Every pension benefit and welfare benefit plan is required to file Form 5500, along with the accompanying schedules and attachments, with the IRS annually. This publicly available Form is a valuable source of information for plan participants, beneficiaries, and financial professionals.

* For a list of plan characteristic codes and general information on Form 5500, please visit www.irs.gov/retirement-plans/form-5500-corner This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, tax or investment advice. This guide focuses on aspects of Form 5500 relating to defined contribution plans, specifically, 401(k) plans.