What are "earnings"?
The term "earnings" means compensation owed to an individual for personal services or work performed by that individual for another. This compensation may be called wages, salary, commissions, bonuses, or something similar. "Earnings" include periodic payments made pursuant to a pension or retirement program. "Earnings" become monies upon their payment by the employer to the employee, except payment into a pension or retirement fund. Money in a pension or retirement fund is no longer classified as "earnings" once it is disbursed to the employee.
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