AFM-EPF OFFICE

Located at 14 Penn Plaza, 12^th Floor, New York, NY 10122
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2673, New York, NY 10117-0262
Help Line: 212-284-1200 / 212-284-1311 / 800-833-8065 extension 1311
Pension Department: 212-284-1200 / Email: PensionSupport@afmepf.org
Fax Lines: 212-284-1300 - General / 212-284-1298 - Pension Dept.
Email: Contact Us on Fund’s website
Website: www.afm-epf.org

How a Re-retirement Pension Benefit is Paid

A Re-retirement Pension Benefit is available in the same payment forms as a Regular Pension Benefit (see pages 16-22). You may elect to have your Re-retirement Pension Benefit paid in a form different from the form of benefit payment you elected for your Initial Pension Benefit. Note that whatever form of benefit payment you select for your Re-retirement Pension Benefit will also apply to any Re-determination Benefits that you may earn in the future. However, in no case will the form of benefit payment for your Initial Pension Benefit be changed when your Re-retirement Pension Benefit becomes payable.

2. Additional Pension Benefits Earned After Normal Retirement Age:
    Re-determination Benefits

After your Initial Pension Benefit or Re-retirement Pension Benefit begins (whichever is later), if you have contributions of $50 or more in a calendar year for any Benefit Period after Normal Retirement Age, you will earn additional pension benefits referred to as a Re-determination Benefit. A Re-determinationBenefit is calculated each July 1 based on the contributions received by the Fund in the previous calendaryear (or, if earlier, the date on which the Fund determines that the Employer was obligated to make thecontributions). The Re-determination Benefit is based on the age-65 Benefit Multiplier in effect at the endof the previous calendar year and is reduced, or offset, by the actuarial equivalent of any Re-determination Benefit you received in the previous year that is based on contributions earned after 2003 (also referred to as the “Offset Amount”).

Example 1: After your Re-retirement Pension Effective Date in 2011 at age 65, the Fund receives an additional $2,300 of contributions resulting in a Re-determination Benefit of $23.00 [($2,300/100) x $1.00] beginning July 1, 2012. You continue working in Covered Employment and contributions are received by the Fund each year through 2016. Here is how your Re-determination Benefits would be calculated:

Example 2: After your Initial Pension Benefit Effective Date in 2012 at age 65, you earn an additional $4,200 of contributions resulting in a Re-determination Benefit of $42.00 [($4,200/100) x $1.00] beginning July 1, 2013. You continue working in Covered Employment and contributions are received by the Fund each year through 2018. Here is how your Re-determination Benefits would be calculated:

NOTE: The factors used in examples 1 and 2 to determine actuarial equivalent value in the Offset Amount Calculations (column C) are based on the Re-determination Benefit Effective Date and the Participant’s age on that date. For these examples, the factors in effect for the 12 months beginning April 1, 2013 were used. These factors change every year on April 1^st.

How Re-determination Benefits are Paid

• If you are receiving a Re-retirement Pension Benefit (described earlier in this section), you will receive Re-determination Benefits in the same form as your Re-retirement Pension Benefit.
• If your Initial Pension Benefit Effective Date was at or after your Normal Retirement Age (in which case you will not receive a Re-retirement Pension Benefit), you will receive Re-determination Benefits in the same form as your Initial Pension Benefit.
• If your Initial Pension Benefit Effective Date was before Normal Retirement Age and you are not receiving a Re-retirement Pension Benefit (described earlier in this section), your first Re-determination Benefit is available in the same forms of benefit payment as a Regular Pension Benefit (see pages 16 - 22). In such case, you will have the opportunity to select the payment form for your Re-determination Benefit. The form of payment you elect for your Re-determination Benefit can be different than the form of benefit payment you elected for your Initial Pension Benefit. Note that whatever form of benefit payment you select for your first Re-determination Benefit will also apply to any subsequent Re-determination Benefits that you earn.

In no case will the form of benefit payment for your Initial Pension Benefit be changed when a Re-determination Benefit is payable.

RETIREMENT ACCOUNT BENEFIT FOR PRE-1968 CONTRIBUTIONS

A Retirement Account Benefit (“RAB”) is a benefit based on qualified contributions credited to you before 1968. Qualified RAB contributions include all contributions before 1968 beginning with contributions made during the first year of five consecutive calendar years in which you had total Covered Earnings of at least $1,500.

Eligibility for a Retirement Account Benefit

You will be eligible to receive a RAB if you file a complete application with the Fund Office and meet either of the following requirements:

• You reach your Normal Retirement Age (generally age 65); or
• You reach age 55 and retire from all Covered Employment.

Your eligibility for a RAB does not affect your eligibility for a Regular or Disability Pension Benefit based on contributions made after 1967.

How a Retirement Account Benefit is Calculated

The monthly Retirement Account Benefit is equal to the greater of:

• the actuarially equivalent lump-sum value of qualified RAB contributions plus interest at a rate of 5% a year credited through the December 31 prior to your Pension Effective Date or date of death, if earlier, or
• the actuarially equivalent lump-sum value of the portion of the Regular Pension Benefit (page 14) based only on qualified RAB contributions, using Benefit Multipliers that were in effect as of December 31, 2003.

How a Retirement Account Benefit is Paid

The normal forms of benefit payment for a RAB are the same as for a Regular Pension Benefit (described on pages 16 - 22).

POST-RETIREMENT DEATH BENEFITS

If you die after your pension benefit begins, the benefit that is payable upon your death, if any, depends on the form of benefit payment you elected at your Initial Pension Benefit Effective Date and/or your Re-retirement Pension Benefit Effective Date, if applicable.

• If your pension benefit was being paid as a 50% Joint and Survivor Benefit, your Joint Annuitant will receive 50% of your monthly benefit for life. See page 17.
• If your pension benefit was being paid as a 75% Joint and Survivor Benefit, your Joint Annuitant will receive 75% of your monthly benefit for life. See page 19.
• Pension benefits with a Pension Effective Date before June 1, 2010 may include a guaranteed amount feature (if paid as a Single Life Benefit). See Appendix B on page 69 for details.

When You Die

Your Spouse or Beneficiary should contact the Fund Office as soon as possible following your death. The Fund Office will need a certified copy of your death certificate.

Upon notification of your death, the Fund Office will begin the process to stop your pension payments. If a pension payment is made after your death, the payment must be returned to the Fund Office.

If a survivor benefit is payable after your death, a Death Benefit Application must be completed. The Death Benefit Application can be downloaded from the Applications and Forms section on the Fund’s website at www.afm-epf.org, or may be requested by contacting the Fund Office. The Death Benefit Application, which must be signed in the presence of a notary public, describes in detail the information and documents that must be received by the Fund Office before any death benefit may be paid.

PRE-RETIREMENT DEATH BENEFITS

If you die before your Initial Pension Benefit or your Re-retirement Pension Benefit begins to be paid to you, the Fund may pay benefits to your Spouse or Beneficiary (if you are not Married) on the date of your death.

