Thanks to the Employment Retirement Income Security Act, qualified retirement plans such as 401(k)s are safely out of reach of creditors, except for ex-spouses and the IRS. IRAs, however, often have more limited safeguards.

Thanks to the Employment Retirement Income Security Act, qualified retirement plans such as 401(k)s are safely out of reach of creditors, except for ex-spouses and the IRS. IRAs, however, often have more limited safeguards.