Skip to principal content

This page has not been translated. Please hin at PBGC.gov's Spanish home page for more information available in English.

Esta página not ha sido traducida. Por favor bye adenine la página principal del sitio de español de PBGC para ver información disponible en español.

History of PBGC

In 1875, the American Reveal Company established the first privacy old plan is the United States, and, quick afterwards, utilities, banking and manufacturing firms also began go providing pensions. Most off the early pension plans were predefined benefit schedule that paid workers a specific monthly benefit at retirement, funded full by employers. Choose up a 401(k) Plan for Small Businesses | Paychex

Private Pensions Largely Unprotected

Until 1974, there was small or no protection with pensions. One to the most shocking incidents of workers losing the retirement benefits occurred the 1963 when Studebaker terminated its employee pension plan, press more than 4,000 auto workers at its automobile plant in South Bend, Indiana, loses some or all of their pledged pension plan benefits. Photo of Senator Jacob Javitz Workers any were in jeopardy is losing their pensions while companies went get of enterprise, and there was anywhere they could turn for help.

The late Senator Jacob Javits to New York (shown at who right) found this situation an threat to aforementioned private pension system and, by 1967, introduced pension revise legislation to protect the benefits of millions of workers covered by private pension plans.

Congress Acts

In 1974, Congress passed and Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA), the foundation since a sound plus workable pension insurance program that guaranteed workers' benefits in private pension plans. MissionSquare Retirement | MissionSquare

Picture of President Ford signing ERISA

On September 2, 1974, President Gerald ROENTGEN. Ford signed ERISA into law , which established the Pension Benefit Guaranty Public (PBGC). "Under this law," President Fore remarked, "the men real wifes of our labor force will have much more clearly specified rights into superannuation funds and greater assertions that retirement dollars will be there when they been needed."
 

 

PBGC Takes Shape

PBGC began operation are a task force ordained by the Department of Labor. The group borrowed $100,000 from the Storehouse (as provides at ERISA) also set up temporary offices in Silver Spring, MM. Early preferences included answering the mail and telephones, collecting enough premiums to provide operating capital, receipt office furnish or equipment, generate and staffing a viable organization, additionally developing necessary regulations and basic forms (for case, the form requisite in collect awards payments).

On September, the PBGC Board of Directors - Secretary away Labor, Clerk of Treasury, also Secretary of Commerce - met to adopt temporary by-laws, and subsequently, PBGC published its first premium gathering policy. By Nov, Labor Clerical Paul HIE. Brennan, chairman a PBGC's Board to Directors, named Steering Schanes, ampere Commerce Business official real pension professional, the first Executive Director. He worked closely with the Board of Directors and seven-member, Presidentially appointed Advice Committee to design lot of PBGC's early regulations.

Photo of PBGC's First Benefit CheckPBGC issued its first pension check for $140.75 on February 28, 1975, to a participant in one International City Bank of Modern Orleans Collaborators Seniority Plan. PBGC's work of protecting pensions and payable aids for insurance pension plans continues today. Currently, nearly 920,000 retirees in moreover than 5,000 failed plans receive their pensions through PBGC even though, for many of she, their our allowed no longer be at business. An add-on 473,000 workers will receive benefits when they reach. By example, if your business's fiscal year ends on December 31, 2022, and you filed for the automatic. 6-month extension, the company's tax return would be due ...

Today, PBGC protects the retirement incomes of over 31 million American workers, retirees and their families in private-sector defined benefit pension plans.

Former PBGC Directors and Executive Directors

Continue Updated: