SIFMA and other associations provide comments to the U.S. Department of Commerce responding to the Request for Information (RFI) issued by the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) and published in the Federal Register on March 3, 2014. The RFI was issued in response to the requirement under Section 203 of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 that the Department of Commerce not disclose information on the Death Master File (DMF) to any person unless that person has been certified under a program to be established by the Commerce Department.

It is critical that access to the DMF remain uninterrupted both during the development of the certification process and while certification applications are pending. Most of the undersigned organizations sent a letter to Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker on January 28 indicating how important it is that retirement plans and their service providers maintain such uninterrupted access to DMF information.

SIFMA co-signed the letter with the following groups: American Benefits Council, American Council of Life Insurers, American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries, The ERISA Industry Committee, The ESOP Association, Financial Services Institute, Financial Services Roundtable, Insured Retirement Institute, Investment Company Institute, National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, Plan Sponsor Council of America, Small Business Council of America and The SPARK Institute, Inc.

See also:

SIFMA and Other Associations Submit Comments to the US Department of Commerce on Access to DMF Information for Retirement Plans (January 28, 2014)