This section of PALawHelp.org has information and resources about Pension and Retirement Benefit issues in Pennsylvania.
Click on a resource category listed below to see information related to that category.
Request for Social Security Earnings Information
This form will request verification of employment dates from the Social Security Administration. You may need this if you are having difficulty obtaining dates of employment for a pension, social security application, or personal reason. Please note: fees apply depending on the number of years you are requesting. [PDF] (02-2021) FREE yearly totals of earnings are available at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. (11/20224)
Qualified Domestic Relations Orders under ERISA: A Practical Guide to Dividing Retirement Benefits
Many Americans depend on retirement plans covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) for financial security in old age. When there is a divorce, it is very important that the divorce decree clearly and effectively addresses these retirement plan benefits.This guide from the Employee Benefits Security Administration gives practical tips on how to make sure ERISA-covered retirement benefits are divided through a valid QDRO, so you don't have to worry about getting the benefits you expected after your divorce. While the tips here are mainly aimed at individuals going through a divorce, they should also be useful to attorneys.
Termination
If you've lost your job, you have certain rights, such as the right to continue your health care coverage and, in some cases, the right to unemployment compensation. Here is some information on those rights from the United States Department of Labor.
What You Should Know About Your Retirement Plan
Your employer's retirement savings plan is an essential part of your future financial security. It is important to understand how your plan works and what benefits you will receive. Just as you would keep track of money that you put in a bank or other financial institution, it is in your best interest to keep track of your retirement benefits. This booklet from the United States Department of Labor helps you understand your plan and explains what information you should review periodically and where to go for help with questions.
Your Employer's Bankruptcy - How Will It Affect Your Employee Benefits?
Information from the United States Department of Labor on how your retirement and health benefits might be affected when your employer files for bankruptcy. (November 2016)
Federal Court Finder
Find a federal court location by location or court name, including appellate, district, bankruptcy, probation and pretrial office, or federal defender organization. Each District Court has its own local forms which are generally available on the Court website.
Request for Social Security Earnings Information
This form will request verification of employment dates from the Social Security Administration. You may need this if you are having difficulty obtaining dates of employment for a pension, social security application, or personal reason. Please note: fees apply depending on the number of years you are requesting. [PDF] (02-2021) FREE yearly totals of earnings are available at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. (11/20224)
A Look At 401(k) Plan Fees
This publication from the United States Department of Labor includes descriptions of different types of investments typically offered through 401(k) plans. The information contained in this booklet answers some common questions about the fees and expenses that may be paid by your 401(k) plan. It highlights the most common fees and encourages you, as a 401(k) plan participant, to make informed investment decisions; consider fees as one of several factors in your decision making; compare all services received with the total cost; and realize that cheaper is not necessarily better. (September 2019)
Cash Balance Pension Plans
If your company is converting its traditional pension plan benefit formula to a new cash balance pension plan benefit formula, you may have some questions about how this change will affect you. This Fact Sheet from the United States Department of Labor provides responses to some of the most often asked questions about such a change. (November 2011)
Consumer Information On Retirement Plans
The Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) provides a web page dedicated to consumer information on retirement plans to provide retirement plan participants and their beneficiaries with information on their rights under federal law with respect to their plans. The information ranges from general information on the law to numerous specific issues.
Employee Benefits Security Administration
Website of the Employee Benefits Security Administration of the United States Department of Labor providing information on pension and employee benefit issues.
New Employee Savings Tips - Time Is On Your Side
Tips from the United States Department of Labor on starting your retirement planning. [PDF] (September 2019)
Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
Website of the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), a federal corporation created to protect employee retirement benefits. It was created by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to encourage the continuation and maintenance of private sector defined benefit pension plans, provide timely and uninterrupted payment of pension benefits, and keep pension insurance premiums at a minimum. PBGC currently protects the retirement security of about 31 million American workers in private sector pension plans.
Qualified Domestic Relations Orders under ERISA: A Practical Guide to Dividing Retirement Benefits
Many Americans depend on retirement plans covered by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) for financial security in old age. When there is a divorce, it is very important that the divorce decree clearly and effectively addresses these retirement plan benefits.This guide from the Employee Benefits Security Administration gives practical tips on how to make sure ERISA-covered retirement benefits are divided through a valid QDRO, so you don't have to worry about getting the benefits you expected after your divorce. While the tips here are mainly aimed at individuals going through a divorce, they should also be useful to attorneys.
Request for Social Security Earnings Information
This form will request verification of employment dates from the Social Security Administration. You may need this if you are having difficulty obtaining dates of employment for a pension, social security application, or personal reason. Please note: fees apply depending on the number of years you are requesting. [PDF] (02-2021) FREE yearly totals of earnings are available at www.ssa.gov/myaccount. (11/20224)
Retirement Plans-Benefits & Savings
Information from the United States Department of Labor regarding retirement plans offered by your employer.
Savings Fitness: A Guide to Your Money and Your Financial Future
This publication shows you the key tool for making a secure retirement a reality: financial planning. It will help clarify your retirement goals as well as other financial goals you want to "buy" along the way. It will show you how to manage your money so you can afford today's needs yet still fund tomorrow's goals. It will help you make saving for retirement and other goals a habit. You'll learn there is no such thing as starting to save too early or too late – only not starting at all! You'll learn how to save your money to make it work for you, and how to protect it so it will be there when you need it for retirement. It explains how you can take the best advantage of retirement plans at work, and what to do if you're on your own.
Taking the Mystery Out of Retirement Planning
This publication from the United States Department of Labor is designed to assist individuals who are within 10 years of retirement plan their finances. It will help you to unravel the financial mysteries of life after work and to discover changes you can make for a financially secure future.
Ten Warning Signs That 401(k) Contributions Are Being Misused
An anti-fraud campaign by the Department of Labor uncovered a small fraction of employers who abused employee contributions by either using the money for corporate purposes or holding on to the money too long. Here are 10 warning signs from the United States Department of Labor that your pension contributions are being misused.
Termination
If you've lost your job, you have certain rights, such as the right to continue your health care coverage and, in some cases, the right to unemployment compensation. Here is some information on those rights from the United States Department of Labor.
What You Should Know About Your Retirement Plan
Your employer's retirement savings plan is an essential part of your future financial security. It is important to understand how your plan works and what benefits you will receive. Just as you would keep track of money that you put in a bank or other financial institution, it is in your best interest to keep track of your retirement benefits. This booklet from the United States Department of Labor helps you understand your plan and explains what information you should review periodically and where to go for help with questions.
Your Employer's Bankruptcy - How Will It Affect Your Employee Benefits?
Information from the United States Department of Labor on how your retirement and health benefits might be affected when your employer files for bankruptcy. (November 2016)