Beyond Plan Audit Compliance: Improving the Financial Statement Audit Process

This document is about the ERISA Advisory Council's examination of the regulations and guidance implementing the independent qualified public accountant annual examination of financial statement requirements under Section 103 of ERISA. The Council focused on the effectiveness of the current regulatory environment in terms of promoting legal compliance and safeguarding plan assets, and sought ways to improve that environment. The Council developed recommendations for the Department of Labor to provide more information and better tools to help plan administrators more knowledgeably and prudently participate in the financial statement audit process.