Designating the Beneficiary of Your Pre-retirement Death Benefit

You may designate up to three people (or if greater, the number of your natural and adopted children) as primary Beneficiaries of your Pre-retirement Death Benefit. In addition, you may designate up to three people (or if greater, the number of your natural and adopted children) as alternate Beneficiaries of your Pre-retirement Death Benefit. All designations must be made on the form provided by the Fund Office. The alternate Beneficiary(ies) will receive the benefit only if all primary Beneficiaries die before you or at the same time as you. An entity, such as a trust, an estate, or educational institution, cannot be a Beneficiary. If your Beneficiary is a minor child, additional actions are required (contact the Fund Office for details).

If you name more than one primary and/or alternate Beneficiary and do not specify the percentage of the benefit you wish each to receive, the benefit will be divided equally among all primary Beneficiaries or alternate Beneficiaries, if there are no surviving primary Beneficiaries. The share of any of the primary Beneficiaries who pre-decease you will be divided among the remaining primary Beneficiary(ies) who survive you based on the pro rata percentage of benefit that you designate. The same pro rata method will apply to the alternate Beneficiary(ies) if there is no surviving primary Beneficiary. If you are Married at the time of your death, your Spouse will automatically be your only Beneficiary even if you have designated someone else as your primary or alternate Beneficiary. If you are not Married and there are no living Beneficiaries upon your death, no Pre-retirement Death Benefit is payable.

You may designate a Beneficiary, including changing a Beneficiary designation, for the Pre-retirement Death Benefit by completing the Pre-retirement Death Benefit Beneficiary Designation Form and returning it to the Fund Office. You may download the form from the Applications and Forms section on the Fund’s website at www.afm-epf.org, or you may request the form from the Fund Office. You may also make a written request for a report of your Beneficiary designation from the Fund Office.

Eligibility for a Pre-retirement Death Benefit

If you die before your Initial Pension Benefit begins and you are vested, your Spouse (if you are Married at the date of your death) or other Beneficiary (if you are not Married at the date of your death) will be eligible for a Pre-retirement Death Benefit based on all the contributions credited on your behalf to your date of death.

If you begin to receive your Initial Pension Benefit before age 65, return to work in Covered Employment and earn a Re-retirement Pension Benefit (as described on page 28), and die before age 65, your Spouse (if you are Married at the date of your death) or other Beneficiary (if you are not Married at the date of your death) may be eligible for a Pre-Re-retirement Death Benefit based on the contributions credited on your behalf from your Initial Pension Benefit Effective Date to your date of death.

If you are eligible only for a Retirement Account Benefit (“RAB”) and die before you receive payment of the RAB, your Spouse (if you are Married at the date of your death) or other Beneficiary (if you are not Married at the date of your death) will be eligible for a Pre-retirement Death Benefit based on eligible contributions credited on your behalf for Covered Employment through 1967.

How a Pre-retirement Death Benefit is Calculated

The amount of a Pre-retirement Death Benefit will depend on your age at your date of death and the number of full years of difference in age between you and your Spouse or Beneficiary.

• If you are age 55 or older at your death, your Spouse or other Beneficiary will receive the same monthly benefit that he or she would have received as a Joint Annuitant if, instead of dying, you began to receive a 50% Joint and Survivor Benefit starting the month after your death and you died the next day.
• If you are younger than age 55 at your death, your Spouse or other Beneficiary will receive the same monthly benefit that he or she would have received as a Joint Annuitant if, instead of dying, you left Covered Employment on your date of death and began to receive a 50% Joint and Survivor Benefit at your age on the first of the month following your date of death.

Example 1: Jordan dies at age 57. He is survived by his Spouse, who is age 54. His Spouse will receive the same monthly benefit that she would have received as a Joint Annuitant if, instead of dying, Jordan had begun receiving a 50% Joint and Survivor Benefit starting the month after his death and died the next day. His Spouse will receive the survivor benefit for her lifetime.

Example 2: Sara dies at age 51. Prior to her death she named a primary Beneficiary using the Fund’s Pre-retirement Death Benefit Beneficiary Designation form. Her Beneficiary is age 57. Her Beneficiary will receive the same monthly benefit that he would have received as a Joint Annuitant if, instead of dying, Sara had begun receiving a 50% Joint and Survivor Benefit actuarially reduced to age 51 starting the month after her death and died the next day. Her Beneficiary will receive the survivor benefit for his lifetime.

*The factor is for the Plan Year beginning 4/1/2013. The factors change every year on April 1^st.

How a Pre-retirement Death Benefit Is Paid

The Pre-retirement Death Benefit will be paid:

• as a monthly benefit for the life of your Spouse or Beneficiary; or
• as a cash-out if the actuarial equivalent lump-sum value of the monthly benefit is $5,000 or less.

Timing of the Pre-retirement Death Benefit

If your Spouse or Beneficiary applies for the death benefit in time for it to begin to be paid within six (6) months after the first day of the month following your death, the death benefit will be paid retroactive to that date. This means that your Spouse’s or Beneficiary’s first payment will include an amount equal to the additional monthly payments (without interest) that he or she would have received if payments had begun on the first day of the month following your death.

If your Spouse or Beneficiary does not apply for the death benefit in time for it to begin to be paid within six (6) months after the first day of the month following your death, no retroactive payment will be made. Instead, the benefit may be actuarially adjusted to account for the later commencement. Additionally, any actuarial adjustment applicable to the death benefit will be based on the age you would have reached (in whole years) as of the benefit commencement date, rather than the date of death.

If you die before age 65 and your Spouse does not elect to begin death benefits as described above, they will begin the first day of the month following the day that you would have turned 65. If you die before age 65 and your non-spouse Beneficiary does not elect to begin death benefits as described above, they will begin by December 31 of the calendar year immediately following the year of your death.

Pre-retirement Death Benefits are only paid after the Fund Office has received a complete application from your Spouse or Beneficiary. If the application (and all required accompanying documentation) is received by the Fund Office on or before the 15th day of any month, the benefit will begin on the first of the following month. If the application is received by the Fund Office after the 15th day of the month, the benefit will begin on the first day of the second following month. The Pre-retirement Death Benefit application is available in the Applications and Forms section on the Fund’s website at www.afm-epf.org or by contacting the Fund Office.

OTHER INFORMATION

Applying for Your Pension Benefit – The Two-Part Pension Application

In order to receive your pension benefit, you must file a complete two-part Pension Application, and submit all required supporting documents, within the required time periods. Your failure to file a complete Pension Application will be deemed to be an election to defer payment of your benefit, and your benefit will not start until you file a complete Application.

Part 1: Preliminary Information form

Part 1 of the Pension Application consists of the Preliminary Information form, along with a notice describing the Plan’s early retirement procedures. Part 1 of the Pension Application is available from the Fund Office or in the Applications and Forms section on the Fund’s website at www.afm-epf.org.

