Section 90. Benefits for employees of state-chartered credit unions

A. A state-chartered credit union may provide employee benefits, including retirement benefits, to its employees and officers. The kind and amount of these benefits shall be reasonable given the credit union's size, financial condition, and the duties of the employees.

B. When a state-chartered credit union is the benefit plan trustee or custodian, the plan shall be authorized and maintained to the same extent, and subject to the same terms and conditions, as is authorized for federal credit unions under 12 CFR Part 724. When the benefit plan trustee or custodian is a party other than a state-chartered credit union, the benefit plan shall be maintained in accordance with applicable laws, including any applicable regulations adopted by the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, or any other federal or state authority exercising jurisdiction over the plan.

C. Notwithstanding the investment limitations set forth in § 6.2-1376 of the Code of Virginia, a state-chartered credit union investing to fund an obligation under an employee benefit plan, as defined in 29 USC § 1002(3), may purchase an investment if (i) the investment is directly related to the credit union's obligation or potential obligation under the employee benefit plan and (ii) the credit union holds the investment only for as long as it has an actual or potential obligation under the employee benefit plan.

D. A state-chartered credit union may invest to fund a defined benefit plan, as defined in 29 USC § 1002(35), provided that the investment complies with subsection C of this section. If a credit union invests to fund a defined benefit plan that is not subject to the fiduciary responsibility provisions of Part 4 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), 29 USC § 1001 et seq., it shall diversify its investment portfolio to minimize the risk of large losses unless it is clearly prudent not to do so under the circumstances.

E. A state-chartered credit union shall not occupy the position of a fiduciary, as defined in ERISA and the regulations adopted by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Historical Notes

Derived from Volume 30, Issue 10, eff. January 1, 2014.

Statutory Authority

§§ 6.2-1303 and 12.1-13 of the Code of Virginia.