which loan interest rates will be determined, but only with respect to future loans, VIII. Loan application procedure Loans must be requested using the following method (check one): o Online only: All loans must be requested online by employees through ICMA-RC's Account Access site at www.icmarc.org, with Employer pre-authorization as outlined in italics below. If an employee is married at the time of application, and spousal consent is required by the Plan for the loan, the employ- ee's spouse must consent, in writing, to the loan and the consent must be witnessed by a plan representative or notary public. Such consent must be received in writing by ICMA-RC no more than ninety (90) days before the loan request is submitted through Account Access. The promissory note, truth-in-lending rescission notice and disclosure statement are presented to the employee online through Account Access at the time the employee submits the loan request. The employee confirms receipt and acceptance of these documents by clicking on the affirmative buttons on the Account Access program. 5 16El ICMA-HC The employer hereby authorizes all future loans requested through the online process via Account Access, as well as any requests that employees submit on paper forms, pending review of the application by ICMA-RG. Notice of loan issuance will be provided to the Employer via reports posted on the EZLink site. The loan amount will generally be redeemed from the employee's account on the same day as the employee's successful submission of the loan request through Account Access, if it is submitted prior to 4:00 p.m. ET on a business day. If not, the loan amount will be redeemed on the next business day following submission. The loan check is generally issued on the next business day following redemption, and will be mailed directly to the employee. The employee's presentment of the loan check for payment constitutes an acknowledgment that the employee has received and read the loan disclosure information provided by ICMA-RC and agrees to the terms therein, Loan repayment will begin as soon as practicable following the employee's presentment of the loan check for payment. __ Online and through Direct Loan application: All loans must be requested either online by employees through ICMA-RC's Account Access site at www.icmarc.org, or through the Direct Loan application, both of which require pre- authorization by the Employer as outlined in italics below. If an employee is married at the time of application, and spousal consent is required by the Plan for the loan, the employ- ee's spouse must consent, in writing, to the loan and the consent must be witnessed by a plan representative or notary public. Such consent must be received in writing by ICMA-RC no more than ninety (90) days before the loan request is submitted through Account Access. In the case of the Direct Loan Application, spousal consent should be sent along with the application. The promissory note, truth-in-lending rescission notice and disclosure statement are mailed to the employee along with the issued loan check. The employee confirms receipt and acceptance of these documents and terms at the time the en- dorsed check is presented for payment. The Employer hereby authorizes all future loans requested through the online process via Account Access, as well as any requests that employees submit on paper forms, pending review of the application by ICMA-RG. Notice of loan issuance will be provided to the Employer via reports posted on the EZLink site, The loan amount will generally be redeemed from the employee's account on the same day as either ICMA-RC's receipt of a loan application (complete and in good order), or the employee's successful submission of the loan request through Account Access, if it is submitted prior to 4:00 p.m. ET on a business day. If not, the loan amount will be redeemed on the next business day following submission. The loan check is generally issued on the next business day following redemption, and will be mailed directly to the employee. The employee's presentment of the loan check for payment constitutes an ac- knowledgment that the employee has received and read the loan disclosure information provided by ICMA-RC and agrees to the terms therein. Loan repayment will begin as soon as practicable following the employee's presentment of the loan check for payment. o Direct Loan application only: All loans must be requested through the Direct Loan application, which requires pre- authorization by the Employer as outlined in italics below. If an employee is married at the time of application, and spousal consent is required by the Plan for the loan, the employ- ee's spouse must consent, in writing, to the loan and the consent must be witnessed by a plan representative or notary public. Such consent must be received in writing by ICMA-RC along with the Direct Loan Application. The promissory note, truth-in-lending rescission notice and disclosure statement are mailed to the employee along with the issued loan check. The employee confirms receipt and acceptance of these documents at the time the endorsed check is presented for payment. The employer hereby authorizes all future loans requested on paper forms, pending review of the application by ICMA-RG. Notice of loan issuance will be provided to the Employer via reports posted on the EZLink site. The loan amount will generally be redeemed from the employee's account on the same day as ICMA-RC's receipt of a loan application (complete and in good order). 