You must complete the Preliminary Information form and return it to the Fund Office, along with all required documents described in the Preliminary Information form (for example, proof of age, marriage, and divorce documents), at least 90 days before the date that you request as your Pension Effective Date on the Preliminary Information form. The Fund Office must have the required documents to verify your age, your marital status, the age of your Spouse, if applicable, and, if you are divorced, determine whether your former Spouse is entitled to any portion of your pension benefit. If you do not have your birth certificate or marriage certificate, you may be able to request them from the office of vital statistics in the state where you were born or married. If you do not have your divorce decree or divorce settlement agreement, you may be able to obtain them from the court that granted your divorce.

If you do not return a completed Preliminary Information form and all required documents at least 90 days before the Pension Effective Date you request on the Preliminary Information form, your Pension Effective Date may be later.

The Fund Office will notify you in writing:

1. when Part 1 of the Pension Application is complete;
2. if you are not eligible for a pension benefit; or
3. if additional items are needed to complete Part 1 of the Pension Application. If you do not provide the additional requested items within 60 days of the date of the Fund’s request, your application will expire and you will need to begin the application process again by completing and returning a new Preliminary Information form.

Part 2: The Choice of Benefit Payment Option form

After the Fund Office has received your complete Preliminary Information form, including all required documents, the Fund Office will begin the work necessary to send you Part 2 of the Pension Application. Part 2 consists of:

• a “Choice of Benefit Payment Option” form for you to choose how your pension benefit will be paid;
• an explanation of the benefit payment options;
• an explanation of your Spouse’s rights with respect to the available benefit payment options and the financial effect of waiving the normal form of benefit payment; and
• your earliest Pension Effective Date.

You must return a fully completed Part 2 of the Pension Application (Choice of Benefit Payment Option form and spousal consent form, if required) before your actual Pension Effective Date can be determined.

Your Pension Effective Date

Your Pension Effective Date is the first day of the first month for which you receive a pension benefit.

• Your earliest Pension Effective Date is the first day of the first month following the month in which the Fund Office receives from you a complete Part 2 of the Pension Application (Choice of Benefit Payment Option form and spousal consent form, if required) if these forms are received at the Fund Office on or before the 15^th day of the month. If the forms are received at the Fund Office after the 15^th day of the month, your Pension Effective Date will be the first day of the second month following the Fund Office’s receipt of your forms.
• You may choose a later Pension Effective Date.
• Your Pension Effective Date will not change if there is an administrative delay in processing your benefits. In that case, you will receive benefits retroactive to your Pension Effective Date.

Example 1: Joe, who is Married, fills out Part 1 of the Pension Application, requesting a Pension Effective Date of July 1, and returns it to the Fund Office. The Fund Office determines that it is complete, and then prepares and sends him Part 2 of the Application (Choice of Benefit Payment Options form and spousal consent form). If Joe completes and sends back these forms and they are received at the Fund Office on or before June 15, Joe’s Pension Effective Date will be July 1. If the forms are received at the Fund Office after June 15, but before July 16, his Pension Effective Date will be August 1.

Example 2: Matthew, who is divorced, fills out Part 1 of his Pension Application, requesting a Pension Effective Date of April 1, and returns it to the Fund Office. The Fund Office determines that it is incomplete and asks Matthew for the information and documents needed to complete Part 1 of the Application. Matthew completes Part 1, and the required documents are received by the Fund Office on March 1. The work needed to send him Part 2 of the Pension Application (Choice of Benefit Payment Option form) is completed in late March. If Matthew returns the completed form, and it is received at the Fund Office on or before April 15, Matthew’s Pension Effective Date will be May 1. If the forms are received at the Fund Office after April 15, but before May 16, Matthew’s Pension Effective Date will be June 1.

Example 3: Lauren, who is Married, fills out Part 1 of her Pension Application, requesting a Pension Effective Date of July 1, and returns it to the Fund Office. The Fund Office determines that it is complete, and then prepares and sends her Part 2 of the Application (Choice of Benefit Payment Options form and spousal consent form). Lauren returns the completed forms, and they are received at the Fund Office before June 15. Her Pension Effective Date will be July 1. This is true even though, due to an administrative processing delay, her payments do not actually start until August 1. Her first payment will include both a payment of her August pension benefit and a retroactive payment of her July pension benefit.

Early Retirement Procedures

The Plan requires that a Participant may begin receiving pension benefits before Normal Retirement Age (generally age 65) only if he or she retires from all employment with any Employers contributing to the Fund. The Fund’s Early Retirement Procedures - Participant Notice sets forth the rules for determining whether a Participant has retired and is therefore eligible to begin receiving an early retirement pension. These Procedures and the Early Retirement Quick Guide are also available on the Fund’s website in Participants – Policies & Procedures.

What is Retirement?

You will be considered to be retired only if you meet all of the following requirements:

• You have stopped all work with all Employers who contribute to the Fund as of your Pension Effective Date, whether or not pension contributions are payable for such work;
• You have no intention or expectation to work after your Pension Effective Date with any Employer who contributes to the Fund;
• You have no right under a Collective Bargaining Agreement or any other contractual right to employment after your Pension Effective Date with any Employer who contributes to the Fund;
• You perform no work of any kind for an Employer participating in the Fund during the first two calendar months following your actual Pension Effective Date (which may be later than your requested Pension Effective Date); and
• If you retire from steady employment with an Employer that has seasonal breaks in work at the end of a season, you perform no work of any kind for that Employer in the first two calendar months following the beginning of that Employer’s new season (in addition to the first two months after your Pension Effective Date).
• Two calendar months is the period of time from the Pension Effective Date (always the first day of a month) through the end of the second month following the Pension Effective Date.
• Example: If the Pension Effective Date is February 1, the first two calendar months following that date end on March 31 (regardless of the actual number of days between these dates).
• Special Note: For Participants retiring from steady employment with an Employer that has seasonal breaks, two calendar months is also the period of time from the beginning of the new season following retirement through the end of the day before that calendar date two months later.
  • Example: If the season begins September 15, the first two calendar months following that date end on November 14.

The Pension Application process is described beginning on page 42.

How the Fund Will Confirm Retirement

The Fund will confirm your retirement in three ways:

• by your signed statement on Part 1 – Preliminary Information form of the Pension Application;
• by the representations of your Employer(s) for whom you are employed in steady employment; and
• by the contributions made on your behalf after your Pension Effective Date.

These steps are described below. Bear in mind that each applicable step must be satisfied; these are not alternative ways to show that you are retired.

1. Part One of The Pension Application

Part 1 – Preliminary Information form of the Pension Application requires a signed statement that:

• you will have stopped all work with all Employers who contribute to the Fund as of your Pension Effective Date, including any work for which no pension contributions are payable (such as administrative services);
• you have no intention or expectation to work after your Pension Effective Date with any Employer who contributes to the Fund; and
• you have no right under a Collective Bargaining Agreement or any other contractual right to employment after your Pension Effective Date with any Employer who contributes to the Fund.

2. Confirmation of Retirement with Your Employer

If you are employed in steady employment, the Fund will contact your Employer(s) before your Pension Effective Date to confirm that you have actually retired, and that you have no further right, understanding, or expectation of future employment.
Examples of steady employment include:

• employment for the run of a Broadway show;
• employment in a house band for a network variety show;
• employment with the AFM or its local unions (including employment as an elected officer);
• employment under an orchestra Collective Bargaining Agreement; or
• employment with AFM-related funds such as the Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund, the Sound Recording Special Payments Fund or the Music Performance Trust Fund.

This is not an exhaustive list of types of steady employment. There may be other situations in which you work on a steady basis that will be considered steady employment for the purposes of these Early Retirement Procedures.

3. Requirements Following Your Pension Effective Date

After your Pension Effective Date, the Fund will confirm the statements made on Part 1 of the Pension Application and by your Employer(s) by monitoring any additional pension contributions made on your behalf. If the Fund finds that you performed any work for an Employer participating in the Fund during the first two calendar months following your Pension Effective Date, you will be considered not to have retired.

In addition, if you retire from steady employment with a symphonic Employer or other Employer that has seasonal breaks in work at the end of a season, and the Fund finds that you performed any work for that Employer in the first two calendar months following the beginning of that Employer’s new season, you will be considered not to have retired.

Consequences of Fund’s Determination that No Retirement Has Occurred

If you begin an early retirement pension but the Fund determines that you did not retire in accordance with these Early Retirement Procedures, your pension will be stopped immediately. For example, your pension will be stopped if you return to work (even a very small amount of work) before the end of the applicable two calendar months described above, or if the Fund discovers that you had future musical engagements scheduled prior to your Pension Effective Date (even if those engagements are outside the applicable two calendar months).

If your pension is stopped because the Fund determines that you did not retire, you will be required to repay to the Fund any pension payments that were made and you will need to reapply to receive a pension in the future. A decision by the Fund that you have not in fact retired may be appealed under the claims and appeals procedures described below.

Returning to Work after Your Early Retirement Pension Effective Date

If you return to work after your early retirement Pension Effective Date, you will continue to receive your early retirement pension unless you returned to work before the applicable two calendar months described above, or unless the Fund otherwise determines that you were not in fact retired as of your Pension Effective Date.

More Information about the Early Retirement Procedures

If you have questions about these Early Retirement Procedures, please contact the Fund in writing or via the Fund’s website (www.afm-epf.org) using the “Contact Us” feature.

Claims and Appeals - ERISA Rights

If your application for benefits is denied, in whole or in part, you will get a written notice of the denial within 90 days. (Special circumstances may require up to an additional 90 days, in which case you will be notified of the delay and the expected date of a decision within the initial 90-day period.) The notice will describe the specific reason or reasons for the denial, the Plan provisions on which the denial is based, any additional information or material that you might need to provide in order to support your application and an explanation of why it is necessary, and the Plan’s review procedures. In the case of a claim for a disability pension that is not based on a Social Security disability award, the notice of denial will be provided within 45 days, with up to two 30-day extensions for special circumstances, as long as you are notified of the delay and when a decision is expected. If the claim is denied because additional information is needed in order to determine your eligibility for the disability benefit, you will have 45 days to provide that information. If the Fund denies a disability pension claim, and the denial is based on a medical judgment, the Fund will consult with a health care professional who has appropriate training and experience in the field of medicine involved in the medical judgment. The notice of the denial will include, among other things, the provisions of the Plan, if any, that were relied upon in denying the claim or, alternatively, a statement that such provisions of the Plan do not exist. They will also include a discussion of the decision, including an explanation of any disagreement or decision not to follow (1) the views presented by the Participant’s health care and vocational professionals, (2) the views of medical or vocational experts whose advice was obtained on behalf of the Fund, whether or not the advice was relied upon in making the benefit determination, or (3) a Social Security Administration disability determination. The Fund’s explanation will be presented in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner. If the adverse benefit determination is based on a decision about medical necessity or experimental treatment or similar exclusion or limit, either an explanation of the scientific or clinical judgment for the determination, applying the terms of the Plan to the claimant’s medical circumstances, or a statement that such explanation will be provided free of charge upon request. The notice will also identify any medical or vocational expert whose advice was obtained on behalf of the Plan in connection with a denial, without regard to whether the advice was relied upon in making the benefit determination.

The Plan’s procedures allow for the appeal of an administrative denial of a claim for benefits. If you wish to file an appeal, you or your duly authorized representative (collectively, “you”) must file a written request for a review of the denial of the claim for benefits with the Administrative Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Fund (the “Administrative Committee”) within 60 days of your receipt of the notice of denial.

Your written request may include an explanation or presentation of all issues and comments supporting your claim. You can submit written comments, documents, records and other information relating to your claim. In connection with your appeal, you will be provided, upon written request and free of charge, with reasonable access to (and copies of) all documents, records, and other information relevant to your claim. The review by the Administrative Committee will take into account all comments, documents, and other information submitted by you relevant to your claim, even if it was not submitted or considered in the initial denial. For reviews of disability claim denials based on medical judgment, the Administrative Committee will consult with a healthcare professional with appropriate training and experience in the field of medicine involved in any medical judgment that needs to be made with respect to any disability benefit appeal. This individual will be different than (and not the subordinate of) any professional consulted in the initial claim denial. On written request, you may obtain identifying information of medical or vocational experts whose advice was obtained in connection with the Administrative Committee’s determination, even if the advice was not relied upon in making the determination.

If you do not file a written request for a review of the denial of your claim within sixty (60) days of your receipt of an administrative denial and appeal notice (180 days in the case of disability), you will no longer be able to appeal the administrative denial and the Fund will have no further obligation to review any of the issues that were raised in your claim.

If your appeal is received at least 30 days before the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Administrative Committee, the Administrative Committee will generally review and make a decision on your appeal at that meeting (unless special circumstances require the Administrative Committee to extend its time to respond, in which case, your appeal will be reviewed and the Administrative Committee will make a decision on your appeal at the second meeting following receipt of your appeal). If your appeal is received within 30 days of the Administrative Committee’s next regularly scheduled meeting, the Administrative Committee’s review generally will not take place until the following meeting. If special circumstances require a further extension of time for consideration of your appeal, you will be notified and the Administrative Committee will make a decision on your appeal not later than the third meeting of the Administrative Committee following receipt of your appeal.

Please bear in mind that, in considering and reviewing appeals, the Administrative Committee has the sole and absolute discretion to interpret the terms of the Plan, and to decide matters concerning both the eligibility for, and the amount of benefit, due under the Plan. Accordingly, the decision of the Administrative Committee is final and binding on all parties.

Please also be advised that, in accordance with applicable law, you have the right to bring a civil action under ERISA if the Administrative Committee denies your claim on appeal, but only if you (i) have exhausted the claims and appeals procedures established by the Fund (including, without limitation, filing an appeal within the time period described above), and (ii) bring your action within one year after the Administrative Committee makes its decision on your appeal. If your claim is denied on appeal, you will be advised of the latest date on which you can bring the civil action.

