Participant Accounts
Each participant’s account is credited with (a) participant contributions and employer contributions, and (b) the allocation of Plan earnings and expenses, based on participant earnings or account balances, as defined. The benefit to which a participant is entitled is the benefit that can be provided from the participant’s vested account. All amounts in participant accounts are participant-directed. Participants may invest in various instruments including common stock and mutual funds.
Vesting
Participants are fully vested in Plan accounts at all times.
Distributions
Active participants may take a withdrawal from the Plan in the event of a financial hardship. A hardship withdrawal is limited to pre-tax and catch-up contribution accounts. A hardship withdrawal will generally result in a twelve-month suspension of pre-tax and after-tax contributions to the Plan.
After reaching age 59 1⁄2, active participants may withdraw all, or any portion, of the balance in their accounts, including withdrawals from their rollover and after-tax account types within the Plan, without meeting one of the hardship criteria.
In April 2020, the Plan was amended to allow financial hardship in-service withdrawals of up to $50,000 from the participant’s vested balance by reason of the January 2020 earthquake and COVID-19 pandemic as provided in the Puerto Rico Treasury Department (“PRTD”) Circular Letter No. 20-09, No. 20-23, and No. 20-29 (the “Circular Letters”). The eligible period for the financial hardship in-service withdrawals ended on December 31, 2020. During 2020, in-service withdrawals related to the amendment were $505,947, of which $14,645 were tax withholdings directly remitted to the PRTD.
Distributions, in full or any portion, may also occur if the participant terminates employment, retires, becomes permanently disabled, or dies. Distributions of investments are in the form of cash and are normally made in a lump-sum, unless periodic payments are elected (monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual installments of substantially equal amounts over a period not to exceed 10 years). There were no participants who elected to withdraw from the Plan that had not yet been paid as of December 31, 2021 or 2020.
Administrative Expenses
Plan administrative expenses are paid by the Sponsors to the extent not paid or offset by the Plan, as provided in the Plan document. Participants are responsible for fees associated with certain transactions such as loan originations and maintenance.
Plan Amendment and Termination
The Sponsors have the right to amend or terminate the Plan. If the Plan is terminated, all account balances will be distributed in the form and manner determined by the Plan Administrator.
Risks and Uncertainties
The Plan utilizes various investment instruments, including common stock and mutual funds. Investment securities, in general, are exposed to various risks, such as interest rate risk, credit risk, and overall market volatility. Due to the level of risk associated with certain investment securities, including systemic market disruptions, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical events, it is reasonably possible that changes in the values of investment securities will occur in the near term and that such changes could materially affect the amounts reported in the financial statements.
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