Pension counseling

When companies go out of business or change hands, their pension plans can be affected. Sometimes, a company will terminate its pension plan and purchase annuities from an insurance company for people who are entitled to receive benefits.

On April 24, 2013, the Pension Rights Center celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Pension Counseling and Information Program at a reception in Washington, D.C.

The New England Pension Assistance Project, based at UMass. Boston, will counsel people on ways to track down pension benefits for which they may qualify.

Christine Zarnich of the South Side Slopes often wondered whether the 10 years she put in at Equibank entitled her to a pension. But the 62-year-old could not figure out who or where to call to find out, because the Pittsburgh bank was acquired by Integra in 1993, which was swallowed by National City in 1996, which was taken over by PNC Financial Services in 2008.