6 I6El Loan Guidelines Agreement The loan check will generally be issued from the employee's account on the next business day following redemption. The loan check will be mailed directly to the employee. The employee's presentment of the loan check for payment constitutes an acknowledgment that the employee has received and read the loan disclosure information provided by ICMA-RC and agrees to the terms therein. Loan repayment will begin as soon as practicable following the employee's presentment of the loan check for payment. o Loan application through the Employer: All loans must be requested in writing on an application approved by the plan administrator. The application must be signed by the participant. The Employer must review and approve each partici- pant's application, The participant will be required to sign a promissory note evidencing the loan and a disclosure statement that includes an amortization schedule prior to receiving a loan check. Loan checks will generally be issued on the next business day following ICMA-RC's receipt of a complete loan application. The loan check, promissory note, disclosure statement and truth-in-Iending rescission notice will be sent to the employer, who will obtain the necessary signatures and deliver the check to the participant. All executed documents must be returned to ICMA-RC within 10 calendar days from the date the check is issued. IX. Security/Collateral That portion of a participant's account balance that is equal to the amount of the loan is used as collateral for the loan. The col- lateral amount may not exceed 50 percent of the participant's account balance at the time the loan is taken. Only the portion of rhe account-balance that corresponds to the amount of the outstanding loan balance is used as collateral. X. Acceleration [select one] o All loans are due and payable in full upon separation from service. ti All loans are due and payable when a participant receives a distribution of all of his/her account balance after separa- tion from service. The amount of the outstanding loan balance will be reported as a distribution in addition to the amount of cash distributed from the plan. o All loans are due and payable when a participant receives a distribution of part of his/her account balance after separa- tion from service. The amount of the outstanding loan balance will be reported as a distribution in addition to the amount of cash distributed from the plan, XI. Reamortization Any 'outstanding loan may be reamortized. Reamortization means changing the terms of a loan, such as length of repayment peri- od, interest rate, and frequency of repayments. A loan may not be reamortized to extend the length of the loan repayment period to more than five (5) years from the date the loan was originally made, or in the case of a loan to secure a principal residence, beyond the number of years specified by the employer in Section V above. A participant must request the reamortization of a loan in writing on a reamortization application acceptable to the plan adminis- trator, Upon processing the request, a new disclosure statement will be sent to the employer for endorsement by the participant and approval by the employer. The executed disclosure statement must be returned to the plan administrator within 10 calendar days from the date it is signed. The new disclosure statement is considered an amendment to the original promissory note, therefore a new promissory note will not be required. A reamortization will not be considered a new loan for purposes of calculating the number of loans outstanding or the one loan per calendar year limit. 7 16E1 ICMA-HC XII. Refinancing existing loans If a participant has one outstanding loan, that loan may be refinanced. If a participant has more than one outstanding loan, no loans may be refinanced. Refinancing means concurrently repaying an existing loan and borrowing an additional amount through a new loan. Refinancing includes any situation in which one loan replaces another loan and the term of the replacement loan does not exceed the latest permissable term of the replaced loan. In order to refinance an existing loan, a participant must request this in writing on an application approved by the plan administra- tor. Such request must be made at a time when the participant is eligible to obtain a loan as defined by the employer in Section III above. The amount of the additional loan amount requested for the purpose of refinancing is subject to the loan limits specified in Section IV above, Because a refinancing is considered a new loan, only active employees may refinance an outstanding loan. XIII. Reduction of Loan If a participant dies prior to full repayment of the outstanding loan(s), the outstanding loan balance(s) will be deducted from the account prior to distribution to the beneficiary(ies). The unpaid loan amount is a taxable distribution and may be subject to early withdrawal penalties. The participant's estate is responsible for taxes or penalties on the unpaid loan amount, if any, A beneficiary is responsible for taxes due on the amount he or she receives. A Form 1099 will be issued to both the beneficiary and the estate for these