When you spend your entire life working so that you can afford the same standard of living after you hang it up, a pension may be your primary source of income.
Years ago, this was not always an option.
Pensions were poorly funded and, when leaving the company, not everyone could benefit from them.
Rather than allow this to continue, the ERISA, or Employee Retirement Income Security Act, of 1974 was set up.
This gave plan members security and the ability to relax a little instead of constantly worry whether they would receive their money or not.
The entire point of this act is to protect the individual plan members, not the big guys controlling the money. After so much work, the employees deserve their money, and this act makes sure they get it. For those unsure of the ERISA definition, there is quite a bit to go over. While there is much more out there, the following can give any person asking, “What is ERISA?” an overview.
If you are asking yourself, “What is ERISA?” then it may be necessary to look back on the history and reason it exists. Before its creation, pension plans were poorly funded, which ended with many employees receiving nothing after their time with the company was up. When fired or retiring, this lack of pension sometimes resulted in people being unable to afford the basic things in life. ERISA exists to set up minimum standards for pension plans and keep members safe.
Whenever you wonder about the ERISA definition and its use in the world, think about the past and problems that would happen without it. You now have the ability to cash in on your pension when the time comes to and you have so much more available to you, like information, that was previously nonexistent. This act has created security and peace of mind for all private plan members.
ERISA protects those people under the plan, the employee. This protection makes it possible for people to relax a little more often when retirement is approaching because of that safety net. There are no surprises and nothing to wonder, not when everything is made clear with this act. How plans are to be managed, kept safe, and dealt with are all under it. With so much taken care of with this, there is little room for members to lose. From protecting the individual to giving them the knowledge they need and want, this has given everyone the opportunity have financial security and stability when they reach retirement age.
No one wants to work for a lifetime and come out of it with nothing. Having a pension is supposed to be a security blanket of types, something to depend on at retirement age. Years ago, that was not a possibility.
With the ERISA act, though, it can be. This overview of the ERISA definition has shown how this gives the members knowledge and understanding when it comes to their plan, as well as control and stability. Any person still wondering, “What is ERISA?” can look deeper, too. Everything this provides is there to ensure the complete safety of the member, no one else, and it makes sure that happens.