2026-17835NoticeWallet

401(k) defaults: DOL wants paperwork review comments

Published Date: 9/1/2026

Notice

Summary

The Department of Labor (DOL) is submitting this Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA)-sponsored information collection request (ICR) to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA). Public comments on the ICR are invited.

Analyzed Economic Effects

3 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

Annual QDIA Notice to Participants

If you are in a workplace retirement plan and do not pick investments, your plan must send you an annual notice saying your account assets could be invested in a "qualified default investment alternative" (QDIA). The notice must explain what happens if you fail to choose investments, how your money will be invested under the QDIA, and that you can still choose other investment options.

QDIA Disclosures and On-Request Information

If your retirement account is invested in a QDIA, your plan must provide certain disclosures about that QDIA and must provide specific information if you request it. These disclosures are meant to inform participants and beneficiaries about the investments used and how the QDIA operates.

Private-Sector Plan Sponsor Paperwork Burden

The Department estimates this information collection affects the private sector and lists 461,479 respondents with 58,280,320 total responses, a total estimated annual time burden of 95,854 hours, and total estimated annual other costs of $2,500,225. These burdens reflect the time and costs private-sector plan sponsors or administrators would incur to provide the required notices and disclosures.

Personalized for You

How does this regulation affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this federal register document means for your household, plus every other regulation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Key Dates

Published Date
Comments Due
9/1/2026
10/1/2026

Department and Agencies

Department
Independent Agency
Agency
Labor Department
Source: View HTML

Related Federal Register Documents

Previous / Next Documents

Back to Federal Register