ERISA stands for 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 employees enrolled in these plans.

ERISA requires plans to provide participants with plan information including important information about plan features and funding; provides fiduciary responsibilities for those who manage and control plan assets; requires plans to establish a grievance and appeals process for participants to get benefits from their plans; and gives participants the right to sue for benefits and breaches of fiduciary duty.