Skip to content

DISTRIBUTION PROVISIONS 42. Joint and survivor annuity, qualified optional survivor annuity, and preretirement survivor annuity requirements

Section 5. Definitions.

0325 Publ 6088 (PDF) · 2026-10-03 edition · updated 2026-10-04 · United States

5.1. Election period: The period which begins on the first day of the plan year in which the participant attains age 35 and ends on the date of the participant's death. If a participant separates from service prior to the first day of the plan year in which age 35 is attained, with respect to the account balance as of the date of separation, the election period shall begin on the date of separation.

Pre-age 35 waiver: A participant who will not yet attain age 35 as of the end of any current plan year may make a special qualified election to waive the qualified preretirement survivor annuity for the period beginning on the date of such election and ending on the first day of the plan year in which the participant will attain age 35. Such election shall not be valid unless the participant receives a written explanation of the qualified preretirement survivor annuity in such terms as are comparable to the explanation required under section 6.1. Qualified preretirement survivor annuity coverage will be automatically reinstated as of the first day of the plan year in which the participant attains age 35. Any new waiver on or after such date shall be subject to the full requirements of this article.

5.2. Earliest retirement age: The earliest date on which, under the plan, the participant could elect to receive retirement benefits.

5.3. Qualified election: A waiver of a qualified joint and survivor annuity or a qualified preretirement survivor annuity. Any waiver of a qualified joint and survivor annuity or a qualified preretirement survivor annuity shall not be effective unless: (a) the

225 | D e f i n e d C o n t r i b u t i o n P l a n L R M P a c k a g e 0 1 / 2 0 2 4

participant's spouse consents in writing to the election; (b) the election designates a specific beneficiary, including any class of beneficiaries or any contingent beneficiaries, which may not be changed without spousal consent (or the spouse expressly permits designations by the participant without any further spousal consent); (c) the spouse's consent acknowledges the effect of the election; and (d) the spouse's consent is witnessed by a plan representative or notary public. Additionally, a participant's waiver of the qualified joint and survivor annuity shall not be effective unless the election designates a form of benefit payment which may not be changed without spousal consent (or the spouse expressly permits designations by the participant without any further spousal consent). If it is established to the satisfaction of a plan representative that there is no spouse or that the spouse cannot be located, a waiver will be deemed a qualified election.

Any consent by a spouse obtained under this provision (or establishment that the consent of a spouse may not be obtained) shall be effective only with respect to such spouse. A consent that permits designations by the participant without any requirement of further consent by such spouse must acknowledge that the spouse has the right to limit consent to a specific beneficiary, and a specific form of benefit where applicable, and that the spouse voluntarily elects to relinquish either or both of such rights. A revocation of a prior waiver may be made by a participant without the consent of the spouse at any time before the commencement of benefits. The number of revocations shall not be limited. No consent obtained under this provision shall be valid unless the participant has received notice as provided in section 6 below.

5.4. Qualified joint and survivor annuity: An immediate annuity for the life of the participant with a survivor annuity for the life of the spouse which is not less than 50 percent and not more than 100 percent of the amount of the annuity which is payable during the joint lives of the participant and the spouse, and which is the amount of benefit which can be purchased with the participant's vested account balance. The percentage of the survivor annuity under the plan shall be 50% (unless a different percentage is elected by the employer in the adoption agreement).

(Note to reviewer: If the language in parenthesis is used, a provision should be added to the adoption agreement to enable the employer to elect the percentage (not less than 50%, not more than 100%) of the survivor annuity.)

5.5 Qualified Optional Survivor Annuity: An immediate annuity for the life of the participant with a survivor annuity for the life of the spouse which is equal to the applicable percentage of the amount of the annuity which is payable during the joint lives of the participant and the spouse, and which is the amount of benefit which can be purchased with the participant’s vested account balance. If the percentage of the survivor annuity is less than 75%, the applicable percentage is 75%. If the percentage of the survivor annuity is greater than or equal to 75%, the applicable percentage is 50%.

5.6. Spouse (surviving spouse): The spouse or surviving spouse of the participant,

226 | D e f i n e d C o n t r i b u t i o n P l a n L R M P a c k a g e 0 1 / 2 0 2 4

provided that a former spouse will be treated as the spouse or surviving spouse and a current spouse will not be treated as the spouse or surviving spouse to the extent provided under a qualified domestic relations order as described in Section 414(p) of the Code.

5.7. Annuity starting date: The first day of the first period for which an amount is paid as an annuity or any other form.

5.8. Vested account balance: The aggregate value of the participant's vested account balances derived from employer and employee contributions (including rollovers), whether vested before or upon death, including the proceeds of insurance contracts, if any, on the participant's life. The provisions of this article shall apply to a participant who is vested in amounts attributable to employer contributions, employee contributions (or both) at the time of death or distribution.

Get a plain-English answer with a citation back to this text.

Ask AI about this code
▸Contents — 0325 Publ 6088 (PDF)

GoCodebook provides public access, search, citation, multilingual explanation, and practical interpretation of legally adopted building regulations. It is not a substitute for the official ICC or California code publications.