Further, no legal action of any sort seeking any remedy against the Plan, the Fund, the Trustees, or any employee or representative of the Plan or Fund may be brought except in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York; if it is determined that such federal court lacks jurisdiction over the matter or for any other reason the matter is heard before a state court, the matter shall be brought in the appropriate New York State Court that resides in the district of such federal court.

Authorized Representative

The Fund's confidentiality policy allows information about you and your benefits to be released to a third party after a notarized Authorization to Release Information form has been received from you. The form is available in the Applications and Forms section on the Fund’s website at www.afm-epf.org or by written request to the Fund Office.

Should you need or wish to name another person to receive information and be responsible to handle your pension benefits; the Fund will consider a Power of Attorney document or a Court Order appointing a Guardian or Conservator. Once the document is approved by the Fund, the person named responsible for handling your pension affairs can act on your behalf.

Covered Earnings Reports and Pension Credit Review Procedure

Each year a Covered Earnings report for the previous calendar year (as well as a historical summary record of Covered Earnings) will be mailed to you. Additionally, quarterly Covered Earnings updates are available to you once you register on the Fund’s website.

Review your statements carefully. If you had Covered Employment that you believe was not properly credited or not reported at all, please complete a Covered Employment Correction Claim form, available in the Applications and Forms section on the Fund’s website at www.afm-epf.org or by written request to the Fund Office.

The only way to obtain a correction of Covered Employment or contributions is to submit to the Fund Office a complete Covered Employment Correction Claim form, along with all of the documentation requested in the form (which may include, for example, one or more Form W-2 or 1099, B-form session reports, and a copy of the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement). Contact the Fund Office for details.

The Fund will begin to investigate your claim as soon as a complete Covered Employment Correction Claim form and all required documents are received within the applicable time limits. You will receive a written acknowledgement of your claim.

Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation

Your pension benefits under this multiemployer plan are insured by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (the “PBGC”), a federal insurance agency. A multiemployer plan is a collectively bargained pension arrangement involving two or more unrelated employers, usually in a common industry.

Under the multiemployer plan program, the PBGC provides financial assistance through loans to plans that are insolvent. A multiemployer plan is considered insolvent if the plan is unable to pay benefits (at least equal to the PBGC’s guaranteed benefit limit) when due.

The maximum benefit that the PBGC guarantees is set by law. Under the multiemployer program, the PBGC guarantee equals a participant’s years of service multiplied by (1) 100% of the first $11 of the monthly benefit accrual rate and (2) 75% of the next $33. The PBGC’s maximum guarantee limit is $35.75 per month times a participant’s years of service. For example, the maximum annual guarantee for a retiree with 30 years of service would be $12,870.

The PBGC guarantee generally covers: (1) normal and early retirement benefits; (2) disability benefits if you become disabled before the Plan terminates; and (3) certain benefits for your survivors.

The PBGC generally does not cover:

• benefits greater than the maximum guaranteed amount set by law;
• benefit increases and new benefits based on Plan provisions that have been in place for fewer than five years at the earlier of (i) the date the Plan terminates, or (ii) the time the Plan becomes insolvent;
• benefits that are not vested because you have insufficient Covered Employment;
• benefits for which you have not met all of the requirements at the time the Plan becomes insolvent; and
• non-pension benefits, such as certain death benefits.

For more information about the PBGC and the benefits it guarantees, contact the Fund Office or the PBGC’s Technical Assistance Division, 1200 K Street, N.W., Suite 930, Washington, DC 20005-4026, or call 800-400-7242. TTY/TDD users may call the federal relay service toll-free at 800-877-8339 and ask to be connected to 800-400-7242. Email to mypension@pbgc.gov. Additional information about the PBGC’s pension program is available through the PBGC’s website on the Internet at www.pbgc.gov.

How Benefits Can be Reduced, Delayed, or Forfeited

There are certain situations under which benefits can be reduced, delayed, or forfeited. Most of these circumstances are spelled out in the previous sections, but your benefit will also be affected in the following situations:

• You, your Spouse, or your Beneficiary do not file a claim for benefits properly or on time.
• You, your Spouse, or your Beneficiary do not furnish the information required to complete or verify a claim.
• You, your Spouse, or your Beneficiary do not have a current address on file with the Fund Office.
• Your Beneficiary is not alive at the payment start date of a survivor benefit.
• Your Employer is no longer required to make contributions to the Fund on your behalf and you continue working for that Employer.
• You have not named a primary and alternate Beneficiary. See Designating the Beneficiary of Your Pre-retirement Death Benefit on page 37.

Prohibited Assignment of Benefits

Benefits under the Plan are for your benefit only. They cannot be sold, transferred, assigned, or pledged to anyone; nor are benefits subject in any manner to anticipation, alienation, encumbrance, or charge. However, the Fund will comply with a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) that gives someone else a right to all or a portion of your benefit, a federal tax lien, or any offset resulting from certain breach of fiduciary duty permitted under Section 401(a) (13) of the Internal Revenue Code. See Qualified Domestic Relations Order on page 55.

Transferring Pension Benefits from the Fund to an IRA or Other Employer Plan

If your distribution is considered an “eligible rollover distribution,” (as determined under the Internal Revenue Code) you (or, upon your death, your Spouse, if he or she is your Beneficiary) may elect to have it transferred directly from the Fund to a traditional Individual Retirement Account or to another eligible retirement plan that accepts rollover distributions. Generally, an eligible rollover distribution is any payment from a qualified pension plan that may be rolled over to an eligible retirement plan, including an IRA. Eligible rollover distributions don’t include (i) required distributions; (ii) periodic payments over life or life expectancy which include the Fund’s Single Life Benefit and the Joint and Survivor Benefits payments; and (iii) certain nontaxable distributions. A direct transfer of an eligible rollover distribution is called a “direct rollover.” The Fund Office will provide you with a notice explaining more about the terms and conditions of direct rollovers, including whether any portion of your benefit is an eligible rollover distribution, and the necessary election forms, within the 180-day period before your Pension Effective Date (or will provide this notice to your Spouse upon your death if he or she is your Beneficiary). If a direct rollover of any amounts eligible for a direct rollover is not elected, current federal tax laws require the Fund Office to withhold 20% of the payment for federal tax purposes. (This percentage may change in the future.) Please keep in mind that income tax laws are complex and are subject to frequent changes. For this reason, you should consult a professional tax advisor to fully understand the tax consequences of any Fund distributions, direct rollovers, and for information about your personal tax situation.

Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO)

A QDRO is a domestic relations decree, order or judgment issued pursuant to state domestic relations law and relating to the provision of child support, alimony or marital property rights that recognizes or creates your Spouse’s, former Spouse’s, child’s, or other dependent’s right to (or assigns such person the right to receive) all, or a portion of, your benefits under the Plan.

