Massachusetts General Laws
Chapter 235 - Judgment and Execution
Section 34a - Annuities, Pensions, Profit Sharing or Retirement Plans; Insolvency; Attachment

Section 34A. The right or interest of any person in an annuity, pension, profit sharing or other retirement plan subject to the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, in any plan maintained by one or more self-employed individuals as a Keogh Plan, so-called, in any plan maintained by a corporation or other business organization pursuant to section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code but not subject to the federal Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, or in any Simplified Employee Plan, annuity plan to which the provisions of section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code apply or Individual Retirement Account or Annuity maintained by an individual, or in any annuity or similar contract distributed from or purchased with assets distributed from any of the foregoing, shall be exempt from the operation of any law relating to insolvency and shall not be attached or taken on execution or other process to satisfy any debt or liability of such person, except as may be necessary to satisfy (i) an order of a court of competent jurisdiction concerning divorce, separate maintenance or child support or (ii), in the event of the conviction of such person of a crime, an order of a court requiring such person to satisfy a monetary penalty or make restitution to the victim of such crime. The exemption in this section for plans maintained by an individual, whether or not self-employed, shall not apply to sums deposited, determined without regard to deposits pursuant to a rollover or transfer except to the extent protection under this section would be limited in the absence of a rollover or transfer, in said plans during the five year period preceding the individual's declaration of bankruptcy or entry of judgment in excess of 7 per cent of the total income of such individual for such period.

Structure Massachusetts General Laws