What is a requirement of the Section 404(c) safe harbor provision?

The Section 404(c) safe harbor provision is part of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) that provides guidelines for pension plan fiduciaries in the context of participant-directed investment plans. Under this provision, one of the key requirements is that employees must be allowed to change their investment choices at least quarterly. This stipulation is designed to ensure that participants have sufficient opportunities to adjust their investments in response to market changes or personal financial circumstances. By allowing changes at least every three months, the regulation encourages participants to actively manage their retirement savings, ensuring that they can align their investment choices with their risk tolerance and investment goals. This provision helps protect fiduciaries from liability resulting from the investment decisions made by plan participants, as long as the plan complies with the rules laid out under Section 404(c).