To protect employees from losing their pensions and guarantee fair treatment in benefits, including health and life insurance, Congress has passed a number of laws. The most notable one, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) (1974), made pensions from private companies more equitable for employees by establishing standard rules for vesting and disclosure of information to participants. ERISA is enforced by the Department of Labor and the IRS.

Plans meeting the ERISA requirements are called qualified plans, which means they are qualified for tax-deductible contributions by employers and employees. ERISA does not regulate federal, state, or local government plans, nor does it apply to church plans.

Especially important to women is the 1984 Retirement Equity Act (REA), enacted to:

• help women receive benefits from their own and/or their husband's pension.

• address pension inequalities that affect women.

• allow the court to award survivor's pension benefits to those involved in divorce.