Part III. — Internal Revenue Bulletin 2011-5

Update for Weighted Average Interest Rates, Yield Curves, and Segment Rates

Notice 2011–7

This notice provides guidance as to the corporate bond weighted average interest rate and the permissible range of interest rates specified under § 412(b)(5)(B)(ii)(II) of the Internal Revenue Code as in effect for plan years beginning before 2008. It also provides guidance on the corporate bond monthly yield curve (and the corresponding spot segment rates), and the 24-month average segment rates under § 430(h)(2). In addition, this notice provides guidance as to the interest rate on 30-year Treasury securities under § 417(e)(3)(A)(ii)(II) as in effect for plan years beginning before 2008, the 30-year Treasury weighted average rate under § 431(c)(6)(E)(ii)(I), and the min

For Plan Years

Corporate Bond Weighted

imum present value segment rates under § 417(e)(3)(D) as in effect for plan years beginning after 2007.

CORPORATE BOND WEIGHTED AVERAGE INTEREST RATE

Sections 412(b)(5)(B)(ii) and 412(l)(7)(C)(i), as amended by the Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 and by the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA), provide that the interest rates used to calculate current liability and to determine the required contribution under § 412(l) for plan years beginning in 2004 through 2007 must be within a permissible range based on the weighted average of the rates of interest on amounts invested conservatively in long term investment grade corporate bonds during the 4-year period ending on the last day before the beginning of the plan year.

Notice 2004–34, 2004–1 C.B. 848, provides guidelines for determining the cor

porate bond weighted average interest rate and the resulting permissible range of interest rates used to calculate current liability. That notice establishes that the corporate bond weighted average is based on the monthly composite corporate bond rate derived from designated corporate bond indices. The methodology for determining the monthly composite corporate bond rate as set forth in Notice 2004–34 continues to apply in determining that rate. See Notice 2006–75, 2006–2 C.B. 366. The composite corporate bond rate for December 2010 is 5.60 percent. Pursuant to Notice 2004–34, the Service has determined this rate as the average of the monthly yields for the included corporate bond indices for that month.

The following corporate bond weighted average interest rate was determined for plan years beginning in the month shown below.

Beginning in Permissible Range

Month Year

Average 90% to 100%

January 2011 6.12 5.51 6.12

monthly corporate bond yield curve, and the 24-month average corporate bond segment rates used to compute the target normal cost and the funding target. Pursuant to Notice 2007–81, the monthly corporate bond yield curve derived from December 2010 data is in Table I at the end of this notice. The spot first, second, and third segment rates for the month of December 2010 are, respectively, 1.98, 5.23, and 6.52. The three 24-month average corporate bond segment rates applicable for January 2011 are as follows:

Third Segment

YIELD CURVE AND SEGMENT RATES

Generally for plan years beginning after 2007 (except for delayed effective dates for certain plans under sections 104, 105, and 106 of PPA), § 430 of the Code specifies the minimum funding requirements that apply to single employer plans pursuant to § 412. Section 430(h)(2) specifies the interest rates that must be used to determine a plan’s target normal cost and funding target. Under this provision, present value is generally determined using three 24-month average interest rates

First Segment

(“segment rates”), each of which applies to cash flows during specified periods. However, an election may be made under § 430(h)(2)(D)(ii) to use the monthly yield curve in place of the segment rates. Section 430(h)(2)G) set forth a transitional rule applicable to plan years beginning in 2008 and 2009 under which the segment rates were blended with the corporate bond weighted average described above, including an election under § 430(h)(2)(G)(iv) for an employer to use the segment rates without the transitional rule.

Notice 2007–81, 2007–2 C.B. 899, provides guidelines for determining the

Second Segment

2.94 5.82 6.46

The transitional rule of § 430(h)(2)(G) does not apply to plan years beginning after December 31, 2009. Therefore, for a

plan year beginning after 2009 with a lookback month to January 2011, the funding segment rates are the three 24-month aver

age corporate bond segment rates applicable for January 2011, listed above without blending for any transitional period.

