File the completed Form 5500 with the Department of Labor ("DOL") Employee Benefits Security Administration as specified in the Form 5500 Instructions under "Where To File."
The form is in two versions:
- One version that is completed on a computer and that can be electronically filed or filed by mail or private delivery service. This version will require special software that is obtained from a service provider working with the DOL. Please see the DOL's website for details.
- Another version can be completed by hand or typewriter, which can only be filed by mail or private delivery service. You can obtain the blank paper forms directly from the DOL by calling 1 800 829-3676. These handwritten or typewritten forms are machine readable and photocopies of them will not be accepted.
Nonqualified plans
Form 5500 filings for 403(b) plans do not require completion of any of the 13 schedules that sponsors of qualified plans must fill out to provide detailed financial, insurance and nondiscrimination information. Administrators of 403(b) plans need only complete Part I and Part II, lines 1 through 5, and 8 (enter pension feature code 2L, 2M, or both).
Administrators are not required to engage an independent qualified public accountant or attach an accountant's opinion to the Form 5500.
Qualified plans
Institutions with qualified retirement plans subject to ERISA must prepare separate Form 5500 filings for each plan. The form requires plan identifying information, the number of participants at the beginning and end of the plan year, as well as information regarding plan funding.
- You must check "insurance" for both TIAA and CREF contracts because your plan is funded, at least partially, with TIAA-CREF contracts.
- Because your plan is funded with TIAA-CREF annuities, you must complete schedule A (insurance information). Section I of the schedule provides that individual contracts grouped as a unit can be reported on a single schedule A, and this is the method that should be used for the TIAA-CREF individual annuities or certificates that fund your plan.
Part II, item 4, of schedule A covers amounts held in the CREF Accounts and the TIAA Real Estate Account. TIAA Traditional Annuities are fully allocated contracts that are reported in part II, item 5.
Please note that for Form 5500 reporting, you must handle the TIAA Traditional Annuities, the TIAA Real Estate Account, and the CREF accounts differently.
- Since CREF is an investment company under the federal securities laws, its underlying assets are not plan assets and are not reported on schedule H (financial information). But the CREF units held in participant contracts and certificates are plan assets and must be reported on schedule H under part I, line 1c(13), the "Value of interest in registered investment companies" and part II, line 2b(10), "Net investment gain (loss) from registered investment companies."
TIAA Traditional Annuities are fully allocated insurance contracts so participant allocations to the TIAA Traditional Annuities are not reported as plan assets on schedule H. Allocations to TIAA Traditional Annuities are payments to provide benefits and are reported on part II, line 2e(2) of schedule H, or if the plan is a small plan, part II, line 2e, of schedule I (financial information — small plan).
- The TIAA Real Estate Account is an insurance company pooled separate account. The assets underlying the TIAA Real Estate Account are not reported as plan assets on schedule H. Instead, TIAA Real Estate Account units held in participant contracts and certificates are reported on Schedule H, part I, line 1c(10), the "Value of interest in pooled separate accounts" and part II, line 2b(7), "Net investment gain (loss) from pooled separate accounts."
