Retirement Fund Revenge

Do you want to sue your employer for screwing up your retirement fund? Get in line.

The number of lawsuits filed against employer retirement plans has jumped in the last year. From fiscal 2000 to 2001, the number of suits filed under ERISA (Employee Retirement Income Security Act), the law that governs 401(k)s, increased nearly 13%. And pension experts say that's just the beginning.

"At first I really thought Enron would be very narrowly viewed," says Brooks Hamilton, a Dallas-based benefits consultant and lawyer. "I'm beginning to think it may open more of a Pandora's box." ...