January 31, 2011 437 2011–5 I.R.B.

amount for the full-funding limitation described in section 431(c)(6)(A), based on the plan’s current liability. Section 431(c)(6)(E)(ii)(I) provides that the interest rate used to calculate current liability for this purpose must be no more than 5 percent above and no more than 10 percent below the weighted average of the rates of interest on 30-year Treasury securities during the four-year period ending on the last day before the beginning of the plan year. Notice 88–73, 1988–2 C.B. 383, provides guidelines for determining the weighted average interest rate. The following rates were determined for plan years beginning in the month shown below.

30-YEAR TREASURY SECURITIES INTEREST RATES

Section 417(e)(3)(A)(ii)(II) (prior to amendment by PPA) defines the applicable interest rate, which must be used for purposes of determining the minimum present value of a participant’s benefit under § 417(e)(1) and (2), as the annual rate of interest on 30-year Treasury securities for the month before the date of distribution or such other time as the Secretary may by regulations prescribe. Section 1.417(e)–1(d)(3) of the Income Tax Regulations provides that the applicable interest rate for a month is the annual

For Plan Years

rate of interest on 30-year Treasury securities as specified by the Commissioner for that month in revenue rulings, notices or other guidance published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin.

The rate of interest on 30-year Treasury securities for December 2010 is 4.42 percent. The Service has determined this rate as the average of the daily determinations of yield on the 30-year Treasury bond maturing in November 2040.

Generally for plan years beginning after 2007, § 431 specifies the minimum funding requirements that apply to multiemployer plans pursuant to § 412. Section 431(c)(6)(B) specifies a minimum

30-Year Treasury Weighted

Beginning in Permissible Range

Month Year

Average 90% to 105%

January 2011 4.26 3.83 4.47

termining the minimum present value segment rates. Pursuant to that notice, the minimum present value transitional segment rates determined for December 2010, taking into account the December 2010 30-year Treasury rate of 4.42 stated above, are as follows:

Third Segment

MINIMUM PRESENT VALUE SEGMENT RATES

Generally for plan years beginning after December 31, 2007, the applicable interest rates under § 417(e)(3)(D) are segment rates computed without regard to a

For Plan Years

Beginning in

24-month average. For plan years beginning in 2008 through 2011, the applicable interest rates are the monthly spot segment rates blended with the applicable rate under § 417(e)(3)(A)(ii)(II) as in effect for plan years beginning in 2007. Notice 2007–81 provides guidelines for de

First Segment

Second Segment

2010 2.96 4.91 5.68 2011 2.47 5.07 6.10

DRAFTING INFORMATION

The principal author of this notice is Tony Montanaro of the Employee Plans,

Tax Exempt and Government Entities Division. Mr. Montanaro may be e-mailed at RetirementPlanQuestions@irs.gov .

2011–5 I.R.B. 438 January 31, 2011

Table I

Monthly Yield Curve for December 2010

Derived from December 2010 Data

Maturity Yield Maturity Yield Maturity Yield Maturity Yield Maturity Yield

January 31, 2011 439 2011–5 I.R.B.

cations are not significant for purposes of § 1.860G–2(b)(1) even if the modifications are significant under the rules in § 1.1001–3. In particular, under § 1.860G–2(b)(3)(i), if a change in the terms of an obligation is “occasioned by default or a reasonably foreseeable default,” the change is not a significant modification for purposes of § 1.860G–2(b)(1), regardless of the modification’s status under § 1.1001–3.

.09 Section 857(b)(6) imposes a tax equal to 100 percent of the net income derived from “prohibited transactions.” Section 857(b)(6)(B)(iii) defines the term “prohibited transaction” as a sale or other disposition of property that is described in section 1221(a)(1) and that is not foreclosure property.