Dictionary of Insurance Terms: ten-year vesting (cliff vesting)
ten-year vesting (cliff vesting)
method of vesting under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) that requires an employee to have 10 years of service with an employer to be vested. An employee who leaves an employer prior to that time does not receive retirement benefits from that job. Under the tax reform act of 1986, after December 31, 1988, the 10-year vesting rule is reduced to 5 years.
