Category: ERISA

Working people across the country rely on their 401(k) and other employee-sponsored retirement plans for at least part of the savings that they’ll need to after they retire. The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 was signed into law in part to regulate how these plans are managed. ERISA regulations help protect employee funds […]

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, known as ERISA, is a law that most workers are unfamiliar with. In short, this federal law sets standards for pension and health plans as a means of providing protection. Under ERISA, employers are not required by law to establish a pension plan. However, those that decide […]

ERISA, also known as the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, is in place to establish and regulate minimum standards for health, retirement and other benefit plans, such as disability and life insurance. All in all, ERISA is used to regulate employee benefit plans. While it does not require that companies provide employees with […]

The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling giving same-sex couples the right to marry and to have their marriages recognized throughout the country has impacts far past the nuptials themselves. One of those is in the retirement plans of married gay people. It’s been estimated that the landmark decision could mean an increase in lifetime benefits […]

Many people work in occupations where they sustain injuries over a long period that eventually render them too disabled to work. However, proving that the disability was work-related can sometimes be difficult. A former top stuntwoman has been fighting this battle for over a decade. She has been too disabled to work since 2002. During […]

This month, the U.S. Supreme Court made a unanimous ruling on a case brought by employees of California-based Edison International that has ramifications for workers and business owners and for the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. Just whether those ramifications will benefit workers in the long run remains to be seen. In Tibble v. Edison […]

The ERISA Industry Committee, known by the acronym ERIC, has cautioned the Senate Finance Committee to be careful about any changes to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act. ERIC submitted comments to the committee urging them to enhance the current system so that it promotes more retirement savings by American workers. In a press release, […]

Employers who offer voluntary retirement and welfare plans to their employees should do so within the regulations stipulated by ERISA. Failure to adhere to the minimum requirements set by the federal law may attract civil or criminal action against the employer. What Is ERISA? ERISA stands for Employee Retirement Income Security Act, a federal law […]

December 14 marked two-year anniversary of the Sandy Hook massacre in which 20 first grade students and six teachers were gunned a young mentally disturbed man. The television show “60 Minutes” took the opportunity to air a segment that night on the problem of insurance companies denying mental health care. The segment, called “Denied” discussed […]

We’ve talked about the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 previously here. However, many people may not realize that in addition to regulating retirement plans offered to employees by private businesses, it also regulates the disability insurance plans available through these businesses. The ERISA regulations help ensure that workers get the disability benefits to […]