Tennessee ERISA Bond (3 Years)
Overview
Running a qualified employee benefit plan in Tennessee means you're bound by federal law — and that law requires a specific type of protection. ERISA mandates that anyone who handles funds or other property of a pension, 401(k), health, or welfare plan must carry a fidelity bond. This three-year Tennessee ERISA bond satisfies that federal requirement, covers the plan itself against losses caused by dishonest acts, and includes an Inflation Guard provision that automatically adjusts coverage to keep pace with rising plan assets over the bond's term.
Who Needs This Bond?
You are a plan administrator, trustee, or officer of any ERISA-covered employee benefit plan in Tennessee — and federal law says you must be bonded. If your organization sponsors a 401(k), pension, profit-sharing, health, or welfare plan and you or anyone on your team has the authority to move, invest, or disburse plan funds, this bond is required. Sole proprietors with no employees are typically exempt, but any fiduciary with hands-on access to plan assets is not. This three-year term with Inflation Guard is designed for plans whose asset values are expected to grow.
What is this Bond For?
This bond protects the employee benefit plan — not the business's general revenue and not individual plan participants in a tort sense — against direct financial loss caused by fraud or dishonesty by a plan official. If a covered person embezzles, forges documents, or otherwise misappropriates plan assets, the bond provides a recovery mechanism for the plan itself. The Inflation Guard feature is important: as plan assets grow over three years, your required bond amount under ERISA grows with them, and this bond accounts for that automatically.
When is it Required?
Before you file your next Form 5500 with the Department of Labor, this bond must already be in force. ERISA's bonding requirement attaches the moment a plan is established and a fiduciary takes on handling responsibilities — not when an audit is scheduled or a deficiency is flagged. Buying a three-year term now means you maintain continuous compliance through three annual reporting cycles without having to renew each year.
Where Does it Apply?
This bond is issued to Tennessee-based ERISA plan fiduciaries and satisfies the federal bonding requirement under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act for plans administered in Tennessee. Because ERISA is a federal statute, the underlying legal requirement is national, but this bond is specifically issued for and applicable to your Tennessee plan. It does not replace state-level workers' compensation, liability insurance, or any separate fidelity coverage your plan may carry voluntarily.
How to Buy Online
Click 'Buy This Bond Online' and the secure surety portal opens in a new tab — enter your plan information, complete the short application, and purchase your three-year Tennessee ERISA bond without waiting on an agent callback. Once issued, your bond documents are available immediately for your records and for Form 5500 reporting purposes.
Why Bond Titan?
Bond Titan is powered by The Southern Agency and maintains a nationwide catalog of fidelity and ERISA bonds available for instant online purchase — no phone tag, no waiting room, no middleman delay. If you've been told you need this bond before your next filing deadline, you can have it done today.