Enacted as a federal law in 1974, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) was created to protect the savings plans Americans use for retirement funding during their working years. ERISA enforces minimum standards for private industry pension plans in several areas, including the following:

1. By Steven M Ziegler

2. Enacted as a federal law in 1974, the
Employee Retirement Income Security Act
(ERISA) was created to protect the savings
plans Americans use for retirement funding
during their working years. ERISA enforces
minimum standards for private industry
pension plans in several areas, including the
following:

3. —The length of time that must transpire before
an employee is entitled to become a participant
in a company's retirement plan
—The length of time after which an employee's
pension interest cannot be forfeited
—The length of time an employee may be on
leave from a job before their pension interest
becomes affected
—Spousal rights upon the event of an employee's
death

4. Additionally, ERISA sets the minimum
standards for funding, benefit accrual,
participation, and vesting; sets accountability
requirements for plan fiduciaries; guarantees
certain benefits, and provides the right to sue
for breach of fiduciary duty. It also requires
companies with pension plans to regularly
provide important information to its
participants.

5. Steven M. Ziegler is a Florida attorney with
some three decades' experience representing
managed care organizations throughout the
country. Ziegler's successes include hundreds
of actions over issues regarding national
healthcare providers and ERISA.