Check Your Plan Documents: Review your Summary Plan Description (SPD) or other documents. ERISA plans must provide an SPD that clearly states they are an ERISA plan. Look at Employer Contributions: If your employer contributes to the plan or matches your contributions, it's likely an ERISA plan.
The U.S. House of Representatives enacted ERISA to implement rules and standards plan administrators must follow to protect individuals who have employer-provided benefit plans. These plans include pensions, retirement funds, welfare benefits, health benefits, and 401(k)s.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for most voluntarily established retirement and health plans in private industry to provide protection for individuals in these plans.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act; The main purpose of ERISA is to protect the interests of employees (and their beneficiaries) who are enrolled in employee benefit plans, and to ensure that employees receive the pensions and group-sponsored welfare benefits that have been promised by their employers.
Accounts Covered by ERISA Common types of employer-sponsored retirement accounts that fall under ERISA include 401(k) plans, pensions, deferred-compensation plans, and profit-sharing plans. ERISA does not cover retirement plans set up and administered by government entities and churches, such as many 403(b) plans.
The goal of Title I of ERISA is to protect the interests of participants and their beneficiaries in employee benefit plans. Among other things, ERISA requires that sponsors of private employee benefit plans provide participants and beneficiaries with adequate information regarding their plans.
The employer maintaining the plan or the plan administrator of a Pension or Welfare benefit plan covered by ERISA. File Form 5500 to report information on the qualification of the plan, its financial condition, investments and the operations of the plan.
Section 1022(i)(1) of ERISA does not extend qualified status under § 401(a) to a plan, favorable tax treatment under § 402(a) for distributions to participants, or favorable treatment under § 404(a) for employer contributions.
Plans that fall under ERISA include defined benefits and defined contributions plans, 401 plans(k), 413b plans, EPSOPs, or profit-sharing plans. ERISA also covers private health plans such as health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs).
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is a federal law that was enacted in 1974 to protect the rights and interests of employees who participate in most employer-sponsored retirement plans, including 401(k) plans.