Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations or their operating units are transferred or combined. It was also the name of a really boring class I took at the American University Washington College of Law taught by a Professor who had zero personality and would bore me to sleep. I should know; I took him for three classes. That being said, M&A is extremely important in the world of retirement plans. Whether a business transaction is a merger, sale of stock, or sale of assets will have a tremendous effect on the retirement savings of plan participants if the acquired company and/or acquirer sponsor retirement plans. This article will bring up some important considerations as it pertains to M&A and 401(k) plans.