There are specific requirements under federal law for determining whether a domestic relations order is a QDRO. The Fund must follow the requirements of any domestic relations order that it determines to be a QDRO, as defined by federal law, that assigns all or a portion of your benefits under the Plan to an “alternate payee” who is your Spouse, former Spouse, child, or other dependent. The Administrative Committee may limit the pension benefit that is payable to you, including by placing a hold on some or all of the benefit, during any period after the Fund receives notice that a QDRO will be entered or while the Fund is determining whether an order satisfies the QDRO requirements in the Internal Revenue Code and the Fund’s rules. You will be notified of any such limit or hold.

You will be notified if the Fund ever receives a proposed QDRO with respect to your pension benefits. The Fund has adopted procedures for making determinations regarding whether an order is a QDRO and for administering QDROs under the Fund. Additionally, the Fund has model QDRO language (which you may, but are not required to, use, although we strongly recommend that you do) both for a divorce occurring before you begin to receive a pension benefit and for a divorce occurring after your pension benefits have begun to be paid. For more information on QDROs, or to receive a copy of the procedures the Fund follows in determining whether an order is qualified and the model QDROs, contact the Fund Office. You may also download the Fund’s QDRO procedures and model QDROs in the Policies and Procedures section on the Fund’s website at www.afm-epf.org.

Compliance with Federal Law

The Plan is governed by regulations and rulings of the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Department of Labor. The Plan will always be construed to comply with these regulations, rulings, and laws. Generally, federal law takes precedence over state law.

Amendment and Termination of the Plan

The Plan is intended to remain in effect permanently and is not expected to terminate. The Board of Trustees, however, has the authority to amend or terminate the Plan at any time and for any reason. You will be notified if the Plan is amended or terminated; however, if permitted by law, the change may be effective before a notice is delivered to you.

If the Plan is terminated, you will be vested in any benefit you have accrued to the extent then funded. Fund assets will be applied to provide benefits in accordance with the applicable provisions of federal law.

Recovery of Overpayment

At times you may be required to provide information or proof necessary to determine your right or a dependent’s right to benefits under the Plan. In addition, the Fund may determine that your Employer provided incorrect information about your earnings or work. When inaccurate information is provided, this ultimately can result in the improper use of Plan assets, which adversely affects the ability of the Plan to provide the highest possible level of benefits.

If you, your Spouse or Beneficiary fails to submit the requested information or proof, makes a false statement or furnishes fraudulent or incorrect information, or if your Employer provides incorrect information, or if the Fund determines that any other error has been made in the determination or calculation of your benefits, you, your Spouse’s or Beneficiary’s benefits under the Plan may be negatively affected, and benefits may be denied, suspended or discontinued. If you, your Spouse or Beneficiary is overpaid, you (or your Spouse or Beneficiary) must return the overpayment. The Fund has the right to recover any benefit payments made that were based on false or fraudulent statements, information or proof submitted, as well as any benefit payments made in error, including if the overpayments are the result of your Employer’s or the Fund’s error. Amounts recovered may include interest and costs.

If the Fund requests repayment of an overpayment and the overpayment is not fully repaid, any overpayment remaining due will be deducted from future benefits (including benefits due to a surviving Spouse or other Beneficiary after your death), or a lawsuit may be initiated to recover the overpayment.

Your Disclosures to the Fund

If you provide false information to the Fund or commit fraud, you may be required to indemnify and repay the Fund for any losses or damages caused by your false statements or fraudulent actions. (Some examples of fraud include altering a check and knowingly cashing a voided check.)

Plan Administration

The Plan is a defined benefit pension plan. Pension benefits are provided, in the amounts specified in the Plan, from the Fund’s assets. Those assets are accumulated under the provisions of the Trust Agreement and are held in a Trust Fund for the purpose of providing benefits to Participants and Beneficiaries and defraying reasonable administrative expenses. The Fund and Plan are administered by a joint Board of Trustees consisting of Union representatives and Employer representatives with equal voting power.

Interpretation of the Plan

The Board of Trustees and its duly authorized designee(s) have the exclusive right, power and authority, in their sole and absolute discretion, to administer, apply and interpret the Plan, including this SPD, the Trust Agreement and any other Plan documents, and to decide all matters arising in connection with the operation or administration of the Plan or the Fund. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Board of Trustees and/or its duly authorized designee(s) (including, without limitation, the Administrative Committee with respect to appeals) shall have the sole and absolute discretionary authority to interpret the terms of the Plan, determine benefit eligibility, and:

• take all actions and make all decisions with respect to the eligibility for, and the amount of, benefits payable under the Plan;
• formulate, interpret and apply rules, regulations and policies necessary to administer the Plan;
• resolve and/or clarify any ambiguities or inconsistencies arising under the Plan, including this Summary Plan Description, the Trust Agreement or other Plan documents;
• process and approve or deny benefit claims; and
• determine the standard of proof required in any case.

All determinations and interpretations made by the Board of Trustees and/or its duly authorized designee(s) (including, without limitation, the Administrative Committee with respect to appeals) shall be final and binding on all Participants, Beneficiaries, and any other individuals claiming benefits under the Plan.

The Board of Trustees has delegated certain administrative and operational functions to the staff of the Fund Office. Most of your day-to-day questions can be answered by the Fund Office staff.

Website Registration Procedure at www.afm-epf.org

Prior to beginning the registration process on the Fund’s website (www.afm-epf.org) be sure to have the following information available:

• your Pension Identification Number (PID) – It appears below your name and address on part 1 of your annual covered earnings report or you can call the Fund Office at 1-800-833-8065 extension 1311 to request your PID,
• your Social Security Number (SSN) or Social Insurance Number (SIN),
• your e-mail address, and
• your mailing address.

Step 1: Getting Started

• Enter http://www.afm-epf.org in your web browser.
• Click on the Register link located in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. (If you are using a mobile device, tap the padlock icon in the upper left-hand corner.)
• On the next screen, enter:
• your PID,
• the last four digits of your SSN or SIN,
• your e-mail address, and
• the password you would like to use.
• Read the Terms and Conditions, and then check the box next to “I agree to the above terms and conditions”.
• Click the Start Registration button.

Step 2: Your Mailing Address.

The next screen asks you to confirm or enter your mailing address.

• If your mailing address is displayed correctly, click the box next to “This is my correct mailing address”, and then click the Continue Registration button.
• If you would like to change your mailing address, click the Change Address button. A screen will appear allowing you to change your mailing address. Please note that an address change requires 1-2 business days to process. However, this will not delay your registration.

Step 3: Your Document Delivery Options.

On the next screen you will select how you would like to receive documents from the Fund.

• You may select to receive paper documents via U.S. mail or electronically to your e-mail address.
• Once you have made your selection click on Finish Registration.

Step 4: Activating Your Registration

Within 10 minutes, you should receive an e-mail from “AFMEPF Web Service” with the subject Action Required: "AFMEPF Registration". This email contains a link that brings you to the “E-mail Registration” page.

