Public Policy

Generation Beta: The First Americans to Start Saving for Retirement at Birth

Writing in RCH's Consolidation Corner, President & CEO Spencer Williams examines the phenomenon of Generation Beta, the first Americans "who will start saving for their retirement when they are born" - by virtue of their qualifying to receive federally-funded Trump Accounts. Williams further observes that "[w]hen recipients of Trump Accounts turn 18, those accounts are eligible to be rolled in to their employer’s 401(k) plan" and sees opportunities for "digital, paperless account portability" to facilitate the consolidation of these balances and allowing for their ongoing growth.

Congress Ought to Allow Roth IRA Rollovers

Kelsey Mayo, writing in ASPPA Net, identifies her top reasons why Congress should allow Roth IRA-to-401(k) Rollovers, as provided for in The Retirement Rollover Flexibility Act, proposed legislation that was introduced in early December, 2025 by Sens. Barrasso and Bennet, along with Reps. LaHood and Sánchez. One of Mayo's top reasons for supporting the legislation is that, in the context of auto portability, "Roth money [can] get stuck in the Roth IRA — never making it to the new employer plan" and preventing the full "actualization" of auto-portability.

Reintroduced Bill Would Grant Roth IRA Rollovers

Writing in 401k Specialist, Amanda Umpierrez, Managing Editor, covers the reintroduction of a bill designed to allow savers to roll over Roth individual retirement accounts within the defined contribution system. Umpierrez outlines the essential elements of the bill, and quotes American Retirement Association (ARA) CEO Brian Graff, who states that the "Retirement Rollover Flexibility Act will reduce duplicative fees associated with maintaining multiple accounts, curb retirement savings leakage through seamless auto-portability."

ARA-Supported Bipartisan Bill to Permit Roth IRA Rollovers Reintroduced

Legislation that would allow retirement savers to roll over their Roth IRA savings into a Roth account within a workplace retirement plan was reintroduced on Dec. 4. The bipartisan, bicameral Retirement Rollover Flexibility Act — which the American Retirement Association (ARA) has endorsed — would amend the Internal Revenue Code to specifically allow the transfer of contributions from Roth IRA savings accounts into a Roth 401(k), Roth 403(b), or Roth 457(b). The legislation, notes the ARA and its legislative sponsors, specifically promotes expanded portability for Roth IRA savings, with ARA CEO Brian Graff stating that the bill would "curb retirement savings leakage through seamless auto-portability, and ensure workers can carry their Roth savings with them as they move through their careers."

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Michael Kreps on 2025's Quiet Retirement Revolution: Trump Accounts, Saver’s Match, and More

Massena Associates conducts a wide-ranging interview with ERISA expert and industry thought leader Michael Kreps of the Groom Law Group, who offers his views on the current state and future direction of retirement savings. Kreps discusses the importance of recent public policy initiatives -- Trump Accounts, the Saver's Match and Auto Portability -- and their potential to fuel increased retirement wealth. With respect to Trump Accounts and the Saver's Match, Kreps states: “if we could build a clearinghouse-type structure to facilitate these two programs, we’d have the ability to use that infrastructure to do lots of stuff—facilitating portability, finding missing participants, reuniting people with their accounts. There’s all kinds of cool stuff we could do.”

‘Forgotten’ Accounts: Forget Hyperbole, Here’s a Solution

In the wake of media hyperbole surrounding the issue of so-called 'forgotten' 401(k) accounts, RCH’s Tom Hawkins, writing in 401k Specialist, evaluates three potential solutions to enable broad portability, zeroing in on an “affirmative consent-based automatic transfer process, applying to all balances not covered by auto portability and supporting IRA rollovers, plan-to-plan roll-ins, as well as those who choose to stay in-plan.”

Safe Harbor IRAs Are Failing Participants: Report

Paul Mulholland, writing in PSCA.org, examines new research released by PensionBee that is critical of safe harbor IRAs, typically used as vehicles to house small 401(k) balances (<$7000) forced out during an automatic rollover process. While the research calls for safe harbor IRA reform, Mulholland turns to RCH EVP Neal Ringquist, who explains that reforming safe harbors is inadequate, because the automatic rollover process "leads to high participant cash outs,” and “that’s why auto portability is a better solution.”

Universal Auto-Portability Can’t Come Soon Enough

Paul Mulholland, Content Writer and Reporter for the American Retirement Association (ARA), analyzes the state of plan-to-plan portability (or perhaps the lack thereof) in America's retirement plan system. Mulholland identifies the absence of universal automatic portability, or transferring balances between retirement plans upon changing jobs, as a primary obstacle to consistent retirement saving. Mulholland takes a deep dive into multiple dimensions of the issue, identifying abuses and frustrations that can occur with safe harbor IRA providers, and turns to RCH EVP and Chief Revenue Officer Neal Ringquist and Michael Kreps, a principal at the Groom Law Group, for their insights.

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