purposes. XIV. Deemed Distribution Loan repayments must be made in accordance with the plan document, plan loan guidelines, and as reflected in the promissory note signed by the participant. If a scheduled payment is not paid within 30, 60, and/or 90 days of the due date, a notice will be sent to both the employee and the employer. A loan will be deemed distributed when a scheduled payment is still unpaid at the end of the calendar quarter following the calen- dar quarter in which the payment was due. If the total amount of any delinquent payment is not received by ICMA-RC by the end of the calendar quarter following the calendar quarter in which they payment was due, the loan is considered a taxable distribution, and the principal balance, in addition to any accrued interest, is reported as a distribution to the IRS. However, no money is paid in this distribution, because the participant already has the loan proceeds. The loan is deemed distributed for tax purposes, but it is not an actual distribution and therefore remains an asset of the partici- pant's account. Interest continues to accrue. The outstanding loan balance and accrued interest are reported on the participant's account statement. Repayment of a deemed distribution will not change or reverse the taxable event, The loan continues to be outstanding, and to accrue interest, until it is repaid or offset using the participant's account balance. An offset can occur only if the participant is eligible to receive a distribution from the plan as outlined in the plan document. Participants are required to repay any outstanding loan which has been deemed distributed before they can be eligible for a new loan. The deemed distribution and any interest accrued since the date it became a taxable event is taken into account when deter- mining the maximum amount available for a new loan, New loans must be repaid through payroll deduction. 8 Loan Guidelines Agreement 16ft The employer is obligated by federal regulation to comply with the loan guideline requirements applicable to participant loans, and to ensure against deemed distribution by monitoring loan repayments, regardless of the method of repayment, and by advising em- ployees if loans are in danger of being deemed distributed, The tax-qualified status or eligibility of the entire plan may be revoked in cases of frequent repayment delinquency or deemed distribution. XV. Fees Fees may be charged for various services associated with the application for and issuance of loans. All applicable fees will be debited from the participant's account balance and/or from the participant's loan repayments prior to crediting the repayment of principal and interest to the participant's account. A schedule of fees applicable to this plan is specified in ICMA-RC's current publication of Making Sound Investment Decisions: A Retirement Investment Guide. XVI. Other The employer has the right to set other terms and conditions as it deems necessary for loans from the plan in order to comply with any legal requirements. All terms and conditions will be administered in a uniform and non-discriminatory manner. In Witness Whereof, the employer hereby caused these Guidelines to be executed this day of ,20 EMPLOYER L.. eo ~ E . C? 0-11 f" lf1C.. Title: U'/A/~ /J71fhVA- J..,pA By: Accepted: ICMA RETIREMENT CORPORATION By: Title: Attest: Attest: 9 16El LOAN ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT FOR SEalON 457 DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLANS 16f1 ICMA-RC 457 LOAN ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT This Agreement is not required if you have l)only one 457 plan provider or 2)more than one plan provider each with its own plan document and provisions unique to each provider. The Agreement only applies if you have adopted a single 457 plan document under which ICMA-RC and one or more other provider(s) must operate. Please refer to pages 5-6 of A Guide to Implementing a Loan Program for more details. This Agreement shall serve as an Addendum to the Loan Guidelines established by the Employer identified below as an Addendum to the Administrative Services Agreement (ASA) made by and between the ICMA Retirement Corpora- tion (ICMA-RC) and the Employer. The Employer currently sponsors a section 457 deferred compensation plan administered by two or more providers (co-provider plan). In order to ensure the efficient administration of the loan program established by the Employer, the Employer hereby agrees and declares that (1) For purposes of issuing loans from the plan, that portion of the plan's assets administered by ICMA-RC will be treated as though it were a separate and distinct plan. (2) The Employer shall calculate the amount a participant may borrow from the ICMA-RC administered portion of the plan. No loan amount may exceed the lesser of (a) the maximum loan amount specified in Internal Revenue Code section 72 (p)(2) (A) or (b) 50% of the participant's ICMA-RC-administered account balance. (3) All loan repayments must be made to the participant's ICMA-RC-administered account for the life of the loan. Signature of Authorized Official ICMA RETIREMENT CORPORATION ~~ C.)lJ~ Angela Montez Assistant Secretary Mail this Agreement and the completed 457 Plan Loan Guidelines to: ICMA-RC Attention: New Business Analyst 777 North Capitol Street, NE Washington, DC 20002-4240