• On the “E-mail Registration” page, enter your PID and password.
• Click the Complete Registration button.

This is the final step of the registration process. Upon successful completion, you should see screen - “Welcome to the AFM-EPF Participant Portal”.

When you scroll down the screen, you should see icons that give you access to your personal information. If you do not receive the e-mail, please check your junk mail folder, spam filter and the e-mail address you entered when you began the registration process. If the problem is still unresolved, please call the Fund Office at 1-800-833-8065 extension 1311 to report the problem.

YOUR RIGHTS UNDER THE EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT OF 1974 (ERISA)

As a Participant in the Plan, you are entitled to certain rights and protections under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). ERISA provides that all Plan Participants shall be entitled to the following:

Receive Information about Your Plan and Benefits

• You can examine at the Fund Office without charge all documents governing the Plan, including the official Plan document, Collective Bargaining Agreements, and a copy of the latest annual report (Form 5500 Series) filed by the Fund with the U.S. Department of Labor and available at the Public Disclosure Room of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (formerly the Pension and Welfare Benefits Administration).
• You can obtain, upon written request to the Fund Office, copies of documents governing the operation of the Plan, including Collective Bargaining Agreements, the latest annual report (Form 5500 Series), and the current Summary Plan Description. The Fund Office may make a reasonable charge for the copies.
• You can receive a copy of the Plan’s annual funding notice. The Fund is required by law to furnish each Participant with a copy of this notice.
• You can obtain a statement telling you whether you have a right to receive a pension at Normal Retirement Age (generally age 65) and, if so, what your benefits would be at Normal Retirement Age if you stop working in Covered Employment now. If you do not have a right to a pension, the statement will tell you how many more years of Vesting Service you must earn to have a non-forfeitable right to a pension. This statement must be requested in writing and is not required to be given more than once every 12 months. The statement is free of charge.

Many of the documents and reports mentioned in this section are available on the Fund’s website at www.afm-epf.org.

Prudent Actions by Plan Fiduciaries

In addition to creating rights for Plan Participants, ERISA imposes duties upon the people who are responsible for the operation of employee benefit plans. The people who operate your Plan, called “fiduciaries” of the Plan, have a duty to do so prudently and in the interest of you and other Plan Participants and beneficiaries. No one, including your Employer, the Union, or any other person, may fire you or otherwise discriminate against you in any way to prevent you from obtaining a pension benefit or exercising your rights under ERISA.

Enforce Your Rights

If your claim for a pension benefit is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you have the right to know why this was done, to obtain copies of documents relating to the decision without charge, and to appeal any denial, all within certain time schedules (as previously detailed on Claims and Appeals - ERISA Rights on page 49).

Under ERISA, there are steps you can take to enforce the above rights. For instance, if you request a copy of Plan documents or the latest annual reports from the Fund and do not receive them within 30 days, you may file suit in a federal court. In such a case, the court may require the Plan Administrator to provide the materials and pay you up to $110 a day until you receive the materials, unless the materials were not sent because of reasons beyond the control of the Fund Office.

If you have a claim for benefits that is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you may file suit, if you have followed the appeal procedure described in Claims and Appeals - ERISA Rights on page 49. In addition, if you disagree with the Fund’s decision or lack thereof concerning the qualified status of a domestic relations order, you may file suit in a federal court. If it should happen that Plan fiduciaries misuse the Fund’s money, or if you are discriminated against for asserting your rights, you may seek assistance from the U.S. Department of Labor, or you may file suit in a federal court. The court will decide who should pay court costs and legal fees. If you are successful, the court may order the person you have sued to pay these costs and fees. If you lose, the court may order you to pay these costs and fees, for example, if it finds your claim is frivolous.

Assistance with Your Questions

If you have any questions about your Plan, you should contact the Fund Office. If you have any questions about this statement or about your rights under ERISA, or if you need assistance in obtaining documents from the Fund Office, you should contact the nearest office of the Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, listed in your telephone directory, or the Division of Technical Assistance and Inquiries, Employee Benefits Security Administration, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, DC 20210.

You may also obtain certain publications about your rights and responsibilities under ERISA by calling the publications hotline of the Employee Benefits Security Administration.

PLAN FACTS

GLOSSARY

The definitions in this Glossary, in some cases, are summaries of the definitions in the Plan. If there is any conflict between the Glossary and the Plan, the terms of the Plan will control. Capitalized terms used in this Summary Plan Description that are not defined in this Glossary have the meaning given them under the Plan. The Plan is available from the Fund Office upon written request or on the Fund’s website at www.afm-epf.org.

Active Participant – Any person employed by the Fund, the Union, or other Employer acceptable to the Board of Trustees who earns at least $750 in Covered Earnings in a calendar year ($375 if the Participant had at least three years of Vesting Service as of December 31, 2003 with no subsequent Permanent Break in Service). If the Participant has a One-year Break in Service, he or she loses Active Participant status (becomes an Inactive Participant) until that individual again satisfies the Plan’s participation rules (described in Participation).

Administrative Committee – A committee of the Board of Trustees to which the Board of Trustees has delegated certain functions with respect to Fund administration.

Benefit Multiplier – The dollar amount by which each $100 of contributions is multiplied to determine the amount of your pension benefit. It varies with the Participant’s age and the year in which the Contributions were credited.

Benefit Payment Options –

• 50% Joint and Survivor Benefit – A monthly pension benefit payable for the Participant’s lifetime. In addition, if the Joint Annuitant is alive when the Participant dies (even if divorced at that time), he or she will receive 50% of the Participant’s monthly benefit for the rest of his or her life. This is the normal form of benefit payment with the Spouse as the Joint Annuitant for a Married Participant. Monthly payments are lower than under a Single Life Benefit because the total monthly payments are expected to be paid over two lifetimes. The reduction for this Benefit Payment Option is based on the age difference between the Participant and the Joint Annuitant. See Percentage reductions for 50% J&S and Disability percentage reductions for 50% J&S for the reduction applicable at various age differences.
• 75% Joint and Survivor Benefit – A monthly pension benefit is payable for the Participant’s lifetime. In addition, if the Joint Annuitant is alive when the Participant dies (even if divorced at that time), he or she will receive 75% of the Participant’s monthly benefit for the rest of his or her life. Monthly payments are lower than under a Single Life Benefit because the total monthly payments are expected to be paid over two lifetimes. The reduction for this Benefit Payment Option is based on the age difference between the Participant and Joint Annuitant. See Percentage reductions for 75% J&S and Disability percentage reductions for 75% J&S for the reduction applicable at various age differences.
• Single Life Benefit – A monthly pension benefit is payable for the Participant’s lifetime only. No other amounts are payable to anyone following the Participant’s death. This is the normal form of benefit payment for an unmarried Participant.

Board of Trustees – The group of individuals who operate the Fund and Plan, consisting of Union representatives and Employer representatives with equal voting power.

