Close to 700,000 retirement plans filed a Form 5500 in 2011, representing $6 trillion in assets held by more than 130 million Americans. 

Given the form's role as a primary tool for enforcing the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, it's safe to say that no reporting instrument is as vital to the accounting of retirement assets.

It's also safe to say that few have much respect for it. 

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Nick Thornton

Nick Thornton is a financial writer covering retirement and health care issues for BenefitsPRO and ALM Media. He greatly enjoys learning from the vast minds in the legal, academic, advisory and money management communities when covering the retirement space. He's also written on international marketing trends, financial institution risk management, defense and energy issues, the restaurant industry in New York City, surfing, cigars, rum, travel, and fishing. When not writing, he's pushing into some land or water.