OAR 459-050-0210: Segregation of a Participant Account

The purpose of this rule is to describe the process and criteria the Deferred Compensation Program shall use to segregate an alternate payee’s award from a participant’s account(s), and how the alternate payee’s account is maintained once established. (1) Qualified Domestic Relations Order. Once the Manager or a designated employee has determined that a domestic relations order or another court order is a Qualified Domestic Relations Order as defined under the Internal Revenue Code and Oregon law and in accordance with OAR 459-050-0200, the plan participant’s account(s) in the Deferred Compensation Program shall be divided and separate account(s) established in the name of the alternate payee as required under the Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO). (2) Effective date of segregation. The QDRO may specify a date between January 1 and December 31, on which to calculate the award and segregate the alternate payee’s award from the participant’s account(s) in the Deferred Compensation Program. If a date is not specified in a QDRO, the Deferred Compensation Program shall use the date that the QDRO was signed by the court on which to calculate and segregate the alternate payee’s award from a participant’s account(s). (3) Segregation of Participant Account. If a QDRO directs or otherwise requires the Deferred Compensation Program to segregate the participant’s account based on a certain percentage awarded to the alternate payee, the percentage shall be converted into a dollar amount. The converted dollar amount or the dollar amount stated in the QDRO that is awarded to the alternate payee shall be deposited into a separate account in the name of the alternate payee. (4) Investment of funds. Except as otherwise limited by Oregon statute or administrative rule, the alternate payee shall have the same rights and privileges as a participant concerning the investment of funds under the deferred compensation plan. (5) Fees. The alternate payee’s segregated account shall bear all fees and expenses related to the alternate payee’s segregated account as though the alternate payee were a participant. (6) Designation of beneficiary(s). Subject to the terms and conditions of the Deferred Compensation Plan, the alternate payee shall designate a beneficiary(s) as provided for in OAR 459-050-0060. The designated beneficiary(s) shall receive the alternate payee’s account if: (a) The alternate payee dies before distributions from the account began or were required to begin; or (b) The alternate payee dies and was receiving a distribution that allowed the alternate payee to designate a designation of beneficiary(s) in which case the beneficiary(s) shall receive the balance of the account. (7) The participant or alternate payee is responsible for the filing and maintenance of all designations of beneficiary(s) as may be required pursuant to a court order. Benefits shall be paid only to the designated beneficiary(s) on file with the Deferred Compensation Program. (8) Except as may otherwise be required under applicable Oregon law, a divorce may not revoke a beneficiary designation on file with the Deferred Compensation Program that names the former spouse as the participant’s or alternate payee’s beneficiary. After a divorce, a participant or an alternate payee is responsible for filing any beneficiary designation changes with the Deferred Compensation Program if a change of beneficiary is desired. (9) Mailing address. An alternate payee shall notify the Deferred Compensation Program of their current mailing address by sending it in writing to the Deferred Compensation Program office whenever a change in mailing address occurs. Such notification is deemed filed when it is received by the Deferred Compensation Program and is effective upon filing.