Canadian Plan – The Musicians’ Pension Fund of Canada.

Collective Bargaining Agreement – Any collective bargaining, participation, or other written agreement acceptable to the Board of Trustees requiring an Employer to make contributions to the Fund on behalf of its employees.

Covered Earnings – Earnings in Covered Employment on which your Employer is required to make contributions to the Fund. Covered Earnings are limited to scale wages, as defined in the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Covered Employment – Employment with an Employer for which the Employer is required to make contributions to the Fund.

Disability Pension Benefit – The pension benefit that a Participant who satisfies all of the eligibility requirements is entitled to receive upon leaving Covered Employment due to a Total Disability.

Employer – An employer acceptable to the Trustees that is obligated to make contributions to the Fund on behalf of its employees under the terms of a Collective Bargaining Agreement. For most purposes under the Plan, an Employer includes related entities that are part of the same “control group”. Contact the Fund Office for details.

Fund – The American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund, which is the trust fund that funds the Plan.

Fund Office – The Fund’s administrative office. See Contact Information.

Initial Pension Benefit – A Regular Pension Benefit or a Disability Pension Benefit.

Joint Annuitant – A Participant’s Spouse or other designated individual who continues to receive pension benefit payments after the Participant’s death under the 50% or 75% Joint and Survivor Benefit form of payment.

Married – Legally married.

Normal Retirement Age – Age 65 or, if later, the date on which a Participant completes five years of participation in the Plan on or after April 1, 1988 (Subject to the Breaks in Service rules, and is an Active Participant in that calendar year.

One-year Break in Service – Generally, any calendar year in which a Participant fails to earn at least one-quarter year of Vesting Service. See page 8 for details.

Participant – An Active Participant, a former Active Participant who is receiving a benefit from the Fund, or a former Active Participant who has a vested benefit from the Plan but has not yet begun to receive payment of that benefit.

Pension Effective Date – The first day of the first month for which you receive your pension benefit. See Applying for Your Pension Benefit - The Two-Part Pension Application on page 42 for additional details.

Permanent Break in Service – Five consecutive One-year Breaks in Service.

Plan – The written document that is the American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Plan.

Pre-retirement Death Benefit – The benefit payable to the surviving Spouse or other Beneficiary of a vested Participant who dies before he or she begins to receive a pension benefit.

Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) – A QDRO is a court domestic relations decree, order or judgment issued pursuant to state domestic relations law and relating to the provision of child support, alimony or marital property rights that recognizes or creates your Spouse’s, former Spouse’s, child’s, or other dependent’s right to (or assigns such person the right to receive) all, or a portion of, your benefits under the Plan.

Re-determination Benefit – The additional pension benefit that may become payable to a Participant who has Covered Employment after beginning to receive an Initial Pension Benefit and after his or her Normal Retirement Age.

Regular Pension Benefit – The benefit that a vested Participant becomes eligible to receive at Normal Retirement Age or upon earlier retirement from Covered Employment at or after age 55.

Re-retirement Pension Benefit – The additional pension benefits that may become payable to a Participant who has Covered Employment after beginning to receive an Initial Pension Benefit and before age 65.

Retirement Account Benefit – Also known as RAB, a benefit based on qualified contributions made on behalf of a Participant before 1968.

Spouse – A person to whom a Participant is legally Married.

Total Disability – A Participant’s permanent and total inability to engage in Covered Employment as a result of a medically diagnosed physical or mental disease or injury, as determined by the Administrative Committee in its sole and absolute discretion.

Union – The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, AFL-CIO and any local union affiliated therewith.

Vesting Service – Service by a Participant for an Employer that counts toward the Participant’s becoming vested in pension benefits from the Plan. Vesting Service is generally determined based on the amount of the Participant’s Covered Earnings during a particular calendar year.

APPENDIX A: PARTICIPATION, VESTING AND BREAKS IN SERVICE BEFORE 2004

Participation and Vesting Service

1959 – 1976

Participation in the Plan required $300 in Covered Earnings in a calendar year. You received a one-quarter year of Vesting Service for each $300 of Covered Earnings during a calendar year (up to an annual maximum of one year of Vesting Service) as follows:

1977 – 2003

Participation in the Plan required $375 in Covered Earnings in a calendar year. You received a one-quarter year of Vesting Service for each $375 of Covered Earnings during a calendar year (up to an annual maximum of one year of Vesting Service) as follows:

This schedule continues to apply if you had three or more years of Vesting Service as of December 31, 2003 (unless you have a Permanent Break in Service after 2003 and before you are vested).

Example: You had four years of Vesting Service as of January 1, 2004. In 2004, you earned $300 in Covered Earnings, which results in a One-year Break in Service. In 2005, you earned $2,000. Because you continued to vest under the pre-2004 schedule, you received an additional full year of Vesting Service in 2005 and you became vested.

To Be Vested Before 1986

If you have no Vesting Service after 1986, you must have completed 10 years of Vesting Service to be vested.

Permanent Break in Service Rules Before 2004

Before 1976

If you had at least three consecutive One-year Breaks in Service before earning at least 10 years of Vesting Service (were vested), you had a Permanent Break in Service unless:

• you had at least one year of Vesting Service in or after the year you turned 34, and
• at the time that you left Covered Employment, you had at least five years of Vesting Service and contributions of at least $1,600.

1976 through 1984

If you left Covered Employment before earning at least 10 years of Vesting Service (were vested), you had a Permanent Break in Service if, before you left, your years of Vesting Service were less than your consecutive One-year Breaks in Service.

1985 through 1986

If you had at least one-quarter year of Vesting Service after 1984 and less than one-quarter year of Vesting Service after 1986, you had a Permanent Break in Service if you left Covered Employment before earning at least 10 years of Vesting Service and your consecutive One-year Breaks in Service equaled or exceeded the greater of five, or the number of your prior years of Vesting Service.

APPENDIX B: SPECIAL FEATURES A SINGLE LIFE BENEFIT THAT BEGAN BEFORE JUNE 1, 2010

Single Life Benefit – If your pension benefit is being paid as a Single Life Benefit and a portion of your pension benefit is based on contributions earned prior to January 1, 2004, there is a guaranteed amount of 100 times the benefit earned for Covered Employment before 2004. Contact the Fund Office for a statement of any remaining balance of the guarantee.

American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund

CONTACT INFORMATION - October 2024

FUND OFFICE

Located at 14 Penn Plaza, 12th Floor, New York, NY 10122

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 2673, New York, NY 10117-0262

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Maureen B. Kilkelly

LEGAL COUNSEL

Cohen, Weiss and Simon LLP

Proskauer Rose LLP

CONSULTANTS AND ACTUARIES

Milliman, Inc.

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANT

Withum Smith+Brown, PC

OUTSOURCED CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER (OCIO)

Cambridge Associates, LLC

OCIO INDEPENDENT MONITORING FIDUCIARY

Opus Investment Advisors, LLC