Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA)

A federal law passed to protect pension rights.

• sets minimum standards for pension plans, guaranteeing that pension rights cannot be unfairly denied to or taken from a worker
• provides some protection for workers in the event certain types of pension plans cannot pay the benefits to which workers are entitled, and
• requires that employers provide full and clear information about employees' pension rights, including the way pension benefits accumulate, how the company invests pension funds, and when and how pension benefits can be collected.