Provisions of the National Pension Scheme (Occupational Pensions) Amendment Act 2019 came into force on 30 December 2019. Employers should now be familiar with some of the upcoming changes, the most significant being as follows:

  • Employers will be required to keep records in relation to payroll and employee-related pension information.
  • Enrolment in registered pension plans is no longer limited to Bermudians and spouses of Bermudians.
  • Vesting periods will be generally reduced to one year.
  • New penalties will be imposed on employers and pension administrators for non-compliance.
  • Retired persons will be able to withdraw a lump sum of up to 25% of their account balance, commuted value or benefits.
  • A new carve out has been introduced for US citizens participating in 401k plans.

For further information on this topic please contact Michael Hanson, Jay Webster or Tiffany Tavares at Carey Olsen Bermuda by telephone (+1 441 542 4500) or email ([email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]). The Carey Olsen Bermuda website can be accessed at www.careyolsen.com.