Public Policy

Paris Dennard Identifies Auto Portability as Policy Beneficial to Minorities

In his 12/17/18 opinion piece in The Daily Caller, Paris Dennard examines some of the Trump administration's economic policies toward black Americans, identifying the Labor Department's auto portability rule change as "allowing Americans, especially minorities, the ability to preserve their retirement savings when they change jobs."

BET Founder Bob Johnson Applauds Administration For 401(k) Auto Portability Program

RealClear Politics' Ian Schwartz covers the 12/12/18 White House event marking the establishment of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, and focuses specifically on remarks made by the RLJ Companies founder and Retirement Clearinghouse majority owner Robert L. Johnson. In his remarks, Mr. Johnson thanks the administration for the Department of Labor's recent actions on Auto Portability, noting that the auto portability program could result in "close to $800 billion" in incremental retirement savings for minority Americans.

WhiteHouse.Gov: EO on White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council Features Auto Portability

On 12/12/18, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order establishing the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, intended to facilitate long-term equity investments in low-income communities designated as "qualified opportunity zones." Among the distinguished guests at the event was entrepreneur Robert L. Johnson, founder of the RLJ Companies and majority owner of Retirement Clearinghouse. Mr. Johnson took the opportunity to congratulate the administration and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) for their role in the Department of Labor's recent Advisory Opinion on auto portability, noting that auto portability will preserve $800 billion in minorities' retirement savings.

Video available on YouTube's White House channel here (queued to start at the President's introduction of Mr. Johnson)

MarketWatch: Combining small 401(k) accounts helps preserve retirement saving

In her 12/4/18 article in MarketWatch, noted economist and retirement researcher Alicia H. Munnell applauds the Department of Labor's favorable actions toward the RCH auto portability program. Munnell highlights the dilemma facing millions of Americans each year, who leave their jobs and cash out their retirement savings, and cites the ongoing efforts by RCH's Spencer Williams and Tom Johnson in crafting the solution, auto portability. Munnell aptly characterizes auto portability's recent progress as being "so lovely to see a win for the 401(k) system."

Also featured in Morningstar News (link)

The Hill: Labor Department rightly trying to plug pension portability leaks

In his 11/19/18 opinion piece in The Hill, former U.S Treasury official and senior fellow in economic studies at The Brookings Institution Mark Iwry writes about his personal, 22-years long advocacy for 401(k) portability, dating back to the Clinton administration. Not much had changed in that time, says Iwry, until last week's guidance by the Department of Labor (DOL) on auto portability, led by the efforts of RCH executives Spencer Williams and Tom Johnson. With the way cleared by the DOL, Iwry notes that auto portability's success will now depend on the "willingness of recordkeepers...to cooperate so participants can enjoy expanded portability."

Wall Street Journal: Labor Department Clears Path for Automatic 401(k) Transfers

In her 11/12/18 article in The Wall Street Journal, reporter Anne Tergesen addresses the pair of recent DOL actions that give Retirement Clearinghouse (RCH) a green light to move forward with its auto portability program. In support of the DOL's actions, Tergesen cites industry statistics on 401(k) leakage for job-changing participants, quoting industry figures from Morningstar, Boston College's Center for Retirement Research and former U.S. Treasury official Mark Iwry. Tergesen turns to RCH Chief Executive Spencer Williams, who addresses RCH's objectives in obtaining DOL guidance, as well as RCH's views on the benefits of the auto portability program.

Department of Labor Issues Auto Portability Advisory Opinion

PRESS RELEASE - Robert L. Johnson Welcomes Department of Labor’s Advisory Opinion on Auto Portability

Robert L. Johnson, Founder and Chairman of The RLJ Companies and majority owner of Retirement Clearinghouse, applauds the U.S. Department of Labor for providing guidance to retirement plan sponsors, clearing the path to widespread adoption of auto portability and enabling millions of Americans to effortlessly preserve their hard-earned retirement savings as they change jobs.