Public Policy

A Step Forward, But Will Standardized Forms Fix Retirement System Fragmentation?

Writing in 401k Specialist, RCH’s Tom Hawkins provides his point of view on IRS Notice 2026-49 (Guidance on Section 324 of the SECURE 2.0 Act with Respect to Rollovers), which proposes four model forms and a five-step process designed to facilitate plan-to-plan portability. While Hawkins views the proposed guidance as “a welcome and constructive development” he also makes the case for a market-driven digital infrastructure that would more fully address the problem of systemic friction in our retirement system.

Previously featured in RCH's Consolidation Corner

Analyzing The Latest Regulatory Updates For Auto Portability

In an interview with wealth guru Russ Alan Prince appearing in Financial Advisor Magazine, Michael Kreps of the Groom Law Group provides his host with a thorough run-down on pending DOL guidance on auto portability. Kreps also addresses other related topics, including the ability to transfer Roth IRA balances, as well as questions about sub-$1,000 balances. Kreps closes the discussion with a point for the plan advisor audience, stating: "advisors should be aware that there is no cost to the sponsor for auto portability. The only cost for the program is a one-time transfer fee paid from the account at the time the assets are rolled into (not out of) a 401(k) plan."

Auto-Portability Final Rule Nears Final Stage

Writing in PSCA News, content writer & reporter Paul Mulholland addresses the pending status of the DOL's final rule on auto portability transactions. Mulholland indicates that the proposed rule has now been sent to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, moving the DOL closer to promulgating final rules for auto portability, the service delivered by the Portability Services Network to reduce retirement plan leakage and to deliver seamless, plan-to-plan portability for small accounts.

The “Plumbing” Needed to Improve the Retirement Saving System

Writing in his Retirement Translator substack, Andy Eschtruth, Director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, examines the longstanding requirement to establish "digital connections" to facilitate "moving money easily, accurately, and securely among various actors in the retirement savings system, including employers, recordkeepers, payroll providers, banks, the Treasury, and individuals." Eschtruth refers to this colloquially as "plumbing" and credits Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) as being both a pioneer and a visionary in establishing auto portability and in advocating for a broader digital solution that would function as "as a shared utility that would be available to all actors and versatile enough to build once and use many times.”

How The Saver's Match Could Transform Saving For Retirement

Spencer Williams, President & CEO of Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) and the Portability Services Network (PSN) sits down with Russ Alan Prince of Financial Advisor Magazine to discuss the opportunities and challenges posed by the federal Saver’s Match program, slated to replace the Saver’s Credit for tax years starting in 2027. Williams offers his research-based views on the quantitative benefits of the program, while realistically identifying the operational challenges that the program could face, which Williams believes could benefit from a clearinghouse framework similar to the PSN Auto Portability model.

Retirement Savings Portability: An Idea Whose Time Has (Finally) Come

Writing in 401k Specialist, RCH's Tom Hawkins takes stock of five recent, broad-based developments that, taken together, make a compelling case that full retirement savings portability is getting closer to becoming a reality. Key developments Hawkins describes include: 1) auto portability and the rise of the Portability Services Network, 2) key government retirement savings initiatives, 3) potential provisions of SECURE 3.0, 4) an increased focus on “forgotten” accounts and 5) expanding the portability of Roth balances.

Previously featured in RCH's Consolidation Corner blog

PSCA National Kicks Off with a Look Inside Washington

Reporting on Day 1 of the 2026 PSCA National Conference, ARA Chief Content Officer John Sullivan recaps the action, which included a roundup of the latest retirement policy developments. Led by PSCA Executive Director Will Hansen, the session addressed key legislative initiatives that should be top-of-mind for plan sponsors. Hansen urged plan sponsors to have four takeaways, which included the confirmation of their recordkeeper's ability to accept Saver's Match contributions, as well as the need to evaluate auto portability -- a "hot topic" that Hansen believes could eventually become a mandate, and "would reduce leakage, missing participants, and the fraud surface area created by mailed checks."

Also featured in PSCA News

Millions lose track of their retirement savings. This plan wants to change that

EBN's Jimmy Nesbitt investigates the recent RCH whitepaper advocating for building out retirement industry clearinghouse infrastructure, and turns to author Spencer Williams, CEO of Retirement Clearinghouse and the Portability Services Network. Williams states that the purpose is to "keep people's savings intact. From a benefits perspective, nothing could be more clear, and it doesn't cost an employer one red cent." Nesbitt's piece also quotes PSN member TIAA's statement expressing support for auto portability, which Nesbitt notes is core technology for the clearinghouse expansion plan "which automatically moves a worker's retirement savings from an old employer's plan into a new one."